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West Jersey and Atlantic Railroad

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West Jersey and Seashore Railroad
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryRail transport
PredecessorWest Jersey Railroad, Alloway and Quinton Railroad, Camden and Atlantic Railroad, Chelsea Branch Railroad, Philadelphia, Marlton and Medford Railroad
FoundedMay 1896; 130 years ago (1896-05)
FounderPennsylvania Railroad (as parent company)
Defunct1976 (1976)
FateAssets conveyed to Conrail
SuccessorConrail
Headquarters
Camden
,
United States
Area served
Southern New Jersey, Philadelphia connection
ProductsRail transport services (passenger and freight)
OwnerPennsylvania Railroad (subsidiary)
ParentPennsylvania Railroad

The West Jersey and Seashore Railroad (WJ&S) was a railway enterprise in New Jersey that linked to Philadelphia, established through the consolidation of multiple smaller railroads in May 1896. By the close of 1925, it managed 379 miles of mainline track covering 717 miles of total track length, reporting freight revenue of 166 million ton-miles alongside 332 million passenger-miles. The Pennsylvania Railroad assumed a lease on WJ&S in 1930; this arrangement 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 (PRR) unified its southern New Jersey rail assets and smaller lines into the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad. This merger incorporated the West Jersey Railroad, Alloway and Quinton Railroad, Camden and Atlantic Railroad, Chelsea Branch Railroad, and Philadelphia, Marlton and Medford Railroad. Although initially planned for March 1896, the consolidation was postponed to accommodate proxy voting by shareholders residing outside the area. Representatives consented to the merger on May 2, which became effective upon official registration in Trenton.

Operating as a PRR subsidiary, WJ&S maintained two primary routes departing from its Federal Street Terminal located in Camden:

  • The Main Line extending to Atlantic City and other shore destinations via Winslow Junction, utilizing trackage rights over the ACRR’s Cape May Branch to Woodbine Junction and continuing on ACRR’s Cape May line reaching Ocean City, Wildwood, and Cape May.
  • The Millville Line running through Woodbury to Millville, with a branch at Newfield leading to Atlantic City; this route was electrified using a combination of 650 V DC third rail and overhead catenary systems.

Additional spurs served Millville; routes from Woodbury to Salem and Deep Water Point; and a branch from Glassboro to Bridgeton.

A tragic accident occurred on October 28, 1906, when a three-car train plunged off an open swing bridge in Atlantic City, resulting in 53 fatalities.

Camden and Atlantic Railroad

Incorporated by the state of New Jersey on March 19, 1852, the Camden and Atlantic Railroad connected Camden with Atlantic City via Berlin. Completed by June 1854, it commenced passenger operations on July 4 of that year, attracting over 3,000 travelers on its inaugural day. Its success led to competition from the Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railway, which constructed a narrow gauge parallel line after 1876.

In May 1880, crews from this railroad actively fought a forest fire threatening Atlantic City, preventing damages exceeding $200,000. Following financial restructuring in 1882—amid allegations of bribery—the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) secured control over the Camden and Atlantic through its subsidiary West Jersey Railroad effective January 1, 1883.

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

West Jersey Railroad

The West Jersey Railroad (WJ) originated with an initial capital subscription of $250,000 on March 29, 1853, after being chartered by New Jersey on February 5 of that year to construct a railway from Camden to Cape May. An additional $200,000 was raised on May 17, bringing total capital to $450,000. Surveying for the route proceeded quickly; directors finalized the alignment by July 15, 1853. Supported by the Camden and Amboy Railroad (C&A), construction advanced in phases: the first segment of 8.2 miles reused the abandoned right-of-way of the Camden and Woodbury Railroad and opened April 15, 1857; extensions reached Glassboro by April 1, 1861, and Bridgeton by July 25 of that year. Completion occurred in 1863 with plans for further extension from Glassboro toward Millville and Cape May. Presently, this corridor functions as the Vineland Secondary freight line under South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets Operations; the northern portion is slated for transformation into the Glassboro–Camden light rail transit route.

Millville and Glassboro Railroad

The Millville and Glassboro Railroad (M&G), stretching 22 miles, was founded independently by entrepreneurs from Millville and received its charter in March 1859. By October 1860, the railroad was completed and operational, originally intended to extend from Millville to Cape May; however, financial constraints caused the project to stop. It is said that Charles K. Landis, the founder of Vineland, discovered the region during a journey on this line in 1861. On April 1, 1868, the M&G was consolidated into the West Jersey Railroad.

Cape May and Millville Railroad

In 1863, investors from Cape May County obtained a New Jersey charter to construct the Cape May & Millville Railroad (CM&M). The railroad began operations on August 23, 1863, with construction finalized in 1867, covering . The line was leased to the West Jersey Railroad (WJ) in 1869 and fully integrated into WJ by August 27, 1879.

Salem Railroad

Chartered in 1856, the Salem Railroad connected Elmer to Salem, New Jersey, with construction completed in 1863. It was leased to the WJ as of January 1, 1868, and later merged completely on January 1, 1888.

Swedesboro Railroad

The Swedesboro Railroad was chartered in 1866 to link Woodbury and Swedesboro over . Construction started in 1867; it was leased to WJ on August 17, 1869, opened on September 11, and finished by October of that year. It fully merged into WJ on January 1, 1888.

Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad

Chartered in 1871, the Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad commenced operations on February 23, 1873. It was leased to WJ beginning January 1, 1883, and completely merged on January 1, 1888.

To bolster Woodstown’s agricultural trade, WJ built a connecting track from the Swedesboro Railroad terminus to Riddleton Junction on the Salem Railroad on January 21, 1882. This link was finished by February 1883 and created two access points into Salem for WJ.

Maurice River Railroad

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

West Jersey and Atlantic Railroad

Under Pennsylvania Railroad oversight in 1879, WJ constructed a route from Newfield to Atlantic City via Mays Landing. Incorporated on November 6, 1879, with capital stock totaling $500,000 at $50 per share, construction began immediately. The entire line of 34.2 miles opened on June 16, 1880 and was subsequently leased to WJ.

The section between Newfield and Mays Landing was abandoned December 31, 1958; followed by Mays Landing to McKee City in 1966. In 2003, a segment between Egg Harbor Township and Mays Landing was transformed into a rail trail as part of the Atlantic County Bikeway.

Philadelphia Marlton and Medford Railroad

Incorporated in January 1880 and chartered at that time, construction started in April of the same year. Service from Haddonfield to Marlton began by July 1881 and extended to Medford on October 11, 1881. By January 1885 it operated under Camden and Atlantic control before becoming the Medford Branch of the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad. Passenger operations ceased September 24, 1927; the branch formally closed November 2, 1931.

Principal stops included Haddonfield, Freeman, Orchard, Springdale, Locust Grove, Cropwell, Marlton, Elmwood Road, Melrose, and Medford—with most designated as flag stops except for Haddonfield, Marlton, and Medford.

Delaware River Railroad

Originally chartered on February 20, 1873, under the name Delaware Shore Railroad, this company constructed a rail line connecting Woodbury and Penns Grove. The route commenced operations in July 1876 but faced insolvency by January 1879, leading to its reorganization as the Delaware River Railroad (DRR). On April 30, 1900, the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad acquired the DRR. Presently, the corridor is utilized by Conrail's Penns Grove Secondary.

Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines

The Pennsylvania Railroad began leasing the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad starting July 1, 1930. Subsequently, on November 2, 1932, the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company reached an agreement to consolidate their southern New Jersey rail operations via the Atlantic City Railroad, which had been a Reading subsidiary since 1901. This partnership resulted in the formation of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL), effective July 15, 1933, with ownership divided as two-thirds Pennsylvania and one-third Reading. The Pennsylvania Railroad transferred its lease of the West Jersey and Seashore to PRSL. Although the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad continued as a non-operating entity, its assets were ultimately conveyed to Conrail in 1976.

See also

Bibliography

External links

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