Belvidere and Delaware River Railway
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Predecessor | Conrail Delaware Secondary line |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Phillipsburg, New Jersey , United States |
Area served | New Jersey, Pennsylvania |
| Products | Freight transportation (lumber, stone) |
| Parent | Chesapeake and Delaware, LLC |
| Website | www |
The Belvidere and Delaware River Railway Company, frequently referred to as Delaware River Railroad or simply Bel-Del, is a class III railroad that has been in operation since 1995. Its inception followed the acquisition of the Conrail Delaware Secondary line by the Black River Railroad System. Since 2004, BDRV has operated on leased trackage from the Black River and Western Railroad (BR&W), another property of the Black River Railroad System.
BDRV's main freight corridor extends southward along the Delaware River between Phillipsburg, New Jersey and Carpentersville, New Jersey, spanning . The railroad primarily transports commodities such as lumber and stone. It connects with the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) at Phillipsburg, enabling access to the broader national rail network. Through commercial arrangements, BDRV’s reach is further extended via the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) at Allentown, Pennsylvania. Operating as an NS handling carrier, BDRV’s freight services are incorporated within NS haulage pricing. Alongside BR&W, BDRV forms part of the Chesapeake and Delaware system, which also includes the Delaware and Raritan River Railroad headquartered in Jamesburg, New Jersey.
Original operations
The rail corridor utilized by BDRV traces back to the Belvidere Delaware Railroad, which was subsequently overseen by entities such as the Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central Transportation Company, and Conrail.
Initially, BDRV provided service to the James River Paper facility located in Milford, New Jersey, taking over operations from Conrail until the plant ceased operations in July 2003. Lumber transloading activities continued in Milford through 2004 before being discontinued. Freight service to Corrugated Paper Group (currently Georgia Pacific) in nearby Riegelsville, New Jersey ended in 2005 when shipments transitioned to trucking methods.
Passenger excursions
In 2002, a collaboration between Phillipsburg and BDRV resulted in excursion train services running between Phillipsburg and Carpentersville after Trenton declined involvement with the New Jersey Transportation Museum. The following year, BDRV acquired an ex-New Haven Brill motorcar designated M-55, which had been restored by the Edward Railway Motor Car Company and was formerly operated on the Mt. Dora Scenic Railroad.
Later in 2003, the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYS&W) Technical and Historical Society partnered to operate their steam locomotive No. 142 on these excursions. This engine, a China Railways SY class 2-8-2 Mikado built in 1989 for the Valley Railroad and sold to NYS&W in 1991 where it ran mainline excursions, was relocated to Phillipsburg in April 2004 and pulled BDRV’s inaugural train on May 1.
More recently, ex-Nickel Plate Road No. 811, an EMD GP9 locomotive, has frequently been deployed. The NYS&W Technical and Historical Society conducts excursions under the name "Delaware River Railroad Excursions," with trips starting from Lehigh Junction in Phillipsburg and making various stops depending on seasonal schedules or special events.
Beginning in late 2010, the Society undertook clearing of vegetation southward from Carpentersville to Milford, which hosts an annual event called "Milford Alive" featuring rail speeder rides. By May 2023, excursion routes extended to Riegelsville where passengers disembark at a replica Pennsylvania Railroad station currently under construction. Track enhancements included restoring a siding that had been removed by Conrail previously, although this siding was slightly shortened during reinstatement.
Freight operations
In 2017, the railroad initiated freight transportation services specifically for its parent organization, Chesapeake and Delaware, LLC.
Locomotives
| Number | Image | Type | Model | Built | Builder | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-1 | Buddliner | RDC1 | 1950 | Budd Company | Currently undergoing restoration | |
| 142 | Steam | 2-8-2 | 1989 | Tangshan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works | In service | |
| 146 | Diesel | 45-ton switcher | 1941 | GE Transportation | In service | |
| 752 | Diesel | GP9 | 1956 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 780 | Diesel | GP7 | 1950 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 811 | Diesel | GP9 | 1959 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 908 | Diesel | SW8 | 1951 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 909 | Diesel | SW900 | Unknown | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 915 | Diesel | SW900 | 1956 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1202 | Diesel | SW1500 | 1956 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1259 | Diesel | SW1200RS | 1960 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1540 | Diesel | SW1500 | 1973 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1567 | Diesel | SW1500 | 1973 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1596 | Diesel | SW1500 | 1972 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1823 | Diesel | GP10 | 1955 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1848 | Diesel | GP9 | 1954 | Electro-Motive Diesel | Not in service | |
| 1849 | Diesel | GP9 | 1955 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1850 | Diesel | GP9 | 1956 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1853 | Diesel | GP9 | 1958 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1854 | Diesel | GP8 | 1953 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1856 | Diesel | GP10 | 1955 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1888 | Diesel | GP9u | 1959 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 1889 | Diesel | GP9u | 1954 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 2005 | Diesel | GP38-2 | 1970 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 2006 | Diesel | GP38-2 | 1967 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 8142 | Diesel | SW1200 | 1959 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 8159 | Diesel | SW1200 | 1960 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 9009 | Diesel | SW900 | Unknown | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service | |
| 9581 | Diesel | SD9 | 1955 | Electro-Motive Diesel | In service |
Former units
| Number | Image | Type | Model | Built | Builder | Current owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-55 | Railcar | Doodlebug | 1930 | Electro-Motive Diesel | Nevada Northern Railway Museum |