The Whippany Railway Museum is a railway museum and excursion train ride located in the Whippany section of Hanover Township in Morris County , New Jersey , United States.
44-642: In 1965, Whippany was the location of the Morris County Central Railroad, a steam excursion railroad. A group of employees of the Morris County Central Railroad came together to form the Morris County Central Railroad Museum and used half of the Morristown and Erie freight house . In 1967, the freight house was moved across the tracks to its present-day location. During the years from 1967 to 1973,
88-672: A Pumpkin-liner train on one Sunday in October, which is an add-on to an annual pumpkin festival at the museum. The museum used to run Christmas trains during December. However, starting in 2016, the Morristown and Erie began running their own Christmas excursion, The Polar Express . This loss has severely cut into the museums operations. In 2016, they appeared to add several family-friendly non-excursion activities, but those have since ended unexpectedly. Morristown and Erie Railway Morristown & Erie Railway ( reporting mark ME )
132-593: A more direct connection using trackage rights over the Morris and Essex lines and would provide freight service to customers along the Rahway Valley, which was abandoned in 1992. It would also allow interchange with the recently reactivated Staten Island Railway freight connection to New Jersey. As of 2012, the M&;E's contract with Union County to rehab the Rahway Valley between Summit and Cranford had expired and
176-659: A rail shuttle to Rockland that would have timed transfers with the Downeaster in Brunswick. One daily round trip would run year-round, unlike in Amtrak's seasonal proposal. Two daily round trips would run on summer weekends. The MERR roster consisted of a former Canadian National MLW M-420s numbered 3573, and a RRPX Railroad Power Leasing Electro Motive Division GP9, numbered 764. These two locomotives were used normally used for freight service, but would fill in for
220-808: Is a short-line railroad based in Morristown, New Jersey , chartered in 1895 as the Whippany River Railroad. It operates freight rail service in Morris County, New Jersey and surrounding areas on the original Whippany Line between Morristown and Roseland , as well as the Morris County-owned Dover & Rockaway Branch, Chester Branch, and High Bridge Branch. The M&E also operated the Maine Eastern Railroad from November 2003 to December 31, 2015. The modern Morristown & Erie traces its roots to
264-583: Is interchanged with Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) at Lake Junction and with Conrail Shared Assets (CSAO) and CSX at Center Street, Harrison (east of Newark Broad Street on the NJT M&;E main line). In addition to freight service, M&E operates charter passenger service and rents railcars and conducts contract rebuilds of passenger cars. It also allows film production companies to rent equipment for filming. Recent films including Far from Heaven , Mona Lisa Smile and The Station Agent , as well as
308-597: Is open during Sundays from April through October, 12-4 PM. The museum runs several excursions all year round, with locomotives provided by the Morristown and Erie Railway , which powers all Whippany excursions. Around March–April, it runs the Easter Bunny Express on two Sundays, consisting of several passenger cars. On four summer Sundays, it operates a caboose train consisting of the Jersey Coast Club car and several cabooses. In 2012, they added
352-524: Is single track and has many grade crossings. It serves Cedar Knolls and Whippany in Hanover Township, and East Hanover and Roseland. The line currently ends east of Interstate 280 in Roseland. The outer half-mile has been out of service since customer Bobst Group, Inc. closed it doors. Track conditions have since degraded. NJT has expressed interest in the line. In 2000 the agency placed
396-680: The High Bridge Branch , it splits from the Chester Branch at Ferromonte Junction and heads southwest through Succasunna and Flanders . The line ends west of U.S. Route 206 in Flanders. Originally excluded from the Conrail system in 1976, the line remained in service under a subsidy agreement by local authorities until 1981. Morris County purchased the line from the state in 1982. There was talk New Jersey Transit would use
440-708: The Stourbridge Railroad (former Lackawaxen & Stourbridge), based in Honesdale, Pennsylvania . Passenger excursions continued to be sponsored by Wayne County. Operations were quietly suspended in 2012. Service return in 2015 is under the auspices of Myles Group. Beginning on July 1, 2017, the Dover & Rockaway River Railroad (D&R) took over service and maintenance of the Chester, Dover & Rockaway and High Bridge Branches. To get between its lines,
484-469: The 1970s, the Northeastern railroad industry was in decline, and M&E looked to alternative revenue streams. The Morristown shop was leased to a locomotive rebuilder for a period of time, but it was not enough. The last paper mill had closed and carloads were down to a dozen per week. The railroad tried to invest its freight earnings into non-transportation areas, but these experiments failed. By 1978
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#1732780934696528-571: The CMQ into their rail system. Commodities moved in freight service include cement, plate steel, and perlite . In February 2018, the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority voted to conduct a three-weekend pilot passenger service along the line during the summer. However, Amtrak later announced that this plan would be cancelled due to time constraints in the execution of their risk-assessment plan for
572-533: The CNJ connection near Chester to Succasunna. In 1983 Conrail planned to abandon the branch line, but Holland Manufacturing and Westinghouse Elevator purchased the line to continue rail services to their facilities. In 2009, Morris County, New Jersey , purchased the line and leased rail operations to M&E. Branching off from Lake Junction, it ends in Succasunna . M&E freight service uses this line to access
616-480: The High Bridge Branch at Ferromonte Junction . The line was rehabilitated in 2010 with the use of federal stimulus funds obtained by the line's new owner, Morris County Department of Transportation. This is one of two branch lines M&E began operating in 1986. The High Bridge branch is owned by Morris County, New Jersey , and is leased to M&E. A former Central Railroad of New Jersey line called
660-776: The M&E has trackage rights on New Jersey Transit 's (NJT) Morristown Line and Montclair-Boonton Line west of West End (the junction at the west end of the Bergen Tunnel with NJT's Main Line ); it uses the Main Line and the Bergen County Line to interchange with the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway at Passaic Junction (rail yard) . M&E locomotives are NJT cab-signal equipped and not considered to be foreign railroad power on NJT lines. Freight
704-517: The M&E under "projects to be defined/studied" for the year 2020. On July 1, 2017, the Dover and Rockaway River Railroad took over operation of the following three Morris County owned rail lines: The former DLW Chester Branch was extended in 1869 to Chester, New Jersey , to serve the local mining industry. A connection with the CNJ Chester Branch also existed. In the early 1950s DLW abandoned and tore up their Chester Branch from
748-693: The PVTM moved the last of its property down to Whippany. During this time, the Museum was reorganized as the Whippany Railway Museum to better reflect its new location. Work continued throughout 1984 and 1985, refinishing and setting up displays, as well as creating a gift shop . Finally, on October 26, 1985, the Whippany Railway Museum had its grand opening. The museum has continued to flourish at its Whippany location, as well as expanding its collection of New Jersey railroad history . In early 2011,
792-518: The Parade of Trains exhibit for GCT's centennial celebration. The Whippany line is M&E's original main line, in use since 1903 and with some portions dating back to 1895. The 9-mile (14.48 km) line runs between Baker Interlocking (connection with NJT's Morristown Line in Morristown, where M&E's main office, yard, and shop are located) northeast to Roseland in Essex County . The line
836-649: The RVRR and SIRY, pursuant to the 10-year agreement with Union County. The M&E would embark on its second foray into Pennsylvania, operating the SEPTA -owned Octoraro Railroad from July 1, 2003, to November 18, 2004. The line is currently operated by the East Penn Railroad . On November 1, 2003, M&E took over operation of the Rockland Branch , a former Maine Central Railroad line now owned by
880-525: The Whippany & Passaic River Railroad were merged into the new Morristown & Erie Railroad. M&E operated a modest passenger service, but automobile competition ended that in 1928. Freight business grew as the mills along the line kept switching crews busy. The economic downturn associated with the Great Depression affected M&E. Frugal management kept the railroad viable through
924-560: The Whippany Museum was recognized for its efforts in the preservation of this history by a proclamation from the New Jersey State Assembly. This proclamation applauded the efforts of the volunteers who preserve the history of railroading in the state of New Jersey for future generations, as well as recognizing the events and excursion rides that are regularly hosted by the museum. The Whippany Railway Museum
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#1732780934696968-596: The contract operator for switching operations at Bayway Refinery in Linden, New Jersey . Bayway is one of the largest refineries on the East Coast. The untimely 1998 death of Friedland shocked the company and short line industry that had come to respect him as a leader. In his 16 years at the helm of the M&E, he ascended from an obscure railroader to an industry icon. The New Jersey Short Line Railroad Association has an award named in his honor "for meritorious service to
1012-666: The customers on this branch are located in an industrial park along Green Pond Road, at the north end of the branch. In 2001 the M&E was selected to repair and operate a rail line consisting of the New Jersey portion of the Staten Island Railroad between Linden and Cranford, and the former Rahway Valley Railroad between Cranford and Summit. Both sections are now known as the Rahway Valley Railroad. The New Jersey Department of Transportation owns
1056-683: The form of the Lehigh Limited operated in cooperation with NS and NJT operating from Hoboken Terminal to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on August 24, 2013, to commemorate the railroad's 110th anniversary. The Lehigh Limited' s two first class observation cars (the Kitchi Gammi Club and Babbling Brook ) and the train’s snack car (the Birken ) were on display at Grand Central Terminal (GCT) in New York City on May 11 and 12 during
1100-483: The former Central Railroad of New Jersey Dover & Rockaway and High Bridge branches in 1986. The M&E also briefly operated the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad between 1989 and 1990. While the M&E enjoyed modest growth throughout the 1980s, the railroad continued to seek out new opportunities for expansion. In 1995, Friedland negotiated a contract with Tosco (formerly ConocoPhillips, now Phillips 66 ) to be
1144-474: The former Rahway Valley Railroad route from Summit to a connection with the former Staten Island Railway and Conrail at Cranford, New Jersey . The M&E would be the operator of any reactivated Rahway Valley line service from Summit to Cranford. Operation of the Rahway Valley line from Summit to Cranford would allow the M&E to access their operations at the Bayway Refinery in Linden via
1188-545: The late 1970s, as well as several serious acts of vandalism and arson to the railroad's equipment and its facilities, caused the closure of the railroad. Morris County Central Railroad ran its last train on December 14, 1980, in heavy snow . However, the museum stayed open. In 1983, the members of the Pequannock Valley Transportation Museum began looking for a new site, preferably in a railroad structure. The freight house at Whippany
1232-923: The line to connect their lines at High Bridge and Lake Junction to Hacketstown in 1983 but the plan fell through. The line south of Flanders to High Bridge was then dismantled and later became the Columbia Trail in 1995. Originally the Dover & Rockaway Railroad , the second of two former CNJ lines taken over by M&E in 1986. The line operates from D&R Junction (where it meets the NJ Transit Morristown Line) in Wharton through downtown Dover northeast to Rockaway . The line ends along Green Pond Road in Rockaway Township, north of Interstate 80 . This line passes through downtown Dover and Rockaway with many street crossings. All
1276-472: The line, the railroad enjoyed success and was looking to expand. Seeking a connection with the Erie Railroad , McEwan chartered the Whippany & Passaic River Railroad in 1902 to build a line from Whippany to Essex Fells . Having access to two major railroads meant that McEwan's customers could enjoy competitive shipping rates from both connections. On August 28, 1903, the Whippany River Railroad and
1320-500: The lines, and the County of Union administers the contract. As of late 2006, only the southern portion of the Rahway Valley Railroad has been restored, as the restoration of the northern portion from Summit to Cranford is being challenged in court and lacks sufficient county funding. The first M&E train ran on the southern portion of the line on July 13, 2005. The intention was that Union County would work to revive freight service on
1364-599: The museum was visited by thousands of railfans who had come to ride the excursion trains. In 1973, due to financial pressures, the Morris County Central Railroad moved its operation to Newfoundland, NJ . One year later, the Morris County Central Railroad Museum also moved to a restored refrigerator car at the Newfoundland, NJ, location where it operated as the Pequannock Valley Transportation Museum (PVTM). The tough economics of
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1408-449: The operating contract with MERR, which effectively ended operations at the end of 2015. Maine Eastern was a subsidiary of the Morristown & Erie Railway of New Jersey, who won the bid to operate the line in 2003. MERR provided freight service year-round, and passenger service seasonally between Brunswick and Rockland with former New Haven / Amtrak EMD FL-9 locomotives and stainless steel streamlined passenger cars. The Maine Eastern
1452-478: The original Whippany River Railroad, chartered on August 1, 1895, and hastily constructed to connect Morristown and Whippany. Interchange was established with the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad (DL&W) at Morristown. When the railroad defaulted on their bonds, paper mill owner Robert W. McEwan purchased the line from its creditors in 1896. Thanks to the numerous mills and other customers located along
1496-524: The rail line. Despite the cancellation, Amtrak, along with the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, Maine Department of Transportation and the Central Maine and & Quebec Railroad, made a test run to Rockland on August 14, 2019. Finger Lakes Railway proposed a private alternative to this extension in January 2022. Under the plan, their subsidiary Midcoast Rail Service would operate
1540-410: The railroad filed bankruptcy. A consortium of businessmen under the leadership of Benjamin J. Friedland purchased M&E in 1982, and immediately set to work on rebuilding the business as the Morristown & Erie Railway. Investments were made in track and repairing locomotives. Aggressive marketing helped bring traffic back to M&E. Friedland became a spokesperson for short line railroading, and
1584-549: The reality television series The Next Food Network Star and some TV commercials have been filmed using M&E equipment. Scenes for Shontelle 's music video for the song " Say Hello to Goodbye " were filmed on at M&E's Whippany passenger car storage facility in summer 2011. In conjunction with Conrail Shared Assets , the M&E operates as the switching and terminal railroad at ConocoPhillips ' Linden Terminal/ Bayway Refinery ) In May 2013 M&E announced its first public main line excursion in nearly three decades in
1628-451: The rehabilitation and operation of these dormant freight lines. Conrail objected to the filing as M&E would need trackage rights over NJ Transit 's Raritan Valley Line to travel between the ex-SIRY and ex-RVRR. Conrail had previously negotiated exclusive trackage rights with NJT back in 1984, but expressed willingness to work out a special arrangement with M&E should service resume. As of May 2012, M&E removed their equipment from
1672-585: The short line industry." The expansion of M&E continued after Friedland's death. In 2001, the M&E was selected to repair and operate the Linden-Cranford, New Jersey segment of the Staten Island Railway (SIRY) and Cranford-Summit, New Jersey segment of the former Rahway Valley Railroad (RVRR) as the newly created Union County Central Railroad. M&E entered into a 10-year agreement with Union County starting on May 15, 2002, for
1716-549: The state of Maine. M&E created a subsidiary, the Maine Eastern Railroad, for its Maine operations. Seasonal excursion passenger trains were operated between Brunswick and Rockland, Maine . As of January 1, 2016, the operation of the line has been taken over by the Central Maine and Quebec Railway , which was later acquired by Canadian Pacific Railway in June 2020. In 2009, the M&E took over contract operations of
1760-624: The worst of the 1930s. M&E would be the only U.S. railroad to rid itself of all debt during the era leading up to World War II . The railroad passed out of the McEwan family by 1943 and continued under new management. In 1952, the line received its first diesel, an S-4 from Alco . When Andrew J. Cobb III assumed the presidency in 1961, many of the mills that had been steady customers began to shut down and consolidate. In 1960, DL&W and Erie Railroad merged to form Erie Lackawanna Railway , eliminating competition for shipping rates to M&E. By
1804-514: Was able to use these connections to help grow his business. He also had a strong sense of history, and is also credited with the opening of the Whippany Railway Museum in 1985. Around this same time, Friedland helped orchestrate the purchase of the Chester Branch, and began operating the line under contract for the new owners on December 21, 1983. He also worked with Morris County officials to help purchase and operate remnants of
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1848-425: Was immediately considered, but it was in very bad shape, having suffered from the ravages of nature and time, as well as vandalism. The building was scheduled to be demolished but the members of the Pequannock Valley Transportation Museum began cleaning up the site, as well as restoring the freight house building itself. Restoration included lifting the building up and replacing its crumbling foundation. In January 1984,
1892-496: Was not renewed. Maine Eastern Railroad Maine Eastern Railroad ( reporting mark MERR ) was a railroad that operated in coastal Maine , between Brunswick and Rockland , on the former Maine Central Rockland Branch rail line. Maine Eastern passenger trains connected with the Amtrak Downeaster passenger train and Pan Am Railways at Brunswick Maine Street Station . The state of Maine did not renew
1936-687: Was the successor to Safe Handling Rail, which took over operation of the MaineDOT -owned line when the Maine Coast Railroad chose not to bid on a new contract. In September 2015, the Maine Department of Transportation selected the Central Maine and Quebec Railway (CMQ) to operate the line beginning on January 1, 2016. In 2020, the CMQ would be acquired by the Canadian Pacific Railway , which then absorbed
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