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![]() No. 60 at the station in Hunterdon County, New Jersey | |
Overview | |
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Parent company | Chesapeake and Delaware, LLC |
Headquarters | Ringoes, New Jersey, U.S. |
Reporting mark | BRW |
Locale | Hunterdon County, New Jersey, U.S. |
Dates of operation | 1961–1962 1965–present |
Predecessor | Pennsylvania Railroad Central Railroad of New Jersey |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Length | 16 miles (26 kilometres) |
Other | |
Website | www www |
The Black River and Western Railroad( reporting mark BRW) is a freight and heritage railroad operating in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, between Flemington, Lambertville and Ringoes. The railroad operates vintage steam and diesel powered locomotives. [1] [2] The railroad also owns and operates the Belvidere and Delaware River Railway in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. [3]
The Black River & Western Railroad was started by William Whitehead in Oldwick, New Jersey, in the late 1950s. [4] A portion of the defunct Rockaway Valley Railroad went through his back yard. He and his sons started collecting rolling stock and an engine (Lackawanna #565). [4] They started laying tracks but then the expansion of I-78 halted their dream of building a railroad at that location. They moved their equipment to the Chester Branch of the Central Railroad of New Jersey with the hope of starting a railroad there. [4]
BR&W was officially incorporated in 1961. [4] The railroad's name is derived from the Black River, a river near Chester and the original name of the borough. The "and Western" is standard railroad nomenclature. Following a brief stint of test operations on CNJ's Chester Branch, equipment was moved to Flemington, New Jersey in 1963 and the search for a place to start their tourist train was continued. A leasing arrangement was created with the Pennsylvania Railroad that allowed a tourist train to operate from Flemington to Lambertville on the original Belvidere-Delaware Railroad (PRR Belvidere Division) Flemington Branch (originally the Flemington Railroad & Transportation Company) in 1964. BR&W paid $5,000 a year and rehabilitated the railroad (PRR operated freight service on the line during this period). [4] Steam engine No. 60 operated its first passenger test run on April 25, 1965 and pulled the first trip out of Flemington on May 16, 1965. [5] [4] Weekend and holiday schedules were devised. [4]
BR&W assumed ownership and operations of the Flemington Branch from the CNJ connection in Flemington to Flemington Branch Junction in Lambertville on March 16, 1970, purchasing it from PRR successor Penn Central. [4] With the acquisition of the rail line and its freight operations, on top of the existing tourist passenger service, a true shortline railroad was born. Base operations were established in Ringoes, New Jersey, and remain so today. Freight interchange after the 1970 purchase was made with PC at Lambertville and CNJ in Flemington. PC filed for bankruptcy that June. [4]
PC continued to operate freight under bankruptcy protection until April 1, 1976 when Conrail assumed operations (the last PC freight train to operate on the Belvidere Division was on March 31, 1976). [4] BR&W then purchased three miles of trackage in the Lambertville area that was part of the Belvidere Division mainline on March 31, 1976 before Conrail took over. [4] BR&W also purchased the Flemington-Three Bridges portion from the bankrupt CNJ. Although coal, iron ore and general freights were rerouted to other lines such as the North Penn Branch, CR continued operating smaller interchange freight trains to Lambertville. In March 1977, a new interchange was built at Three Bridges, New Jersey with the former Lehigh Valley Railroad mainline. [4]
Freight service to Lambertville ended by 1995 with tourist operations ceasing by the end of 1998, when the Federal Railroad Administration prohibited operations south of Ringoes due to poor track conditions. There was talk in 1999 of Trap Rock Industries quarry using the stub-ended section north of Lambertville for unit stone trains, resulting in a frenzy of track repairs taking place on the Ringoes-Lambertville segment to accommodate the anticipated traffic. The quarry ultimately backed out with the final work train operating in June 2002 to retrieve all remaining rolling stock.[ citation needed ]
In 2004, the railroad leased 10 miles of trackage to their sister short line, the Belvidere and Delaware River Railway in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. [3] In 2017, the railroad began running freight service for its parent company, Chesapeake and Delaware, LLC. [6] [7]
In 2001, a separate non-profit entity known as the Black River Railroad Historic Trust (BRRHT), [8] [9] was formed to take over the tourist trains on the line. BRRHT does not own most of the passenger cars and until 2011, fees had to be paid to the BR&W for their use. BRRHT owns one diesel locomotive switcher, an SW9 numbered 438. It currently leases some coaches from the railroad and has use of several locomotives. [10]
In 2014, the BRRHT started to clear the line between Ringoes and Lambertville for passenger trains. In 2016 the first passenger train went down the first mile of the newly restored line in almost 20 years. In 2017, the BRRHT restored the first 2.5 miles of the line which is where Bowne Road Station is and Black River have been doing special events. In 2019, the BRRHT opened a further 1 mile towards Mount Airy Road.[ citation needed ]
In 2014, BRRHT announced that it was looking to reinstate service along the dormant Ringoes-Lambertville section now called the Alexauken Division. [11] In May 2017, the first two and a half miles was re-introduced to passenger service. The in-service track reached Bowne Station, just over 4 miles north of Lambertville. Bowne Station included a picnic grove co-constructed with Woodsedge Farm and the railroad. Special picnic and farm trains were scheduled year for this new portion of the line, along with an evening departure from Ringoes every Saturday and Sunday that special events did not operate. [12] Sadly, in 2021, the remains of Hurricane Ida caused disastrous flooding that washed out portions of the restored trackage. In addition, an entre section of embankment was destroyed near Lambertville. [13]
Number | Image | Type | Class | Builder | Built | Heritage | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Mack Truck | 33-ton switcher | Mack | 1927 | Crucible Steel | Display |
60 | ![]() | Steam | 2-8-0 | American Locomotive Company | 1937 | Great Western Railway of Colorado | Undergoing 1,472-day inspection and overhaul |
438 | ![]() | Diesel | SW9 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1952 | Erie Railroad | Operational |
752 | ![]() | Diesel | GP9 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1956 | Northern Pacific Railway | Operational |
780 | Diesel | SD7 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1950 | Amtrak | Operational | |
811 | ![]() | Diesel | GP9 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1959 | Nickel Plate Road | Operational |
908 | Diesel | SW900 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1951 | Lehigh Valley Railroad | Out of service | |
909 | Diesel | SW9 | Electro-Motive Diesel | Unknown | Portland Power Plant | Operational | |
915 | Diesel | SW900 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1956 | Winchester and Western Railroad | Out of service | |
1202 | | Diesel | SW1200 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1956 | New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad | Operational |
1206 | Diesel | SW1200RS | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1957 | Canadian National Railway | Operational | |
1259 | ![]() | Diesel | SW1200RS | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1960 | Canadian Pacific Railway | Operational |
1539 | Diesel | SW1500 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1960 | Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad | Operational | |
1567 | Diesel | SW1500 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1973 | Penn Central | Out of service | |
1596 | ![]() | Diesel | SW1500 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1972 | Conrail | Operational |
1823 | Diesel | GP10 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1955 | New York Central Railroad | Operational | |
1848 | Diesel | GP9 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1954 | Northern Pacific Railway | Out of service | |
1849 | Diesel | GP9 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1955 | Northern Pacific Railway | Operational | |
1850 | Diesel | GP9 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1956 | Chesapeake & Ohio Railway | Operational | |
1853 | Diesel | GP9 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1958 | Texas Mexican Railway | Out of service | |
1854 | Diesel | GP8 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1953 | Pennsylvania Railroad | Operational | |
1856 | Diesel | GP10 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1955 | New York Central Railroad | Stored | |
1888 | ![]() | Diesel | GP9u | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1959 | Canadian Pacific Railway | Operational |
1889 | Diesel | GP9u | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1954 | Canadian Pacific Railway | Operational | |
2005 | ![]() | Diesel | GP38-2 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1970 | Dover and Rockaway River Railroad | Operational |
2006 | Diesel | GP38-2 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1967 | Dover and Rockaway River Railroad | Operational | |
8142 | Diesel | SW1200RS | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1959 | Canadian Pacific Railway | Operational | |
8159 | Diesel | SW1200RS | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1960 | Canadian Pacific Railway | Operational | |
9581 | Diesel | SD9m | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1955 | Norfolk Southern Railway | Operational |
Number | Images | Type | Class | Builder | Built | Heritage | Status | Current owner |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
112 | | Diesel | SW1 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1952 | Lehigh Valley Railroad | Operational | Lehigh Valley Railroad |
9206 | | Diesel | SW1 | Electro-Motive Diesel | Unknown | Pennsylvania Railroad | Operational | Lehigh Valley Railroad |
Number | Image | Type | Class | Builder | Built | Heritage | Current owner |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M-55 | ![]() | Railcar | Doodlebug | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1930 | Arizona Eastern Railroad | Nevada Northern Railway |
14 | ![]() | Steam | 0-6-0 T | H.K. Porter, Inc. | 1920 | Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal | Ulster & Delaware Historical Society |
41 | Diesel | CF7 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1950 | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | Unknown (scrapped) | |
42 | Diesel | CF7 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1951 | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | Maryland and Delaware Railroad | |
50 | Diesel | Unknown | Davenport | Unknown | Unknown | Trap Rock Inc. | |
56 | Diesel | T-6 | American Locomotive Company | 1958 | Conrail | West Jersey Shortline | |
57 | Diesel | RS-1 | American Locomotive Company | 1948 | Washington Terminal | Private owner | |
58 | Diesel | RS-1 | American Locomotive Company | 1951 | Unknown | None (scrapped) | |
148 | ![]() | Steam | 4-6-2 | American Locomotive Company | 1920 | Florida East Coast | United States Sugar Corporation |
204 | Diesel | RS-1 | Alco-GE | 1947 | Devco Railway | None (scrapped) | |
211 | Diesel | RS-1 | Alco-GE | 1951 | Devco Railway | None (scrapped) | |
400 | Diesel | SW-1 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1943 | Broward County Port Authority | None (scrapped) | |
400 | ![]() | Diesel | 44-ton switcher | General-Electric Diesel | 1940s | Long Island Rail Road | Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum |
565 | ![]() | Steam | 2-6-0 | American Locomotive Company | 1908 | Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad | Steamtown National Historic Site |
782 | Diesel | GP7 | Electro-Motive Diesel | 1950 | Amtrak | Owned by Vintage Locomotives Inc., scrapped (2021) | |
1554 | Diesel | RS-3 | American Locomotive Company | 1953 | Central Railroad of New Jersey | Anthracite Railroads Historical Society | |
4666 | Railcar | Doodlebug | J. G. Brill Company | 1930 | Pennsylvania Railroad | Privately owned, Allentown and Auburn Railroad | |
7079 | Diesel | 65-ton switcher | General-Electric Diesel | 1940s | U.S. Army | Privately owned, New Castle, DE |
Number | Image | Type | Class | Heritage | Built | Builder | Current owner |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
475 | Diesel | GP9 | Unknown | 1955 | Electro-Motive Diesel | Winchester and Western Railroad | |
732 | Diesel | GP9 | Unknown | 1955 | Electro-Motive Diesel | Winchester and Western Railroad | |
1523 | Diesel | GP7 | Central Railroad of New Jersey | 1952 | Electro-Motive Diesel | United Railroad Historical Society |
Number | Image | Heritage | Type | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
297 | Central Railroad of New Jersey | Combine car | Operational | |
322 | ![]() | Central Railroad of New Jersey | Passenger car | Operational |
605 | Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad | Passenger car | Operational | |
1009 | Central Railroad of New Jersey | Passenger car | Operational | |
5 | Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad | Business car | Out of service | |
585 | Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad | Passenger car | Under restoration | |
302 | Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad | Passenger car | Out of service | |
303 | Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad | Passenger car | Out of service | |
304 | Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad | Passenger car | Out of service | |
319 | New Jersey Transit, ex Great Northern Railway | Passenger car | Out of service | |
320 | New Jersey Transit, ex Great Northern Railway | Passenger car | Out of service | |
491 | Canadian National Railway | Passenger car | Out of service | |
1318 | Central Railroad of New Jersey | Passenger car | Out of service | |
1362 | USAT | Passenger car | Out of service | |
1369 | USAT | Passenger car | Out of service | |
420 | | Central Railroad of New Jersey | Baggage car | Out of service |
494 | Canadian National Railway | Passenger car | Out of service | |
17112 | ![]() | USAT | Passenger car | Display |
8424 | New York Central Railroad | Passenger car | Out of service | |
"Chenango" | Pennsylvania Railroad | Passenger car | Out of service | |
103 | Southern Railway | Boxcar | Stored | |
111 | Conrail | Boxcar | Stored | |
304 | Conrail | Ballast hopper | Stored | |
308 | Conrail | Ballast hopper | Operational | |
309 | Conrail | Ballast hopper | Operational | |
310 | Conrail | Ballast hopper | Operational | |
601 | Lehigh Valley Railroad | Boxcar | Stored | |
15555 | Conrail | Ore car | Stored | |
16002 | Long Island Railroad | Crane car | Stored | |
16003 | Amtrak | Flatcar | Stored | |
475532 | ? | Flatcar | Stored | |
487052 | Conrail | Hopper | Scrapped | |
497310 | Pennsylvania Railroad | Boxcar | Operational | |
770506 | Conrail | Flatcar | Stored | |
133 | Chesapeake and Ohio Railway | Caboose | Operational | |
385 | Southern Railway | Caboose | Operational | |
596 | ![]() | Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway | Caboose | Operational |
645 | Maine Central Railroad | Caboose | Operational | |
2727 | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | Caboose | Operational | |
477375 | Pennsylvania Railroad | Caboose | Out of service | |
C-140 | ![]() | Erie Railroad | Caboose | Operational |
200 | Reading Company | Caboose | Out of service | |
595 | Norfolk and Western Railway | Caboose | Out of service | |
1417 | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | Caboose | Out of service | |
24531 | ![]() | New York Central Railroad | Caboose | Display |
95106 | Lehigh Valley Railroad | Caboose | Display |