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102-537: The Raritan River Rail Road was built when the peak of the U.S. railroad building fever was subsiding in the late 1880s. It was intended to extend from South Amboy to Bound Brook and New Brunswick. On April 21, 1888, Articles of Incorporation were filed in New Brunswick for the Raritan River Rail Road, with $ 40,000 paid in capital, amounting to $ 2,000 per mile, and capital stock of $ 100,000. At

204-667: A canal across Pennsylvania and thus the Main Line of Public Works was commissioned in 1826. It soon became evident that a single canal would not be practical and a series of railroads, inclined planes, and canals was proposed. The route consisted of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad , canals up the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers, an inclined plane railroad called the Allegheny Portage Railroad ,

306-523: A classification system for their freight cars. Similar to their locomotives, the Pennsy used a letter system to designate the various types and sub-types of freight and maintenance cars. As noted, Pennsy colors and paint schemes were standardized. Locomotives were painted in a shade of green so dark it seemed almost black. The official name for this color was DGLE (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel), though often referred to as "Brunswick Green." The undercarriage of

408-693: A connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) over Suchs’ Pennsylvania Railroad siding. Suchs was a sand and clay industry that already had a very long siding from the Pennsylvania Railroad's old C&A line in Sayreville (connected a few miles west of today's Browns Yard). When the line east from Sayreville to South Amboy was completed, a connection was made with the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) over

510-535: A continuous railroad line ran between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh over the tracks of several entities including the Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1853, the Pennsy was granted trackage rights over the Philadelphia and Columbia, providing a connection between the two cities and connecting with the HPMtJ&;L at Lancaster and Columbia. By 1854, the Pennsy completed its line from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, eliminating

612-738: A decade. The Fresh Ponds spur in Milltown was also removed. A temporary boost in tonnage on the Raritan occurred because of construction of the New Jersey Turnpike , which generated fill material and sand movements. With Crossmanns' help, the RRRR built a small loop track in Crossmann's pits and moved hundreds of cars of sand. Major online shippers included National Lead, DuPont, Hercules, and Johnson & Johnson. The industrial base of

714-681: A government-guaranteed $ 200 million operating loan forced Penn Central to file for bankruptcy protection on June 21, 1970. In May 1971, passenger operations, including equipment, were transferred to a new government-subsidized company called the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, or Amtrak . This was devised to relieve the Penn Central (and other railroads) of money-losing passenger service. Penn Central rail lines, including ex-Pennsy lines, were transferred to Conrail in 1976, and eventually Amtrak received

816-546: A multi-modal freight transportation subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It owned oil tanker cars and used them to transport refined oil for mostly independent oil refiners during the era of John D. Rockefeller's and Standard Oil's oil refinery mergers of the 1870s. The company also owned grain freight boats on the Great Lakes and oil pipelines in the oil regions of Pennsylvania . When the company attempted to buy and build some oil refineries in 1877, Standard Oil bought

918-575: A new railroad named Consolidated Rail Corporation , or Conrail for short. Conrail was itself purchased and split up in 1999 between the Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation , with Norfolk Southern getting 58 percent of the system, including nearly all of the remaining former Pennsylvania Railroad trackage. Amtrak received the electrified segment of the Main Line east of Harrisburg. The Penn Central Corporation held several non-rail assets which it continued to manage after

1020-473: A percentage of its capital stock. Several lines were then aided by the Pennsy in hopes to secure additional traffic. By the end of 1854, the Pennsy purchased stock in the Ohio & Pennsylvania, Ohio & Indiana, Marietta & Cincinnati, Maysville & Big Sandy, and Springfield, Mt. Vernon & Pittsburgh railroads, totalling $ 1,450,000 (equivalent to $ 49.2 million in 2023). The Steubenville & Indiana

1122-810: A plant at the end of the Gillespie Branch, and they too received flour by the RRRR. The South River Branch was upgraded, as well as the trackage in New Brunswick, for a new customer starting a rail-to-truck transfer there. The old Michelin Tire complex was rented and some freight traffic was generated there. The Raritan River also derived revenue from high per diem rates, leasing 100 fifty-foot box cars in 1975. The Raritan River had its best revenue year in 1979, with operating revenues amounting to $ 1,968,671. The Raritan emphasized customer service and benefited from having longtime online customers such as Dupont and Hercules (Formally Smokeless Powder Company) going back to

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1224-461: A split of two mountain ravines which were cleverly crossed by building a fill and having the tracks ascend a 220-degree curve known as Horseshoe Curve that limited the grade to less than 2 percent. The crest of the mountain would be penetrated by the 3,612 ft (1,101 m) Gallitzin Tunnels , from which the route descended by a more moderate grade to Johnstown . The western end of the line

1326-508: A stake in Madison Square Garden . The company began to acquire a portfolio of insurance companies in 1988. In 1994, the company reorganized as American Premier Underwriters , a subsidiary of American Financial Group , which continues to operate as a property and casualty insurance company as-of January 2024. Thomson (1808–1874) was the entrepreneur who led the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1852 until his death in 1874, making it

1428-594: A tunnel across the Allegheny Mountains , and canals down the Conemaugh and Allegheny rivers to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , on the Ohio River; it was completed in 1834. Because freight and passengers had to change conveyances several times along the route and canals froze in winter, it soon became apparent that the system was cumbersome and a better way was needed. There were two applications made to

1530-551: A year, then the B&;O bill would become effective and the Pennsy's void, thereby allowing the B&O to build into Pennsylvania and on to Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvania Railroad fulfilled the requirements and Letters Patent were issued by the Pennsylvania governor on February 25, 1847. The governor declared the B&O's rights void the following August. In 1847, the Pennsy's directors chose J. Edgar Thomson , an engineer from

1632-608: Is still connected. Several spurs also remain connected but do not have active customers. A single customer based in the Highview Industrial Complex in East Brunswick also receives freight. The South River Branch was abandoned in the early 1980's. Plans to expand the Rail-to-Truck transfer facility at the former New Brunswick facilities were dropped by Conrail, despite support for the project by

1734-630: The Broadway Limited which became the most famous train operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad. This train ran from New York City to Chicago, via Philadelphia, with an additional section between Harrisburg and Washington (later operated as a separate Washington–Chicago train, the Liberty Limited ). In 1890, the Pennsylvania Railroad gained control of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (PCC&StL), itself

1836-604: The Congressional Limited s in both directions were the first trains in regular electric operation between New York and Washington, drawn by the first of the GG1 -type locomotives . In 1934, the Pennsylvania received a $ 77 million loan from the New Deal 's Public Works Administration to complete the electrification project begun in 1928. Work was started January 27, 1937, on the main line from Paoli to Harrisburg;

1938-525: The East Brunswick Highview complex still receiving freight. The East Brunswick spur is no longer connected to the main line. Of almost a dozen spurs once in East Brunswick, only one currently receives freight. On the western end, Silverline Windows still receives 1-2 cars of plastic pellets per week. Trains run seldom to Silverline. New Jersey Transit and Middlesex County, New Jersey , are studying potential future light rail options in

2040-690: The Georgia Railroad , to survey and construct the line. He chose a route that followed the west bank of the Susquehanna River northward to the confluence with the Juniata River, following its banks until the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains were reached at a point that would become Altoona, Pennsylvania . To traverse the mountains, the line would climb a moderate grade for 10 miles (16 km) until it reached

2142-560: The Hudson River tunnels . The next area to be electrified was the Philadelphia terminal area, where Pennsy officials decided to use overhead lines to supply power to the suburban trains running out of Broad Street Station . Unlike the New York terminal system, overhead wires would carry 11,000-volt 25-Hertz alternating current (AC) power, which became the standard for future installations. On September 12, 1915, electrification of

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2244-655: The NRHS sponsored a special excursion train on May 28, 1938, over the Raritan to mark the passing of regular scheduled passenger service. The special train left New Brunswick at 2:40 pm, stopped at the Lawrence Brook Trestle for photos, then proceeded up the Serviss Branch where it parked at Hendersons Siding just 15 feet (4.6 m) away from the Route 18 crossing. Many motorists stopped and gazed at

2346-802: The New Brunswick, New Jersey , area to alleviate traffic congestion , including the former Raritan River Railroad right-of-way which parallels the busy Route 18 highway corridor. Edward H. Ripley Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 553648736 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:44:32 GMT Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR ), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company , also known as

2448-594: The New Jersey Department of Transportation and the city of New Brunswick. As a result, the entire complex was eventually demolished and the wye area in New Brunswick was redeveloped with townhouses. By the late 1990s, the last customer in New Brunswick— Squibb , stopped getting tank cars. The former Johnson & Johnson plant in Milltown is now used by Silverline Windows, which receives covered hoppers containing plastic pellets. In October 2014,

2550-690: The Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor lines. After Conrail was divided between the Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation , most of the former Pennsy's remaining trackage went to Norfolk Southern. The few parts of the Pennsylvania Railroad that went to CSX after the Conrail split were: After 1976, the Penn Central Corporation held diversified non-rail assets including the Buckeye Pipeline and

2652-686: The Senator from Boston to Washington. On July 1, 1869, the Pennsylvania Railroad leased the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway (PFtW&C) in which it had previously been an investor. The lease gave the Pennsy complete control of that line's direct route through northern Ohio and Indiana as well as entry into the emerging rail hub city of Chicago, Illinois . Acquisitions along the PFtW&;C: Erie and Pittsburgh Railroad , Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad, Toledo, Columbus and Ohio River Railroad, and Pittsburgh, Youngstown and Ashtabula Railway gave

2754-549: The " Pennsy ", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. At its peak in 1882, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest railroad (by traffic and revenue), the largest transportation enterprise, and the largest corporation in the world, on par with the London & North Western Railway . Over its existence, Pennsylvania Railroad acquired, merged with, or owned part of at least 800 other rail lines and companies. At

2856-517: The 14 former Lackawanna passenger cars remained on the RRRR's roster. Locomotive #11 was wrecked and engines No. 3, No. 4, and No. 6 were scrapped. The Milltown Spur, or Fresh Ponds Spur, was built in 1925 to access a sand and clay pit just south of Milltown. By the late 1920s, engines No. 1 and No. 2 were also scrapped. By the end of 1929, the Raritan River Railroad had just eight working engines. The Great Depression accelerated

2958-665: The 1910s. Sunshine Biscuit kept the Gillespie branch alive, just as Continental Baking kept the East Brunswick branch active. This allowed continued rail service to several small and infrequent shippers, which would otherwise have been ended. With the creation of Conrail in April 1976 to take over the failing eastern railroads, the then-profitable Raritan River was supposed to be included along with their bankrupt parent railroads. The RRRR resisted inclusion in Conrail and took court action to forestall it. Four years later, on April 24, 1980,

3060-547: The 1980s and 1990s, some of the largest customers ceased shipping by rail: Dupont stopped receiving deliveries and their siding is now disconnected. National Lead—at one time the railroad's largest customer—closed and is listed as a brownfield site . Hercules is still connected, receiving an occasional boxcar. Both the Sunshine Biscuit and Continental Baking plants have shut down. The Gillespie Branch survives since it connects to CSAO Browns Yard. The East Brunswick branch

3162-468: The 20th century, the Pennsy tried electric power for its trains. Its first effort was in the New York terminal area, where tunnels and a city law restricting the burning of coal precluded steam locomotives. In 1910, the railroad began operating a direct current (DC) 650-volt system whose third-rail powered Pennsy locomotives (and LIRR passenger cars) used to enter Penn Station in New York City via

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3264-407: The 50-ton gondola freight cars purchased in 1910 and used to service these industries were scrapped by 1937. The last combination passenger car , No. 22, was also scrapped in 1937, ending baggage service on the Raritan River Railroad and leaving the line with just one passenger car, No. 27. The first two Lackawanna cabooses appeared on the line in 1937, numbers 5 and 6. In 1938, the end of an era

3366-645: The Delaware River from Philadelphia) to South Amboy, New Jersey (across Raritan Bay from New York City), as well as a newer line from Philadelphia to Jersey City, New Jersey, much closer to New York, via Trenton, New Jersey. Track connection in Philadelphia was made via the Pennsy's Connecting Railway and the jointly owned Junction Railroad . The Pennsy's Baltimore and Potomac Rail Road opened on July 2, 1872, between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. This route required transfer via horse car in Baltimore to

3468-530: The East Coast was moving away, and this affected the RRRR along with all other eastern railroads. By 1964, all Less-Car-Load (LCL) freight was eliminated, and agents in the freight stations were dropped. By now most coal traffic was gone. The Raritan River acquired a damaged N&W boxcar after an insurance company write-off, and rebuilt it as No. 100 for non-interchange usage, to move freight back and forth between on-line companies. Although both parents of

3570-450: The NYLB or PRR connection, and drop off the cars at Sayreville Junction, where they would be sorted for the runs either east or west at that point. The 1900s saw the second branch line extended, the Serviss Branch was increased from one to four miles (6 km). This line ran from the RRRR main in East Brunswick, headed north, and curved back south towards South River again. The terminus of

3672-577: The New York & Long Branch, providing the Raritan River Railroad with connections to the two larger railroads. The Raritan was extended westward from Milltown to New Brunswick in 1891 and a new PRR connection was constructed in South Amboy in 1901, permitting abandonment of the original PRR connection at Suchs' siding. In 1888, the Raritan River Rail Road began operation with two 4-4-0 engines (No.1 and No.2) and twenty 20- ton gondola cars. These small cars were used by Suchs and Crossmans to move

3774-551: The New York Central Railroad. The Pennsylvania Railroad absorbed the New York Central and eventually went by the name of Penn Central Transportation Company . The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) required that the ailing New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (NH) be added in 1969. A series of events including inflation, poor management, abnormally harsh weather, and the withdrawal of

3876-620: The PRR began passenger train service from New York City via Philadelphia to Washington with limited stops along the route. This service became known as the "Congressional Limited Express." The service expanded, and by the 1920s, the Pennsy was operating hourly passenger train service between New York, Philadelphia and Washington. In 1952, 18-car stainless steel streamliners were introduced on the Morning Congressional and Afternoon Congressional between New York and Washington, as well as

3978-556: The Pennsy access to the iron ore traffic on Lake Erie. On June 15, 1887, the Pennsylvania Limited began running between New York and Chicago. This was also the introduction of the vestibule, an enclosed platform at the end of each passenger car, allowing protected access to the entire train. In 1902 the Pennsylvania Limited was replaced by the Pennsylvania Special which in turn was replaced in 1912 by

4080-443: The Pennsy owned 439 freight cars. By 1857, it had 1,861 cars, and in 1866, 9,379 cars. Freight equipment was either acquired new from builders or built by the railroad itself. The Pennsy acquired more cars from the railroads it absorbed. In some instances, privately owned cars were either purchased from a builder or railroad acquisition. One such example was the 1877 purchase of Empire Transportation merchandise and oil cars. By

4182-566: The Pennsylvania Railroad gained control of the Northern Central Railway , giving it access to Baltimore, Maryland , and points along the Susquehanna River via connections at Columbia, Pennsylvania, or Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. On December 1, 1871, the Pennsy leased the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company , which included the original Camden and Amboy Railroad from Camden, New Jersey (across

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4284-453: The Pennsylvania Railroad merged with New York Central and the railroad eventually went by the name of Penn Central Transportation Company , or "Penn Central" for short. The former competitors' networks integrated poorly with each other, and the railroad filed for bankruptcy within two years. Bankruptcy continued and on April 1, 1976, the railroad gave up its rail assets, along with the assets of several other failing northeastern railroads, to

4386-508: The Pennsylvania legislature in 1846. The first was for a new railroad called The Pennsylvania Railroad Company to build a line between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The second was the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), which wanted to build to Pittsburgh from Cumberland, Maryland. Both applications were granted with conditions. If the Pennsylvania Railroad did not raise enough capital and contract to build enough railroad within

4488-512: The RRRR line for a few years. All but one were scrapped in 1984, with former RRRR #4 being sold to PECO Energy Company for use at their plant in Eddystone, Pennsylvania . Most union employees were assimilated into Conrail. The clerical and managerial staff were all terminated. Of the 56 employees on the payroll in 1980, 30 would be offered jobs with Conrail, 26 would not. Conrail closed shops in South Amboy. The interchange in South Amboy for PRR

4590-558: The RRRR's first train left Milltown, and shortly thereafter the line reached New Brunswick, having laid twelve miles (19 km) of mainline track. The railroad decided not to cross the Raritan River into New Brunswick to reach Bound Brook, due to the expense and lack of potential freight business at the time in the largely undeveloped area. Between 1888 and 1898, the line had 3 engines, 34 freight cars, 6 passenger cars, 12 miles (19 km) of main line, and two branch lines. After

4692-492: The RRRR, the CNJ and the Penn Central were bankrupt, the Raritan River remained solvent and continued to benefit from a major new industrial complex named Highview, which was built in East Brunswick with many spurs and industries connected. The old Serviss Branch was re-laid for two miles (3 km) and renamed the East Brunswick branch to serve Continental Bakery, which received many shipments of flour by rail. Sunshine Biscuit opened

4794-450: The RRRR. During 1917, the Gillespie Branch was built into an isolated wooded area, to access the T Gillespie Powder Works . With Gillespie, DuPont, and Hercules all making munitions for World War I , it was a very busy time on the RRRR. At its peak, DuPont was supplying four 50-ton cars per day of weapons and/or munitions. The Gillespie site was destroyed on October 4, 1918 by many explosions. In addition to munition plant shipments along

4896-792: The Raritan River Railroad merged into the Conrail system. Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) is jointly owned CSX and Norfolk Southern . Once merged into the Conrail system, the 12-mile (19 km) Raritan River Railroad mainline was renamed Conrail's Sayreville Running Track, and would be switched out of Conrail's Browns Yard near Bordentown Avenue via a new connection built after the merger. This required major upgrades to Browns Yard, as all classifications and storage were performed there instead of Sayreville Junction. The old wooden and outdated steel cabooses were sold, and replaced with steel Conrail cabooses. The remaining 97 leased fifty-foot box cars were re-numbered and absorbed into Conrail. The six EMD SW900s were re-numbered for Conrail and did switch

4998-472: The Raritan River also operated a through single tripper from Stevens Avenue in South Amboy as #1, at 5:45 am, making stops at Bergen Hill, Parlin, South River, and Milltown, arriving at New Brunswick 6:24 am. By 1937, the multitude of sand, clay, and brick industries that contributed greatly to the Raritan River's success in the early years were virtually all gone. But Crossman's and Whitheads' did survive, and were starting to grow again. About half of

5100-438: The Raritan River with its six locomotives had doubled its engine roster compared to the three engines it had in 1898. In around 1907, both engines No. 1 and No. 2 were replaced by more powerful engines, which were assigned the same numbers. Freight traffic continued to grow substantially, necessitating larger gondolas. The Raritan River ordered forty-four 50-ton cars in 1910, for a total of 83 cars on its roster. Passenger service

5202-453: The Serviss Branch was just one mile (1.6 km) from the RRRR's South River Station. This branch was built to service the many sand and clay pits that were opening along the area. Even a small brickyard was located at the end of this branch at Reid Street. During this same period, the current Sanford Street terminus in New Brunswick was finished, with elaborate brick passenger and freight stations. Two more engines were purchased to help with

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5304-419: The average capacity of a Pennsylvania Railroad freight car increased from 31 to 54 short tons (28 to 48 long tons; 28 to 49 t). This increased to 55 short tons (49 long tons; 50 t) in the mid-1930s and then to 56 short tons (50 long tons; 51 t) in 1945. By the start of 1946, the Pennsy's freight car ownership decreased to 240,293 cars and in 1963, down to 140,535. The Pennsylvania Railroad used

5406-464: The company. The controlling, non-institutional shareholders of the PRR during the early 1960s were Henry Stryker Taylor , who was a part of the Jacob Bunn business dynasty of Illinois, and Howard Butcher III, a principal in the Philadelphia brokerage house of Butcher & Sherrerd (later Butcher & Singer). On February 1, 1968, the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with its longtime arch-rival,

5508-462: The downturn in business on the Raritan. The Michelin Tire Company closed its Milltown plant in early 1930, devastating the small town. Most of the sand and clay pits also shut down during those times, and service on the Serviss Branch was almost non-existent. Revenue traffic fell by half and passenger service was reduced considerably, to just four daily trains by 1930, compared to 22 in 1917. By

5610-633: The electrified trackage are still in use, owned and operated by Amtrak as the Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor high-speed rail routes, by SEPTA , and by NJ Transit . The Pennsylvania Railroad's corporate symbol was the keystone , the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's state symbol, with the letters "PRR" intertwined inside. When colored, it was bright red with a silver-grey inline and lettering. The Pennsylvania Railroad bought its first 75 freight cars in 1849. Two years later,

5712-540: The end of 1926, it operated 11,640.66 miles (18,733.83 kilometers) of rail line; in the 1920s, it carried nearly three times the traffic as other railroads of comparable length, such as the Union Pacific and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroads. Its only formidable rival was the New York Central Railroad (NYC), which carried around three-quarters of the Pennsy's ton-miles. In 1968,

5814-476: The end of the century, a third and fourth track were added. Over the next 50 years, the Pennsy expanded by gaining control of other railroads by stock purchases and 999-year leases. At the end of its first year of operation, the Pennsylvania Railroad paid a dividend, and continued the dividend without interruption until 1946. The Pennsy's charter was supplemented on March 23, 1853, to allow it to purchase stock and guarantee bonds of railroads in other states, up to

5916-511: The first meeting of the board of directors in April 1888, Edward H. Ripley was elected president, E. W. Harrison was appointed Chief Engineer, and a construction contract to build the railroad was awarded. Construction started in Sayreville in May 1888 with 60 lb/yd (30 kg/m) rail, with a few trains running by the end of that same year. The line started in Sayreville, New Jersey , with

6018-528: The first passenger train, the Metropolitan, went into operation over the newly electrified line from Philadelphia to Harrisburg. On April 15, the electrified freight service from Harrisburg and Enola Yard east was inaugurated, thus completing the Pennsy's eastern seaboard electrification program. The railroad had electrified 2,677 miles (4,308 km) of its track, representing 41% of the country's electrically operated standard railroad trackage. Portions of

6120-526: The formation of Conrail. It reorganized in 1994 as American Premier Underwriters , which continues to operate as a property and casualty insurance company. With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 and the beginnings of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in 1828, Philadelphia business interests became concerned that the port of Philadelphia would lose traffic. The state legislature was pressed to build

6222-461: The group made it to South Amboy where they were given a tour of the RRRR shops and roundhouse area. The special then "high-balled" back to New Brunswick, with special permission granted to reach 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). In 1938, a new engine appeared on the line, the first time in almost 23 years since the prior engine purchases in 1916 during World War I. The economic recovery by the late 1930s resulted in an increase in freight, necessitating

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6324-531: The increase in freight. Engines No.4 and No.5 were added to the roster in 1899 and 1900. A small batch of larger cars were ordered, five 40-ton cars. In about 1901, the first number 3 engine was replaced with a second, more powerful number 3. In 1905 the South River Branch was built, two miles (3 km) south from the South River station. Engine No. 6 was added to the roster in 1905. By 1905,

6426-547: The largest business enterprise in the world and a world-class model for technological and managerial innovation. He served as the Pennsy's first Chief Engineer and third President. Thomson's sober, technical, methodical, and non-ideological personality had an important influence on the Pennsylvania Railroad, which in the mid-19th century was on the technical cutting edge of rail development, while nonetheless reflecting Thomson's personality in its conservatism and its steady growth while avoiding financial risks. His Pennsylvania Railroad

6528-541: The lettering and outlining was originally done in real gold leaf. After World War II, the lettering was done in a light shade of gold, called Buff Yellow. For most of its existence, the Pennsylvania Railroad was conservative in its locomotive choices and pursued standardization, both in locomotive types and their component parts. Almost alone among U.S. railroads, the Pennsy designed most of its steam locomotive classes itself. It built most of them at Altoona Works , outsourcing only when Pennsy facilities could not keep up with

6630-547: The line from Philadelphia to Paoli, Pennsylvania, was completed. Other Philadelphia lines electrified were the Chestnut Hill Branch (March 30, 1918), White Marsh (1924), the main line to Wilmington, Delaware (September 30, 1928), West Chester (December 2, 1928), Trenton line (June 29, 1930), and completed on July 20, 1930 the Schuylkill Branch to Norristown, Pennsylvania, later followed by

6732-423: The line served the coal region of southern Illinois and as a passenger route for the Pennsylvania Railroad's Blue Ribbon named trains The St. Louisan , The Jeffersonian , and the Spirit of St. Louis . By 1906, the Pennsylvania built several low-grade lines for freight to bypass areas of steep grade (slope) and avoid congestion. These included: Some other lines were planned, but never completed: Early in

6834-487: The line was built, both the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Central Railroad of New Jersey started to buy stock in the Raritan. The PRR acquired a 40% ownership share and the Central 60%. Although wholly owned by the two bigger lines, the RRRR was locally managed from its headquarters on John Street in South Amboy. In the 1890s, the RRRR continued upgrading its track, building stations, and generally upgrading its infrastructure. It acquired several small locomotives, adding to

6936-443: The line, World War I also resulted in a substantial increase in passenger traffic. In 1917, two more Lackawanna passenger cars were added. In 1918, passenger traffic reached an all-time high, with 22 daily passenger trains and 7 extra trains on Sundays. The Raritan River had 15 Engines and 16 passenger cars, as well as about 83 freight cars, moving 9,000 passengers per day and 1.5 million tons of freight and war materials in 1918. After

7038-405: The locomotives were painted in black, referred to as "True Black." The passenger cars of the Pennsy were painted Tuscan Red , a brick-colored shade of red. Some electric locomotives and most passenger-hauling diesel locomotives were also painted in Tuscan Red. Freight cars of the Pennsy had their own color, known as "Freight Car Color," an iron-oxide shade of red. On passenger locomotives and cars,

7140-418: The low-grade freight line from Morrisville through Columbia to Enola Yard in Pennsylvania; the Port Road Branch from Perryville, Maryland, to Columbia; the Jamesburg Branch and Amboy Secondary freight line from Monmouth Junction to South Amboy; and the Landover-South End freight line from Landover, Maryland, through Washington to Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Virginia. In less than a year, on January 15, 1938,

7242-485: The mainline was progressing west towards New Brunswick, the first two branch lines were built: in 1890, the 2.1-mile (3.4 km) Sayreville Branch to access the Sayre and Fisher Brick Yards near the mouth of the Raritan River; one mile (1.6 km) of the Serviss Branch in East Brunswick was started in 1891 to access the sand and clay needed by Sayre and Fisher. The third locomotive (No. 3) was purchased in 1890 and fourteen 30-ton freight cars were ordered. By July 4, 1891,

7344-657: The merged product of numerous smaller lines in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Commonly called the Panhandle Route , this line ran west from Pittsburgh to Bradford, Ohio , where it split, with one line to Chicago and the other to East St. Louis, Illinois , via Indianapolis, Indiana . In 1905, the acquisition of the Vandalia Railroad gave the Pennsy access across the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri . Double-tracked for much of its length,

7446-448: The mid-1860s, the railroad had 9,379 freight cars; a decade later, 32,718; the mid-1880s, over 49,000; 1896, more than 87,000. The Pennsy changed its car reporting methods around 1900. The railroads owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad system were now included in reports, in addition to the Pennsylvania Railroad proper. So, in 1900, the Pennsy had over 180,000 freight cars; by 1910, 263,039. The zenith of freight car ownership

7548-618: The mid-1930s, the RRRR had only two ex- Lackawanna Railroad passenger coaches remaining of the original fourteen. The last two original 4-wheeled cabooses were scrapped. Engine No. 7 was scrapped in 1933; engine No. 12 was scrapped in 1937. As of April 27, 1936, the Raritan River had only one scheduled round-trip passenger train, operating daily except Sundays between Parlin and New Brunswick. It left New Brunswick as Train #2 at 6:35 am, making stops at Milltown and South River, and arrived at Parlin 6:55 am. Return train #7 departed Parlin at 3:50 pm, arriving at 4:44 pm. On weekdays,

7650-476: The next day, ending Pennsylvania Air Line service. In the early 1880s, the Pennsylvania acquired a majority of PW&B Railroad's stock. This action forced the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) to build the Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad to keep its Philadelphia access, where it connected with the Reading Company for its competing Royal Blue Line passenger trains to reach New York. In 1885,

7752-552: The other lines heading north from the city. On June 29, 1873, the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel through Baltimore was completed. The Pennsylvania Railroad started the Pennsylvania Air Line service ("air line" at the time being understood as a nearly-straight and nearly-flat route with distance similar to "as the crow flies") via the Northern Central Railway and Columbia, Pennsylvania. This service

7854-439: The purchase of another engine, numbered 8 after the one that had been scrapped in 1919. The 1940s brought World War II , and its associated increase in freight traffic. Another engine was added to the line in 1941, numbered 7 after the one scrapped in 1937. After the war's end, the RRRR purchased seven surplus US Army engines for only $ 100,000, allowing the retirement of the line's elderly locomotives. In 1947, locomotive No. 15

7956-411: The railroad for the extension of its line from Sayreville to South River. As reported by The New York Times , a "frightful riot" ensued when gangs on both sides fought over the railroad's attempt to seize the land by force when negotiations had stalemated and Furman obtained a court injunction restraining the railroad from crossing his property and asserting eminent domain . One of the riot participants

8058-474: The railroad's needs. In such cases, subcontractors were hired to build to PRR designs, unlike most railroads that ordered to broad specifications and left most design choices to the builder. The Pennsy's favorite outsourced locomotive builder was Baldwin Locomotive Works , which received its raw materials and shipped out its finished products on Pennsy lines. The two companies were headquartered in

8160-440: The rest of the main line to Trenton, New Jersey. In 1928, PRR's president William Wallace Atterbury announced plans to electrify the lines between New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Harrisburg. In January 1933, through main-line service between New York and Philadelphia/Wilmington/Paoli was placed in operation. The first test run of an electric train between Philadelphia and Washington occurred on January 28, 1935. On February 1

8262-440: The roster as traffic increased. The first customers on the line were the brick companies, the clay and sand pits of Crossman's and Such's. Crossman's in Sayreville grew so large that a narrow gauge line running in the pits brought the sand and clay to the connection with the RRRR. Sayreville Junction was created almost at the midpoint of the line for the storage and classification of cars. RRRR trains would run straight from either

8364-480: The rust on the swing bridge in South River . Five pieces of original RRRR equipment are known to be in existence. Under CSAO, five former RRRR lines remaining in operation. Trains operate almost daily from Browns Yard. Gerdau Steel in Sayreville is on the eastern end of the former Phoenix Spur and currently receives steel shipments. Bricks are delivered to Riverside Supply. Mauser is the only company left in

8466-445: The sand and clay found in the area. Disputes with workers and clashes with local landowners during the construction of the Raritan River Railroad sparked sometimes heated conflict. On August 16, 1888, just four months after construction had started, an incident required summoning the local sheriff. One contractor, Charles Van Houghton of Jersey City, was hired to grade the road and lay stone culverts at South Amboy. Although Van Houghton

8568-831: The siding at the former National Lead site was reactivated for the shipment of radiologically contaminated soils to out-of-state disposal facilities. The sole surviving station is in Milltown , which still proudly displays its original sign: " Raritan River Railroad – Freight Station ". It is in a deteriorating condition and plans are being made by the Raritan River Chapter of the NRHS and the Borough of Milltown to move it to another location and restore it. The current owner, attorney James Curran, has indicated he would "consider donating it." The RRRR logo can still be seen through

8670-464: The strange passenger train, as the Serviss Branch never had regularly scheduled passenger service. The special then proceeded back down the main and headed to South River, where participants observed the only manually hand-cranked swing bridge in New Jersey. They then proceeded to Sayreville Junction, where they witnessed the passing of a freight train and the switching of freight cars. Eventually

8772-626: The use of the inclined planes of the Allegheny Portage Railroad. In 1857, the PRR purchased the Main Line of Public Works from the state of Pennsylvania. This purchase included 275 miles (443 km) of canal, the Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad, and the New Portage Railroad (which replaced the now abandoned Allegheny Portage Railroad). The Pennsy abandoned most of the New Portage Railroad in 1857 as it

8874-457: The war ended, traffic subsided and engine number 8 was retired. In 1919, a new 12-stall roundhouse and shops were built near Stevens Avenue. The 1920s saw a decline in freight and passengers, with increased competition from buses, cars, and trucks beginning to have an adverse effect upon the RRRR. In 1924, Moody's listed the Raritan as having only 50 freight cars, 44 50-ton and 6 40-ton. All 30-ton and 20-ton cars were scrapped. By 1925, only six of

8976-471: Was 54.5 miles (87.7 km) longer than the old route but avoided the transfer in Baltimore. The Union Railroad line opened on July 24, 1873. This route eliminated the transfer in Baltimore. Pennsy officials contracted with both the Union Railroad and the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad (PW&B) for access to this line. The Pennsy's New York–Washington trains began using the route

9078-464: Was also growing rapidly, so the RRRR purchased 12 passenger cars and 2 combine cars from the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in 1915. Engine number 7 was added to the roster in 1912, engine number 8 was added in 1914, and engines 9 and 10 were added in 1915, bringing the total number of locomotives on the Raritan River to ten. By 1917, this would further increase to a total of 15 engines on

9180-552: Was assisted by the Pennsy in the form of a guarantee of $ 500,000 worth of bonds. In 1856, a controlling interest was purchased in the Cumberland Valley Railroad and the Pennsy constructed additional lines in Philadelphia. In 1857, the aforementioned Main Line of Public Works was purchased for $ 7,500,000 ($ 245 million in 2023). The Empire Transportation Company was founded in 1865 by Joseph D. Potts and became

9282-537: Was closed in 1976. Conrail later extended the Gillespie Branch (renamed the Gillespie Running Track) to cross Bordentown Avenue and connect directly with Browns Yard, enabling abandonment of the South Amboy connection with NJ Transit 's North Jersey Coast Line . The line was then cut back to the Phoenix Spur, which currently receives freight in the form of scrap steel. The abandoned engine shop

9384-548: Was in his day the largest railroad in the world, with 6,000 miles of track, and was famous for steady financial dividends, high quality construction, constantly improving equipment, technological advances (such as replacing wood fuel with coal), and innovation in management techniques for a large complex organization. The railroad's other presidents were: The Pennsylvania Railroad's board chairman/CEOs were: The railroad's vice-presidents were: The Pennsy's main line extended from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1861,

9486-501: Was investigating who leaked the rumor to the Times . Some reporters were summoned to appear before the court to reveal their sources and explain how they obtained their information. It appears that all charges were eventually dropped. Later that year, on October 30, 1889, another labor dispute again required intervention by the sheriff when a sub-contractor's laborers rioted in South River due to not being paid their wages. As construction of

9588-409: Was involved in a wreck at the PRR connection and scrapped on the spot. The 1950s brought dieselization to the RRRR, as the remaining ex- USRA engines were replaced with six EMD SW900 engines. The retirement of steam also meant that the roundhouse could be closed, reducing expenses considerably for the shortline. The Serviss Branch was abandoned and scrapped in 1956, after being dormant for almost

9690-542: Was killed in the melee. Afterwards, two Raritan Rail Road officials were charged with murder in connection with the riot. Coverage of the Sayreville Riot arrests was sensationalized by the press, with the New York Times falsely reporting on September 16, 1889, that indictments of all officers of the Raritan River Railroad were expected in the case. The following day, the court in New Brunswick announced it

9792-759: Was lost to fire in 1983. The New Brunswick and Parlin stations were demolished by the early 1990s. The Milltown spur to the former Michelin Tire Complex is severed from the main line, but still crosses Main Street (and has been re-laid after repaving). The Milltown spur and Michelin Complex are listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. Trackage currently terminates at Silverline Windows in North Brunswick, east of U.S. Route 1 . In

9894-684: Was never an important revenue source for the RRRR, which owned only six passenger cars in 1910. In Milltown, the Michelin Tire Company constructed a massive tire manufacturing complex employing more than 2,000 employees. Tons of raw materials and finished products rolled in and out of Milltown on the Raritan River. The Milltown Station was a very busy place at train time. It had a Railway Express agent and priority packages were shipped on special rail cars attached to RRRR passenger trains for connections to other railroads, providing express rail shipment capability nationwide. Passenger traffic

9996-481: Was now redundant with the Pennsylvania Railroad's own line. In 1861, the Pennsy leased the HPMtJ&L to bring the entire stretch of road between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia under its control. The Johnstown to Pittsburgh stretch of canal was abandoned in 1865 and the rest of the canals sold to the Pennsylvania Canal Company in 1866. The main line was double track from its inception, and by

10098-460: Was paid $ 5000 for the work, he was reported to have absconded without paying his workers their wages. The unpaid workers went on strike as a result, and the sheriff confiscated Van Houghton's equipment so that the payroll could be met. A Saturday night clash resulting in a death occurred in Sayreville, New Jersey , on May 5, 1889, which would become known thereafter as the "Sayreville Riot". A local brick manufacturer, Noah Furman, owned land needed by

10200-416: Was reached in 1919 when the Pennsy owned a reported 282,729 freight cars. Steel in freight car construction began during the later part of the 19th century, when cars were now being built with a steel underframe and wooden bodies or were all steel. The Pennsy steadily replaced their wooden cars with steel versions until there were no more wooden cars by 1934. During the first quarter of the 20th century,

10302-591: Was reached on the Raritan River Railroad as passenger service was discontinued altogether after a half century of service. The last passenger train pulled out from the New Brunswick station on April 17, 1938. This closure allowed the Raritan to eventually tear down the Bergen Hill station and consolidate all business to the Parlin Station. The former Milltown and New Brunswick passenger stations were converted to freight stations. The North Jersey Chapter of

10404-562: Was simultaneously built from Pittsburgh, eastward along the Allegheny and Conemaugh rivers to Johnstown, while the eastern end was built from Harrisburg to Altoona. In 1848, the Pennsy contracted with the Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy and Lancaster Railroad (HPMtJ&L) to buy and use equipment over both roads, providing service from Harrisburg east to Lancaster. In 1851, tracks were completed between Pittsburgh and Johnstown. In 1852,

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