I left the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad and crossed the Delaware River into Lambertville, New Jersey where I took New Jersey 179 to US 202, taking that to Flemington where I found the Black River & Western Railroad station. I picked up my ticket and was then to catch the Black River & Western Railroad excursion train arriving.
A replica Flemington station. I soon heard a horn and saw the headlight coming towards.
The excursion train arrived, whose consist was Black River & Western SW1200 1202, ex. New York, New Haven and Hartford 643 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1956, coaches 491 and 494. The engine will now run around the train for the trip back to Ringoes.
The rear of the excursion train.
The engine ran around the train.
Our train was now ready for the trip to Ringoes.
A Brief HistoryThe Black River & Western Railroad was started by William Whitehead in Oldwick, New Jersey in the late 1950's. A portion of the defunct Rockway Valley line went through his back yard. He and his sons started collecting rolling stock and an engine. They started laying tracks but then the expansion of Route 78 halted their dream of building a railroad at that location. They moved their equipment to the Chester Hill branch of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, with the hope of starting a railroad there. The section of railroad they were scouting soon became landlocked by the construction of Route 80.
The Black River & Western Railroad was incorporated in 1961. The Black River is a river in Chester and the Western portion of the name comes from the direction of travel. The cars were moved to Flemington, New Jersey and the search for a place to start their tourist train was continued. Within a short period of time, it became apparent that Flemington might just be the perfect location. A deal was struck with the Pennsylvania Railroad for a tourist train to operate on the Flemington-to-Lambertville section of track. The Black River paid $5,000 a year and fixed the track. During this time, the Pennsylvania Railroad operated the freight service. Steam engine 60 pulled the first trip out of Flemington on May 16, 1965.
Weekend and holiday schedules were devised. On March 16, 1970 the Black River & Western Railroad took over the ownership and operations of the entire Flemington/Lambertville line purchasing it from the Penn Central. That was the same day New York Central and the Pennsylvania Railroad merged to become Penn Central. With now operating both freight and passenger trains, a true shortline railroad was born. Then on April 1, 1976, the central branch, which runs from Flemington to Three Bridges was purchased from the Central Railroad of New Jersey. On the same day, Conrail was formed combining the CNJ, Penn Central and five other railroads. The line continues today as a well-working shortline handling both freight and passenger trains over its rails.
Our TripThe train departed Flemington and passed a freight customer before heading into the countryside.
Views along our route.
Mayrode Farm.
We crossed a run, which would be a creek in most places in the country.
A tree farm along our route.
Copper Hill Country Club.
A tree farm.
Hunterdon Concrete.
Views along our route.
The owner of the an outdoor garden railroad built along the tracks.
Our train arrived at Ringoes.
Maine Central caboose 645 built by the railroad.
Erie caboose C140 built by the railroad in 1941.
Crucible Steel 15 ton center-cab switcher built by Mack in 1927.
Black River and Western caboose 24531, nee Penn Central 24531 built by International Car Company in 1971.
Wabash caboose 2727 is former Chicago, South Shore and South Bend 10003, ex. Santa Fe 999096, nee Santa Fe 1982, built by American Car and Foundry in 1931.
Black River and Western SW-1 112, nee Lehigh Valley 112 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1939 and Black River and Western 2-6-0 60, nee Great Western 60 built by American Locomotive Company in 1937 in the shop.
Black River and Western caboose 133, ex. Tennessee Valley Railway Museum 133, nee Chesapeake and Ohio 904133 built by Fruit Growers Express in 1980.
Vintage Locomotives GP7 782, ex. Amtrak 782, exx. Louisville and Nashville 495, nee Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis 705 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1950.
Pennsylvania Railroad ore hopper 15555 built by the railroad in 1960.
Black River and Western GP9 752, ex. Clarendon and Pittsford 752, exx. Burlington Northern 1879, nee Northern Pacific 256 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1956.
Open air car 475532 constructed from a flat car.
Pennsylvania Railroad Doodlebug 4666 built by J.G. Brill in 1930..
Pullman 6-3 sleeper "Herald Square" built by the company in 1929. It was sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad and rebuilt with an open end and is currently painted New York Ontario and Western, lettered "Chenango" and privately owned.
Black River and Western coach 1009, nee Central Railroad of New Jersey 1009 built by American Car and Foundry in 1923.
Gulf Mobile and Ohio observation car 5, privately-owned.
A line of cabooses on private land behind the observation car.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Ringoes station.
View at Ringoes.
Black River baggage car 420, nee Central of New Jersey 420 built by American Car and Foundry in 1920 and serves and the museum.
Arizona Eastern Railway Doodlebug M55 "Delaware Turtle" built by J.G. Brill in 1930 and restored by Edwards Railway Motor Car Company in 2004.
Another Ringoes view.
The train returned to the Ringoes station for the trip north to Flemington and I relaxed and talked with the crew as we made our way north, then thanked them for the excellent trip aboard the Black River & Western Railroad.
| RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE |