History of the Raritan River Railroad

Tom’s Raritan River Railroad Page

www.RaritanRiver-RR.com

Passenger Traffic on

the

Raritan River Railroad

NRHS Special May 28^th, 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!