Black River and Western Railroad

Last updated
Black River and Western Railroad
BRWlogo19652015.jpg
Black River 60.jpg
No. 60 at the station in Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Overview
Parent company Chesapeake and Delaware, LLC
Headquarters Ringoes, New Jersey, U.S.
Reporting mark BRW
Locale Hunterdon County, New Jersey, U.S.
Dates of operation1961–1962
1965present
Predecessor Pennsylvania Railroad
Central Railroad of New Jersey
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length16 miles (26 kilometres)
Other
Website www.blackriverrailroad.com
www.brwrr.com

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]

Contents

History

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]

Passenger train at Flemington Station. Passenger train at Flemington.jpg
Passenger train at Flemington Station.

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 caboose, semaphore and station depot at the station in Ringoes, New Jersey. Black River & Western at Ringoes.jpg
BR&W caboose, semaphore and station depot at the station in Ringoes, New Jersey.

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]

Flemington BRW terminal Flemington Train Station.jpg
Flemington BRW terminal

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]

Black River 60 at Bowne Station. Black River 60 at Woodsedge Station.jpg
Black River 60 at Bowne Station.

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]

Black River Railroad Historic Trust formed

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 ]

Recent history

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]

Stations

StationStatusImageHistory
Three BridgesFreight only stationThree Bridges was a former station on the Central Railroad of New Jersey's South Branch. The South Branch ran from a wye at Somerville, NJ station to Flemington. While there is no actual station and passenger service does not go this far, Three Bridges is where the BR&W interchanges with Norfolk Southern. Today a small shed stands across the track from where the station did. Last BRW passenger train to Three Bridges ran in 2016.
Flemington (Main Street)Station building utilized by local bankFlemington was the former terminus station of the Central Railroad of New Jersey's South Branch in Flemington, New Jersey. Service at the station began on July 1, 1864 and passenger service was discontinued on April 25, 1953.
Flemington (PRR)Station building currently used for retail spaceOriginally used by the Pennsylvania Railroad, then when the BR&W came, they put a small shack not too far from the PRR Station. Then in the 1970s, the shack was removed and replaced by wooden car #101; and was used until it was burned in 1991. The station on the line marked the terminus to the Flemington Branch.
Flemington (Liberty Village)Served by BRW Train at Black River and Western Railroad 11.jpg When nearby Liberty Village was being remodeled, Black River & Western sold off the original PRR station and per agreement, Liberty Village built them a new station closer to Route 12. Historically, the Pennsylvania Railroad interchanged with the Central Railroad of New Jersey just north of this station.
Copper HillOriginally small station. Only siding remains.Copper Hill was a small combination freight and passenger station, with a siding for loading produce from local farms. The area was named Copper Hill due to copper ore deposits found nearby, although the name is also thought to come from copperhead snakes that were found in the area. Siding is going to be used to allow trains to pass each other starting june 2022.
Hog TownAbandonedHog Town is a small shack and was built around 1970 by the BR&W as part of their Great Train Robberies. In the off-season, the station was occupied by "The Mayor of Hogtown", who used to persuade passengers to vote for him as mayor (as part of a gag). The area got its name due to the nearby, and now demolished, home that raised hogs. The station is located next to the abandoned Hunterdon Concrete facility.
Five Birds Farm (formerly Muirhead)Originally flagstopOnce part of the village of Muirhead (now gone), Muirhead was an early station for the Pennsylvania Railroad. The station closed in the 1920s. The station was moved a few hundred yards east and has been converted to event space, it is now owned by Five Birds Farm. The original site is used as a stop for the farm which works with the railroad to host modern events curated by nature, and has been renamed "Five Birds Farm".
Pumpkin JunctionServed by BRWPumpkin Junction is a farm station along the line constructed in 2008. The stop is used in October as part of the railroad's Pumpkin Trains.
RingoesServed by BRW Ringoes Station office.jpg Ringoes was a former Pennsylvania Railroad station on their Flemington branch. Ringoes is the main yard and headquarters of the Black River and Western Railroad.
Boss Rd.Originally flagstopA flagstop during the PRR era of the branch line. Closed 1931, gone.
BowneServed by BRWThe original Bowne station was located south of the Bowne Station Rd. bridge. It was moved in the early 1930s north of the bridge near a home and has been converted into a shed. Today, the Black River Railroad Historical Trust has created a picnic grove where the station originally sat south of the bridge. This station can only be accessed by rail.
Mount AiryOriginally flagstopA flagstop during the PRR era of the branch line. Closed 1931, gone. In the area where current active track ends.
AlexaukenOriginally flagstopA flagstop during the PRR era of the branch line. Closed 1931, gone.
LambertvilleOut-Of-Service. Building currently Lambertville Station Inn & Restaurant. Lambertville Station - BelDel.jpg Just south of the junction between the Bel-Del mainline and the Flemington Branch, Lambertville serves as the southernmost station along the BR&W. The last train to depart the station was in December 1998. Black River & Western had plans to be back in Lambertville sometime in the early 2020s, as part of their Alexauken Division project.

Equipment

Locomotives

Locomotive details [10] [14] [15]
NumberImageTypeClassBuilderBuiltHeritageStatus
1 Train storage at Black River and Western Railroad 05.jpg Mack Truck33-ton switcherMack1927Crucible SteelDisplay
60 Black River Railroad 60.jpg Steam 2-8-0 American Locomotive Company 1937 Great Western Railway of Colorado Undergoing 1,472-day inspection and overhaul
438 Black River and Western Railroad locomotive.jpg Diesel SW9 Electro-Motive Diesel 1952 Erie Railroad Operational
752 Freight train on the Freehold Secondary in Jamesburg 2023.jpg Diesel GP9 Electro-Motive Diesel1956 Northern Pacific Railway Operational
780Diesel SD7 Electro-Motive Diesel1950 Amtrak Operational
811 Engine No. 811 of the Delaware River Railroad Excursions - May 2024 - 03.jpg DieselGP9Electro-Motive Diesel1959 Nickel Plate Road Operational
908Diesel SW900 Electro-Motive Diesel1951Lehigh Valley RailroadOut of service
909Diesel SW9 Electro-Motive DieselUnknownPortland Power PlantOperational
915DieselSW900Electro-Motive Diesel1956 Winchester and Western Railroad Out of service
1202 Black River & Western Caboose Train at Flemington.JPG Diesel SW1200 Electro-Motive Diesel1956 New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Operational
1206DieselSW1200RSElectro-Motive Diesel1957 Canadian National Railway Operational
1259 2022-03-02.Black River 1259 on the Delmor Industrial Track in Morrisville PA.jpg DieselSW1200RSElectro-Motive Diesel1960 Canadian Pacific Railway Operational
1539Diesel SW1500 Electro-Motive Diesel1960 Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Operational
1567DieselSW1500Electro-Motive Diesel1973 Penn Central Out of service
1596 Rolling stock yard of the Delaware River Railroad Excursions - May 2024 - 05.jpg DieselSW1500Electro-Motive Diesel1972 Conrail Operational
1823Diesel GP10 Electro-Motive Diesel1955 New York Central Railroad Operational
1848DieselGP9Electro-Motive Diesel1954 Northern Pacific Railway Out of service
1849DieselGP9Electro-Motive Diesel1955 Northern Pacific Railway Operational
1850DieselGP9Electro-Motive Diesel1956 Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Operational
1853DieselGP9Electro-Motive Diesel1958 Texas Mexican Railway Out of service
1854Diesel GP8 Electro-Motive Diesel1953 Pennsylvania Railroad Operational
1856DieselGP10Electro-Motive Diesel1955New York Central RailroadStored
1888 Chesapeake & Delaware LLC locomotive parked in Jamesburg 2025.jpg DieselGP9uElectro-Motive Diesel1959Canadian Pacific RailwayOperational
1889DieselGP9uElectro-Motive Diesel1954Canadian Pacific RailwayOperational
2005 Chesapeake & Delaware LLC locomotive number 2005 parked in Jamesburg 2025.jpg Diesel GP38-2 Electro-Motive Diesel1970 Dover and Rockaway River Railroad Operational
2006DieselGP38-2Electro-Motive Diesel1967Dover and Rockaway River RailroadOperational
8142DieselSW1200RSElectro-Motive Diesel1959Canadian Pacific RailwayOperational
8159DieselSW1200RSElectro-Motive Diesel1960Canadian Pacific RailwayOperational
9581Diesel SD9m Electro-Motive Diesel1955 Norfolk Southern Railway Operational

Visiting units

NumberImagesTypeClassBuilderBuiltHeritageStatusCurrent owner
112 112 with a short freight.JPG Diesel SW1 Electro-Motive Diesel1952 Lehigh Valley Railroad OperationalLehigh Valley Railroad
9206 112 with 9206.JPG DieselSW1Electro-Motive DieselUnknown Pennsylvania Railroad OperationalLehigh Valley Railroad

Former units

Locomotive details [14] [16] [15]
NumberImageTypeClassBuilderBuiltHeritageCurrent owner
M-55 M-55 on the Colebrookdale Railroad, September 2019.jpg Railcar Doodlebug Electro-Motive Diesel1930 Arizona Eastern Railroad Nevada Northern Railway
14 Halcottville Station and BEDT No. 14, April 2018.jpg Steam 0-6-0 T H.K. Porter, Inc. 1920 Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal Ulster & Delaware Historical Society
41Diesel CF7 Electro-Motive Diesel1950 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Unknown (scrapped)
42DieselCF7Electro-Motive Diesel1951Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Maryland and Delaware Railroad
50DieselUnknownDavenportUnknownUnknownTrap Rock Inc.
56Diesel T-6 American Locomotive Company1958ConrailWest Jersey Shortline
57DieselRS-1American Locomotive Company1948Washington TerminalPrivate owner
58DieselRS-1American Locomotive Company1951UnknownNone (scrapped)
148 Sugar Express inaugural passenger excursion 4.jpg Steam 4-6-2 American Locomotive Company1920 Florida East Coast United States Sugar Corporation
204Diesel RS-1 Alco-GE 1947 Devco Railway None (scrapped)
211DieselRS-1Alco-GE1951Devco RailwayNone (scrapped)
400Diesel SW-1 Electro-Motive Diesel1943Broward County Port AuthorityNone (scrapped)
400 Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum (Willimantic, Connecticut) (31561041158).jpg Diesel 44-ton switcher General-Electric Diesel1940s Long Island Rail Road Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum
565 EM DSC 0864 (2733433834).jpg Steam 2-6-0 American Locomotive Company1908 Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Steamtown National Historic Site
782Diesel GP7 Electro-Motive Diesel1950 Amtrak Owned by Vintage Locomotives Inc., scrapped (2021)
1554

CNJ 1554 (6125339203).jpg

Diesel RS-3 American Locomotive Company1953 Central Railroad of New Jersey Anthracite Railroads Historical Society
4666RailcarDoodlebug J. G. Brill Company 1930 Pennsylvania Railroad Privately owned, Allentown and Auburn Railroad
7079Diesel 65-ton switcher General-Electric Diesel1940sU.S. ArmyPrivately owned, New Castle, DE

Former leased units

Locomotive details [15]
NumberImageTypeClassHeritageBuiltBuilderCurrent owner
475DieselGP9Unknown1955Electro-Motive Diesel Winchester and Western Railroad
732DieselGP9Unknown1955Electro-Motive DieselWinchester and Western Railroad
1523DieselGP7Central Railroad of New Jersey1952Electro-Motive DieselUnited Railroad Historical Society

Rolling stock

Rolling stock details [10] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]
NumberImageHeritageTypeStatus
297 Central Railroad of New Jersey Combine carOperational
322 Black River and Western Railroad 12.19 (18).png Central Railroad of New JerseyPassenger carOperational
605 Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Passenger carOperational
1009Central Railroad of New JerseyPassenger carOperational
5 Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad Business carOut of service
585Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadPassenger carUnder restoration
302Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadPassenger carOut of service
303Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadPassenger carOut of service
304Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadPassenger carOut of service
319 New Jersey Transit, ex Great Northern Railway Passenger carOut of service
320New Jersey Transit, ex Great Northern RailwayPassenger carOut of service
491 Canadian National Railway Passenger carOut of service
1318Central Railroad of New JerseyPassenger carOut of service
1362USATPassenger carOut of service
1369USATPassenger carOut of service
420 CNJ 420.JPG Central Railroad of New JerseyBaggage carOut of service
494Canadian National RailwayPassenger carOut of service
17112 Train storage at Black River and Western Railroad 04.jpg USATPassenger carDisplay
8424 New York Central Railroad Passenger carOut of service
"Chenango" Pennsylvania Railroad Passenger carOut of service
103 Southern Railway BoxcarStored
111ConrailBoxcarStored
304ConrailBallast hopperStored
308ConrailBallast hopperOperational
309ConrailBallast hopperOperational
310ConrailBallast hopperOperational
601Lehigh Valley RailroadBoxcarStored
15555ConrailOre carStored
16002 Long Island Railroad Crane carStored
16003 Amtrak FlatcarStored
475532?FlatcarStored
487052ConrailHopperScrapped
497310Pennsylvania RailroadBoxcarOperational
770506ConrailFlatcarStored
133 Chesapeake and Ohio Railway CabooseOperational
385Southern RailwayCabooseOperational
596 Rolling stock yard of the Delaware River Railroad Excursions - May 2024 - 06.jpg Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway CabooseOperational
645 Maine Central Railroad CabooseOperational
2727 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway CabooseOperational
477375Pennsylvania RailroadCabooseOut of service
C-140 Black River and Western Railroad 12.19 (12).png Erie Railroad CabooseOperational
200 Reading Company CabooseOut of service
595 Norfolk and Western Railway CabooseOut of service
1417 Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad CabooseOut of service
24531 Train storage at Black River and Western Railroad 03.jpg New York Central RailroadCabooseDisplay
95106Lehigh Valley RailroadCabooseDisplay

References

  1. "Belvidere & Delaware River". Archived from the original on 25 June 2010. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  2. "Black River and Western Railroad". New Jersey's Great Northwestern Skylands.
  3. 1 2 "Rail News - Belvidere & Delaware River Railway to lease track from sister short line. For Railroad Career Professionals" . Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "History of the Black River & Western Railroad". 2002. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  5. Cotey, Angela (May 12, 2015). "Black River & Western to mark 50 years" . Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  6. "About". Chesapeake & Delaware, LLC. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  7. "Our Railroads". Chesapeake & Delaware, LLC. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  8. "BLACK RIVER RAILROAD HISTORICAL TRUST INC | Open990". www.open990.org. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  9. "Black River Railroad Historic Trust". HUNTERDON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 "Equipment Roster". Black River and Western Railroad.
  11. "Black River & Western opening more track for Tourist Trains". www.rypn.org. Railway Preservation News. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  12. "Lambertville Service". BR&W Railroad. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
  13. "Lambertville Service". Black River and Western Railroad.
  14. 1 2 "Locomoives". www.brwrr.com.
  15. 1 2 3 "The Official Black River & Western RR Pages". 1999-11-09. Archived from the original on November 9, 1999. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  16. "148 History". Sugar Express. US Sugar. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  17. "The Story Behind The John L Bishop". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  18. "Black River & Western Railroad | Flemington, NJ". Black River & Western Railroad | Flemington, NJ. Retrieved 2018-11-01.
  19. American Experience | The Great War: Part 1 | Season 29 | Episode 8 , retrieved 2020-12-06
  20. "Coach 1009". Black River & Western Railroad. Archived from the original on 2016-01-12. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  21. "Great Northern Archive - Streamlined roster". gnarchive.com. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  22. "Great Northern Empire - Then and Now". www.greatnorthernempire.net. Retrieved 2017-11-02.

Further reading