Delaware River Railroad

West Jersey and Seashore Railroad

Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	May 1896 (1896-05)
Fate	Leased by Pennsylvania Railroad in 1930; lease transferred to Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in 1933; properties absorbed into Conrail in 1976
Headquarters	Camden , United States
Area served	Southern New Jersey, Philadelphia connection
Parent	Pennsylvania Railroad (from 1930)

The West Jersey and Seashore Railroad (WJ&S) was a New Jersey-based railway system connecting to Philadelphia, established in May 1896 through the amalgamation of multiple smaller railroads. By the year 1925, it managed 379 miles of mainline track across a total of 717 miles of rail, reporting freight traffic of 166 million ton-miles alongside passenger movement totaling 332 million passenger-miles. In 1930, the Pennsylvania Railroad took over operations under a lease agreement; this lease was subsequently transferred in 1933 to the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. Ultimately, its properties were integrated into Conrail in 1976.

History

On May 4, 1896, the Pennsylvania Railroad unified several southern New Jersey railroads—including the West Jersey Railroad, Alloway and Quinton Railroad, Camden and Atlantic Railroad, Chelsea Branch Railroad, and Philadelphia, Marlton and Medford Railroad—forming the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad. This consolidation followed an extended proxy voting process designed to accommodate shareholders located far away, with final ratification occurring on May 2, 1896.

WJ&S operated two principal routes originating from its Federal Street Terminal in Camden:

• The Main Line extended to Atlantic City and other coastal destinations via Winslow Junction, utilizing trackage rights on the Atlantic City Railroad's Cape May Branch to Woodbine Junction and continuing towards Ocean City, Wildwood, and Cape May.
• The Millville Line was electrified and ran through Woodbury to Millville; it featured a branch line from Newfield leading to Atlantic City. Electrification employed a combination of 650 V DC third rail and overhead catenary systems.

Additional branch lines provided service to Salem from Woodbury, Deep Water Point from Bridgeton, as well as connections originating at Glassboro.

A tragic event occurred on October 28, 1906, when an Atlantic City-bound train derailed after plunging off an open swing bridge, resulting in 53 fatalities.

Camden and Atlantic Railroad

Chartered by the state of New Jersey on March 19, 1852, the Camden and Atlantic Railroad constructed a route linking Camden with Atlantic City through Berlin. The line was completed by June 1854, except for a drawbridge segment; regular passenger operations commenced on July 4 of that year, carrying over 3,000 passengers on its inaugural day. Its early success led to competition from the narrow gauge Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railway—chartered in 1876—which paralleled its corridor.

In May 1880, crews from this railroad actively fought a significant forest fire threatening Atlantic City that caused damages estimated at over $200,000 (adjusted for inflation).

After contentious financial dealings in 1882—including accusations of bribery intended to gain access to shareholder records—the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), through its subsidiary West Jersey Railroad, gained control of the Camden and Atlantic Railroad effective January 1, 1883.

The original main line of the Camden and Atlantic remains operational today as part of passenger services provided by PATCO and NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line.

West Jersey Railroad

The West Jersey Railroad (WJ) commenced capital subscriptions on March 29, 1853, securing $250,000 initially. It obtained its charter from the state of New Jersey on February 5, 1853, authorizing construction of a rail line extending from Camden to Cape May. By May 1853, stock subscriptions increased total capital to $450,000 with an additional $200,000 raised. Following route surveys, the company finalized its alignment on July 15, 1853. Construction proceeded in phases with financial support from the Camden and Amboy Railroad (C&A), opening the first 8.2 miles along a previously unused right-of-way in April 1857. The line reached Glassboro by April 1861 and extended to Bridgeton by July of the same year.

Completion of the entire route occurred in 1863, including expansions to Bridgeton and subsequently from Glassboro toward Millville and Cape May. Presently, this right-of-way functions as the Vineland Secondary freight rail line under South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets Operations. Plans are underway to convert the northern portion into the Glassboro–Camden Line light rail system.

Millville and Glassboro Railroad

The Millville and Glassboro Railroad (M&G), spanning 22 miles, was independently developed by entrepreneurs from Millville. Incorporated and chartered in March 1859, it began operations in October 1860. The M&G initiated construction of a rail line extending from Millville to Cape May but halted progress due to insufficient funding. On April 1, 1868, it was absorbed into the West Jersey Railroad.

Of historical note, Charles K. Landis, founder of Vineland, is said to have discovered the area during a journey on the M&G in 1861.

Cape May and Millville Railroad

In 1863, investors from Cape May County secured a New Jersey charter for the Cape May & Millville Railroad (CM&M). The inaugural train service commenced on August 23, 1863, with construction finalized by 1867 over a distance of . The CM&M was leased to the West Jersey Railroad in 1869 and fully merged into it on August 27, 1879.

Salem Railroad

Chartered on March 14, 1856, the Salem Railroad connected Elmer to Salem in New Jersey. Completed in 1863, it entered into a lease agreement with the West Jersey Railroad starting January 1, 1868, before being completely merged into WJ on January 1, 1888.

Swedesboro Railroad

The Swedesboro Railroad was chartered on February 23, 1866, linking Woodbury to Swedesboro across . Construction began in 1867; it was leased by WJ on August 17, 1869. The line opened on September 11 and was completed by October that year. Full integration into WJ occurred on January 1, 1888.

Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad

Authorized on March 21, 1871, the Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad commenced operations on February 23, 1873. It entered a lease arrangement with WJ effective January 1, 1883 and was fully merged with WJ by January 1, 1888.

On January 21, 1882, at the behest of Woodstown's agricultural community, WJ constructed a connecting track from the terminus of the Swedesboro Railroad to Riddleton Junction on the Salem Railroad. Completed in February 1883, this created dual access routes into Salem for WJ.

Maurice River Railroad

Formed by the West Jersey Railroad to gain access to Delaware Bay’s oyster trade, the Maurice River Railroad was incorporated on June 17, 1887. Covering , this line ran from Manumuskin to Maurice River and was finished by November 1 of that year. It merged into WJ on January 1, 1888.

West Jersey and Atlantic Railroad

In 1879, guided by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the West Jersey began constructing a railway stretching from Newfield to Atlantic City through Mays Landing. Officially incorporated on November 6, 1879, with a capital stock of $500,000 at $50 per share, construction commenced without delay. The line was finalized on June 16, 1880, and subsequently leased to the West Jersey.

The portion between Newfield and Mays Landing was discontinued on December 31, 1958, followed by the closure of the section from Mays Landing to McKee City on August 18, 1966. In 2003, a segment of the track running from Egg Harbor Township to Mays Landing was transformed into the Atlantic County Bikeway rail trail.

Philadelphia Marlton and Medford Railroad

The Philadelphia Marlton and Medford Railroad was chartered and incorporated in January 1880, with construction starting in April of the same year. Operations commenced between Haddonfield and Marlton by July 1881 and extended to Medford by October 11, 1881. By January 1885, it was managed by the Camden and Atlantic Railroad and later integrated as the Medford Branch within the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad. Passenger services ceased on September 24, 1927, with the branch officially abandoned on November 2, 1931.

Stations along this line included Haddonfield, Freeman, Orchard, Springdale, Locust Grove, Cropwell, Marlton, Elmwood Road, Melrose, and Medford. Except for Haddonfield, Marlton, and Medford stations, all others functioned as flag stops.

Delaware River Railroad

Initially incorporated as the Delaware Shore Railroad on February 20, 1873, to link Woodbury and Penns Grove, the railway opened in July 1876 but faced bankruptcy by January 1879. It was then reorganized as the Delaware River Railroad (DRR). On April 30, 1900, the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad acquired the DRR. Presently, this route is operated by Conrail's Penns Grove Secondary.

Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines

The Pennsylvania Railroad leased the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad beginning July 1, 1930. Later, on November 2, 1932, it partnered with the Reading Company to consolidate their southern New Jersey operations under the Atlantic City Railroad—an affiliate of Reading established in 1901. This collaboration resulted in the formation of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL) on July 15, 1933, with ownership divided as two-thirds Pennsylvania Railroad and one-third Reading Company. The Pennsylvania Railroad transferred its lease of the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad to PRSL. The West Jersey and Seashore remained a non-operating subsidiary until its assets were absorbed by Conrail in 1976.

See also

• 1896 Atlantic City rail crash
• 1906 Atlantic City train wreck
• Central Railroad of New Jersey
• Glassboro station
• New Jersey Southern Railroad
• Railroad electrification in the United States
• Reading Company

External links

• The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines Historical Society
• The West Jersey Chapter of the NRHS