Rockaway River and Montville Railroad

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The Rockaway River and Montville Railroad connected the Lackawanna Railroad's Boonton Branch in Boonton, New Jersey with a stone quarry on Hog Mountain (also known as Turkey Mountain) in Montville, New Jersey. The railroad was incorporated in April 1873 and the capital stock was owned by the Lackawanna. The branch ran northeasterly from the Lackawanna's mainline up a very steep grade. The quarry was located about a mile up from the mainline. Railroaders would tell harrowing stories of bringing heavy freight trains, laden with stone, down the short branch. Bad weather made the downgrade trip particularly treacherous. [1]

The Boonton Branch refers to the railroad line in New Jersey that was completed in 1870 and ran 34 miles (54.8 km) from Hoboken to East Dover Junction as part of the Morris & Essex Railroad (M&E). Although the branch hosted commuter trains, the line was primarily built as a freight bypass line. The term "branch", therefore, is somewhat of a misnomer since the Boonton Branch was built to higher mainline standards than the Morristown Line, the line that it bypassed. As a result, the Boonton Branch better meets the definition of a "cut-off" rather than a branch. Some of the towns that the Boonton Branch passed through included Lyndhurst, Passaic, Clifton, Paterson, Wayne, Lincoln Park, Mountain Lakes, and its namesake, Boonton.

Boonton, New Jersey Town in New Jersey

Boonton is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 8,347, reflecting a decline of 149 (−1.8%) from the 8,496 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 153 (+1.8%) from the 8,343 counted in the 1990 Census. The settlement was originally called "Boone-Towne" in 1761 in honor of the Colonial Governor Thomas Boone.

Montville, New Jersey Township in New Jersey, United States

Montville is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 21,528, reflecting an increase of 689 (+3.3%) from the 20,839 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 5,239 (+33.6%) from the 15,600 counted in the 1990 Census.

The train station in Madison, New Jersey, an architectural masterpiece, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was built with stone quarried on Hog Mountain. The station opened on April 17, 1916, and recently underwent a total restoration. The RV&MRR closed shortly after completion of the Madison train station. Stone from the quarry was also used to build a dam on the Boonton Reservoir (also known as the Jersey City Reservoir) in Boonton, New Jersey.

Madison, New Jersey Borough in New Jersey, United States

Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 15,845, reflecting a drop in population of 685 (−4.1%) from the 16,530 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 680 (+4.3%) from the 15,850 counted in the 1990 Census. It is known as "The Rose City" and was named in honor of President James Madison.

National Register of Historic Places federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

The RV&MRR was built on a right-of-way that is now occupied by Capstick Road. The quarry appears on local maps at the end of the present road. However, there apparently was at least one more quarry located farther up the mountain along what is now Briarcliff Road. There is a narrow, unnamed road that connects Capstick Road and Briarcliff Road.

Right-of-way (transportation) right to make a "way" (as in a type of easement) over a piece of land

A right-of-way (ROW) is a right to make a way over a piece of land, usually to and from another piece of land. A right of way is a type of easement granted or reserved over the land for transportation purposes, such as a highway, public footpath, rail transport, canal, as well as electrical transmission lines, oil and gas pipelines. A right-of-way can be used to build a bike trail. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way. In the case of an easement, it may revert to its original owners if the facility is abandoned.

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References

  1. Taber, Thomas Townsend (1977). The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad in the Nineteenth Century. Muncy, PA: Privately printed. p. 85.