Tom’s Raritan River Railroad Page

www.RaritanRiver-RR.com

 

 

 

Passenger Traffic on

the

Raritan River Railroad

 

NRHS Special May 28th, 1938

 

Version 1.5

06/22/2008

05/07/2010

 

 

In 1938, the end of an era 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.

 

www.raritanriver-rr.com/NRHS/LastPass/NRHS_newspaper_LastPassengerTrain_04171938.pdf

Note, this newpaper article has the wrong station in the article.  The station in the picture is the old Freight Station on the Pennsylvania Railroad in New Brunswick.

 

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 NewBrunswick passenger stations were converted to freight stations.

But one more passenger train would ride the rails courtesy of the NRHS!

The North Jersey Chapter of the NRHS sponsored a special excursion train on May 28, 1938, over the Raritan to mark the passing of regular scheduled passenger service. Special tickets were sold. 

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 away from the Route 18 crossing in East Brunswick, NJ. Many motorists stopped and gazed at 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 the group made it to South Amboy where they were given a tour of the RRRR shops and roundhouse area.

The engine was turned on the turntable.  The special then "high-balled" back to New Brunswick, with special permission granted to reach 40 miles per hour!

 

Last Chance!

Official NRHS Brochure from 1938

www.raritanriver-rr.com/NRHS/LastPass/NRHS_brochure.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click below to read the rest of the story

www.raritanriver-rr.com/NRHS/LastPass/NRHS_newspaper05281938.pdf

 

 

 

To make all this happen took very special orders and programs that had to be cleared by the officials:

 

 

A special tariff had to be drawn up and approved by the Board of the Public Utility Commissioners

 

www.raritanriver-rr.com/NRHS/LastPass/NRHS_Rules_Regulations1938.pdf

 

 

 

 

Every detail of the train and its movements for that day were planned out in advance as seen in this program.

 

www.raritanriver-rr.com/NRHS/LastPass/NRHSProgram1938.pdf

 

 

 

Leaving New Brunswick!

All Aboard for the NRHS Special!

Click the link below for a super sized pic that is 3x larger (1800 x 1024)

www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/NRHS/05281938/Large/NRHSSpecialNewBrunswick.JPG

 

 

 

 

NRHS Special poses on the Lawrence Brook Trestle In Milltown, NJ

 Click the link below for a super sized pic that is 3x larger (1800 x 1024)

www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/NRHS/05281938/Large/NRHSSpecialMilltown.JPG

 

 

 

 

The NRHS Special takes a quick stop at Hendersons on the Serviss Branch in East Brunswick, NJ. 

Just in front of the left of the engine would be the Route 18 crossing.  Note the billboards visible in the distance.

Click the link below for a super sized pic that is 3x larger (1800 x 1024)

www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/NRHS/05281938/Large/NRHSSpecialServiss.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

The NRHS Special stops in Sayreville Junction to allow the passengers

to see Raritan River Railroad No.8 shuffle some cars

Click the link below for a super sized pic that is 3x larger (1800 x 1024)

www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/NRHS/05281938/Large/NRHSSpecialSayrevilleJnct.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

The star of the NRHS Special was Raritan River Railroad Engine No.15, on the turntable in South Amboy

Click the link below for a super sized pic that is 3x larger (1800 x 1024)

www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/NRHS/05281938/Large/NRHSSpecialTurntable.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another shot of No.15 on May 28, 1938

Click the link below for a super sized pic that is 3x larger (1800 x 1024)

www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/NRHS/05281938/Large/NRHSSpecialTurntable2.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

 

No. 15 gets turned, May 28, 1938, NRHS Special

Click the link below for a super sized pic that is 3x larger (1800 x 1024)

www.RaritanRiver-RR.com/NRHS/05281938/Large/NRHSSpecialTurntable3.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

So was May 28, 1938 the last time a passenger train rode the rails of the Raritan River Railroad?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Questions? Comments?

Tom_E_Reynolds@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an entire forum dedicated to discussions of the RRRR!

 

www.railroad-line.com/forum/forum.asp?forum_id=2