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West Jersey Railroad

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West Jersey and Seashore Railroad
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryRail transport
FoundedMay 4, 1896; 130 years ago (1896-05-04)
FateLeased by Pennsylvania Railroad in 1930; lease transferred to Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in 1933; assets conveyed to Conrail in 1976
Headquarters
Camden
,
United States
Area served
Southern New Jersey, Philadelphia connections
ParentPennsylvania Railroad (from 1896)

The West Jersey and Seashore Railroad (WJ&S) was a New Jersey-based rail company providing connections to Philadelphia. Established in May 1896 through the consolidation of multiple smaller railroads, by 1925 it managed 379 miles of routes across 717 miles of track, reporting freight traffic totaling 166 million ton-miles and passenger travel amounting to 332 million passenger-miles. The Pennsylvania Railroad took over its lease in 1930, which was subsequently transferred to the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in 1933. Ultimately, its holdings were absorbed by 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—into a single entity known as the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad.[1] Although initially slated for March 1896, the merger was postponed to accommodate proxy voting from shareholders located outside the region. The consolidation was formally completed on May 2 and became effective upon registration in Trenton.[1]

As a subsidiary under PRR control, WJ&S operated two principal routes originating from its Federal Street Terminal in Camden:

  • The Main Line heading toward Atlantic City and other shore destinations via Winslow Junction, utilizing trackage rights on the ACRR's Cape May Branch to reach Woodbine Junction and continuing to Ocean City, Wildwood, and Cape May.
  • The electrified Millville Line running through Woodbury to Millville, with a branch at Newfield extending to Atlantic City; this line employed electrification systems consisting of a 650 V DC third rail combined with overhead wires.

Additional branch lines extended service from Woodbury to Salem and Deep Water Point, as well as from Glassboro to Bridgeton.

A significant event took place on October 28, 1906, when a train accident in Atlantic City caused the deaths of 53 individuals after a three-car train plunged from an open swing bridge.

Camden and Atlantic Railroad

Incorporated by the state of New Jersey on March 19, 1852, the Camden and Atlantic Railroad linked Camden with Atlantic City via Berlin. Construction was completed by late June 1854 except for a drawbridge; regular passenger operations commenced on July 4, attracting over 3,000 riders on opening day. The line’s success encouraged competition from the narrow gauge Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railway, chartered in 1876 along a parallel corridor.[2]

In May 1880, crews were deployed by the railroad to fight a forest fire threatening Atlantic City that resulted in damages exceeding $200,000. After intricate financial dealings in 1882—including accusations of bribery intended to gain access to shareholder records—the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) gained control of the Camden and Atlantic Railroad through its subsidiary West Jersey Railroad effective January 1, 1883.

The original main line of the Camden and Atlantic remains active today, supporting passenger services provided by PATCO and NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line.

West Jersey Railroad

Incorporated on February 5, 1853, the West Jersey Railroad (WJ) commenced operations on March 29, 1853, initially funded with $250,000 in capital. By May of the same year, a director's additional $200,000 subscription increased the total capital to $450,000. After swiftly conducting route surveys, the company finalized its course by July 1853. Supported by the Camden and Amboy Railroad (C&A), construction started from Camden toward Glassboro. The first segment, spanning 8.2 miles along the former Camden and Woodbury Railroad right-of-way, opened on April 15, 1857. Extensions reached Glassboro by April 1, 1861, and Bridgeton by July 25, 1861.

The railroad line was fully completed in 1863 with intentions to extend from Glassboro to Millville and Cape May. Presently, this corridor functions as the South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets Operations' Vineland Secondary freight rail line, while plans exist to transform the northern portion into the Glassboro–Camden light-rail route.

Millville and Glassboro Railroad

The Millville and Glassboro Railroad (M&G), a 22-mile line chartered and incorporated in March 1859 by Millville entrepreneurs independently from WJ, began service in October 1860. It is said that Charles K. Landis, Vineland’s founder, discovered the region via this railroad in 1861. Although M&G aimed to extend its route from Millville to Cape May, financial constraints halted further expansion. On April 1, 1868, it was consolidated into the West Jersey Railroad.

Cape May and Millville Railroad

In 1863, investors from Cape May County received a charter to establish the Cape May & Millville Railroad (CM&M). The first trains operated starting August 23, 1863; construction was completed by 1867 across a distance of 41 miles. The CM&M was leased to the West Jersey Railroad in 1869 and fully absorbed on August 27, 1879.

Salem Railroad

The Salem Railroad was chartered on March 14, 1856, constructing a 17-mile line between Elmer and Salem in New Jersey. Completed in 1863, it was leased to WJ beginning January 1, 1868, before being fully integrated into WJ on January 1, 1888.

Swedesboro Railroad

Chartered in 1866, the Swedesboro Railroad connected Woodbury to Swedesboro over a distance of 10.8 miles. Construction started in 1867; it was leased to WJ on August 17, 1869. The line opened on September 11, 1869, with completion following in October of that year. Full merger into WJ occurred on January 1, 1888.

Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad

Established by charter in 1871, the Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad began operations on February 23, 1873. It was leased to WJ as of January 1, 1883, with full merger finalized on January 1, 1888.

At the request of agricultural interests in Woodstown, WJ built a connecting line between the Swedesboro Railroad and Riddleton Junction on the Salem Railroad on January 21, 1882. This connection was completed by February 1883 and provided WJ with dual access routes into Salem.

Maurice River Railroad

Formed by WJ to tap into the lucrative Delaware Bay oyster market, the Maurice River Railroad was incorporated on June 17, 1887. This line extended for approximately 9.76 miles from Manumuskin to Maurice River and was finished by November 1 of that year. It was merged into WJ effective January 1, 1888.

West Jersey and Atlantic Railroad

In 1879, the West Jersey, guided by the Pennsylvania Railroad, initiated the construction of a rail line extending from Newfield to Atlantic City through Mays Landing. Officially formed on November 6, 1879, with a capital stock of $500,000 divided into $50 shares, work commenced without delay. The 34.2-mile track was finalized by June 16, 1880, and subsequently leased back to the West Jersey.

The portion between Newfield and Mays Landing was abandoned on December 31, 1958, followed by the section from Mays Landing to McKee City on August 18, 1966. In 2003, a segment of the route between Egg Harbor Township and Mays Landing was converted into a rail trail as part of the Atlantic County Bikeway.

Philadelphia Marlton and Medford Railroad

This railroad was chartered and incorporated in January 1880, with construction starting in April of the same year. Passenger operations began between Haddonfield and Marlton by July 1881, and extended to Medford on October 11, 1881. By January 1885, the line was under the management of the Camden and Atlantic Railroad before becoming known as the Medford Branch of the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad. Passenger services ceased on September 24, 1927, with formal abandonment occurring on November 2, 1931.

Stations along the Philadelphia Marlton and Medford included Haddonfield, Freeman, Orchard, Springdale, Locust Grove, Cropwell, Marlton, Elmwood Road, Melrose, and Medford; among these stops, only Haddonfield, Marlton, and Medford were regular scheduled stops while the others operated as flag stops.

Delaware River Railroad

Initially incorporated on February 20, 1873 as the Delaware Shore Railroad to link Woodbury and Penns Grove, this line commenced service in July 1876 but faced bankruptcy by January 1879. It was subsequently reorganized as the Delaware River Railroad (DRR). The West Jersey and Seashore Railroad took control of the DRR on April 30, 1900. Today, this right-of-way is part of Conrail’s Penns Grove Secondary.

Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines

On July 1, 1930, the Pennsylvania Railroad took over leasing responsibilities for the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad. Later, on November 2, 1932, an agreement between the Pennsylvania Railroad and Reading Company merged their southern New Jersey rail operations under the Atlantic City Railroad—a Reading subsidiary since 1901. This consolidation resulted in the formation of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL), effective July 15, 1933, with ownership split two-thirds to Pennsylvania Railroad and one-third to Reading. The Pennsylvania Railroad transferred its lease of the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad to PRSL. Although remaining a non-operating subsidiary for some time thereafter, all assets were ultimately conveyed to Conrail in 1976.

See also

Bibliography

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named merger
  2. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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