Ken Lockwood Gorge Bridge | |
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Coordinates | 40°41′51.2″N74°52′20.5″W / 40.697556°N 74.872361°W |
Carries | Columbia Trail |
Crosses | South Branch Raritan River |
Locale | Ken Lockwood Gorge Lebanon Township, New Jersey |
Characteristics | |
Total length | 250 feet (76 m) |
History | |
Opened | 1891 |
Location | |
The Ken Lockwood Gorge Bridge is a steel plate girder bridge built for the High Bridge Branch of the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) to cross the South Branch Raritan River in Ken Lockwood Gorge of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. [1] It is now open for pedestrian traffic on the Columbia Trail, a rail trail that starts in High Bridge. [2] [3]
The first bridge constructed here was a wooden Howe truss bridge. On April 18, 1885, an iron ore train drawn by a Baldwin locomotive (#112), named Columbia, fell into the river when the center and southern spans collapsed. Temporary repairs were then made to the bridge. [4]
In 1891, the current 250-foot (76 m) long steel bridge was built to replace the previous wooden bridge. In 1931, it was strengthened to carry heavier loads. [4] The last passenger service on the railroad was in 1935 and the last freight service in 1976. [2]
Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. At the 2020 census, the county was the state's 4th-least populous county, with a population of 128,947, an increase of 598 (+0.5%) from the 2010 census count of 128,349. Its county seat is Flemington. The county is part of the Central Jersey region of the state.
Califon is a borough in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,005, a decrease of 71 (−6.6%) from the 2010 census count of 1,076, which in turn reflected an increase of 21 (+2.0%) from the 1,055 counted in the 2000 census.
High Bridge is a borough in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 3,546, a decrease of 102 (−2.8%) from the 2010 census count of 3,648, which in turn reflected a decline of 128 (−3.4%) from the 3,776 counted in the 2000 census.
NJ Transit Rail Operations is the rail division of NJ Transit. It operates commuter rail service in New Jersey, with most service centered on transportation to and from New York City, Hoboken, and Newark. NJ Transit also operates rail service in Orange and Rockland counties in New York under contract to Metro-North Railroad. The commuter rail lines saw 57,179,000 riders in 2023, making it the third-busiest commuter railroad in North America and the longest commuter rail system in North America by route length.
The Raritan River Rail Road was a 12-mile (19 km) shortline railroad in Middlesex County, New Jersey U.S., Founded in 1888, it was based in South Amboy, from which it ran west as far as New Brunswick. It served both passengers and freight in its heyday and operated profitably throughout much of its existence. The Raritan River was absorbed into Conrail in 1980, becoming a branch line of Conrail Shared Assets Operations. It terminates at U.S. Route 1 in North Brunswick.
The Columbia Trail is a rail trail in rural northwestern New Jersey. It was created from portions of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey High Bridge Branch and stretches from High Bridge, in Hunterdon County, to Washington Township, in Morris County, for a total of 15.1 miles (24.3 km). The trail surface is relatively flat and consists mostly of fine crushed stone.
The South Branch Raritan River is a 50-mile-long (80 km) tributary of the Raritan River in New Jersey.
Pine Creek is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River in Potter, Tioga, Lycoming, and Clinton counties in Pennsylvania. The creek is 87.2 miles (140.3 km) long. Within Tioga County, 23.25 miles (37.42 km) of Pine Creek are designated as a Pennsylvania Scenic River.
The High Bridge Branch is a branch line that was operated by the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ). As built, the branch started in High Bridge, New Jersey at a connection with the CNJ main line and continued north to iron-ore mines in Morris County. The High Bridge Branch line followed the South Branch Raritan River for much of its length.
White House is a NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in the Whitehouse Station section of Readington in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The station is on the west side of Main Street in the center and the station building has subsequently been turned into a branch library for the Hunterdon County Library system. This station has no weekend service.
Annandale is the penultimate station heading westbound on New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line, located in the Annandale section of Clinton Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. The station is located just off interchange 18 of Interstate 78 at the junction of Main Street and East Street. The final stop before High Bridge, it has one low-level side platform, with a shelter, 77 parking spaces and bicycle racks.
High Bridge is a railway station in High Bridge, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. The station is the western terminus of the New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line. The next station eastward is Annandale. The parking lot for the station is located one block to the west. The station only uses the southern track for inbound and outbound trains. The former Central Railroad of New Jersey station house, constructed in 1913, is currently used for storage and there is a covered waiting area under the building canopy. This station has no weekend service.
Ken Lockwood Gorge is between Califon and High Bridge in Lebanon Township of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It was purchased in 1948 by the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife and has been referred to as “one of New Jersey's most beautiful places.” It is presently administered by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Bunnvale is an unincorporated community located within Lebanon Township, Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
The Patriots' Path is a multi-use trail system in Morris County, New Jersey, open to cyclists, hikers, and horseback riders, consisting of a 55-mile (89 km) main trail and 35 miles (56 km) of spur trails. The main trail is marked with white blazes or a white circular blaze with a brown tree. The spur trails are marked with blue blazes or a white circle with a blue tree, while the side spur trails are marked with a red blaze or a white circle with a red tree.
Readingsburg, also known as Stone Mill, is an unincorporated community located along the South Branch Raritan River within Clinton Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
Hoffmans, also known as Hoffman's Crossing, is an unincorporated community located along Hoffman's Crossing Road and the South Branch Raritan River within Lebanon Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Califon. The main road in the community is County Route 513. The Hunterdon County Educational Services Commission (HCESC) has a campus here.
Phillipsburg Union Station is an active railroad station museum, in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, United States, at 178 South Main Street. Opened in 1914, Union Station was built by the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad (DL&W) and shared with the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) and was situated where the lines merged before the bridge crossing the Delaware River. Designed by Frank J. Nies, the architect who produced many of DL&W stations now listed state and federal registers of historic places, the 2+1⁄2 story, 3 bay brick building is unusual example of a union station and a representation of early 20th century Prairie style architecture. The Phillipsburg Union Signal Tower, or PU Tower, is nearby, also restored to its original form, and available for tours.
The Raritan–Readington South Branch Historic District is a 556-acre (225 ha) historic district along River Road from New Jersey Route 31 to U.S. Route 202 near Flemington in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It is primarily on the western side of the South Branch Raritan River in Raritan Township. It extends onto the eastern side of the river in Readington Township. County Route 523 and County Route 612 pass through the district to the north. The district encompasses the small settlements of Holcomb Mills, Flemington Junction, and Rockefellows Mills. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 26, 1990, for its significance in architecture, politics, transportation, and exploration/settlement. The district includes 36 contributing buildings, four contributing structures, and three contributing sites. It also includes the John Reading Farmstead, previously listed on the NRHP individually.