History of the Raritan River Railroad

Tom’s Raritan River Railroad Page

www.RaritanRiver-RR.com

South Amboy Shops Yard

1966

Panoramic view

Version 1.1

02/11/2007

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Tom_E_Reynolds@yahoo.com

Panoramic View of South Amboy Caboose Track – Summer 1966

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A most amazing view from June 1966 atop the Engine House looking at the caboose track!

Caboose No8 – June 1966

Starting at the left, you can see caboose number 8.

This is a rare occurrence, as there are not many pictures of caboose number 8.

Eventually all the cabooses would get painted red with a white stripe to match the diesels.

Caboose No.8 in Red with observation deck

At this time, her cupola would get damaged and she would get turned into an inspection caboose when the Raritan adds an observation deck onto her back!

Caboose number 8 is privately owned and survives today in Ivyland, Pa.

Caboose No.6 and No.7 – June 1966

Next is Caboose number 6. Photographed many times over the years, she is beginning to show her age. Caboose no. 6, just like no.8, is an ex-DLW purchased in the late 1930s and 1940s.

Caboose number 7 is behind no.6. This is the second caboose number 7,

as the first number 7 was also an ex-DLW

just like her sisters no.6 and no.8. The original no.7 was traded for this ex-Vermont Railway Caboose and sent off to the Pine Creek railroad at Alaire State park in New Jersey.

The original number 7 still survives today at Alaire State Park, as her body had been restored as a working office for the park.

A yellow Crane number 3 is visible next.

A true work horse that was finally cut up in 1983, as witnessed by a young Joe Basara

Next is open gondola RR 1734

Used with Crane no.3, I never saw any other pictures of this open top gondola.

Quite a find!

Last but not least is this very ancient open top gondola.

This is also an amazing find!

This is the last car from the original batch of 44 that was ordered in 1910!

These were 50 ton cars used for the many sand, clay, and brick industries that were in the local areas of South Amboy, Sayreville, South River and East Brunswick. Names like Crossmans, Suchs, Furmans, Wrights, Amclay, Whiteheads and Fischer all used the Raritan River in the early days from the 1880s until the Depression era of the 1930s when most of them closed down. Once these sand and clay industries closed down, most of these open top wooden gondolas were scrapped in the 1930s and 1940s.

Lucky for us, one still survived in 1966!

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