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Rahway River Branch

Winter time on the Rahway River Branch. Here we look east towards N. 19th Street. 2/21/1978. Photo taken by Bob Pennisi. #14 eases off the Can Branch onto the mainline as the Brakeman Harry Williamson thumbs his nose at us. Collection of Patty Clark Gilbride. Rahway River Branch (a.k.a. Can Branch, Monsanto Branch) Switch Connection: Mainline MP 0.00 Grade Crossing: N. Michigan Ave. MP 0.09 Station: Warren Street MP ? Grade Crossing: N. 22nd Street MP 0.20 Grade Crossing: N. 21st Street MP 0.25 Grade Crossing: N. 20th Street (stop) MP 0.30 Grade Crossing: N. 19th Street MP 0.35 Grade Crossing: N. 18th Street MP 0.40 Grade Crossing: N. 17th Street MP 0.45 Grade Crossing: N. 16th Street MP 0.50 Grade Crossing: N. 14th Street MP 0.60 Grade Crossing: Monroe Ave. MP 0.70 Grade Crossing: N. 12th Street MP 0.77 Grade Crossing: N. 10th Street MP 0.86 Grade Crossing: N. 8th Street MP 0.96 Rahway River Branch, End of Track MP 1.042 #16 switching Monsanto Corp., looking from N. 8th Street. RAHWAY RIVER BRANCH The Rahway River Branch was a short one mile spur line that ran through the middle of Kenilworth. Although it was officially known as the "Rahway River Branch" in official reports, throughout the years it was referred to as the Can Branch, the Laundry Branch, the Kenilworth Branch, and later as the Monsanto Branch, most referring to names of the customers served on the spur line, the American Can Company and later the Monsanto Corporation. The Rahway River Branch, originally called the "Rahway River Extension," was constructed by the New York & New Orange Railroad in 1900. The purpose for its construction was to serve the Palmer Leather Company's tannery located in the middle of Kenilworth. Within the plans for the branch's original construction were two passenger depots to be located at N. 20th Street and Monroe Street. Only one of these depots, which was more than likely a simple platform shelter, were ever constructed. Early passenger schedules list N. 20th Street as a stop for most trains. After the Rahway Valley Railroad assumed the operations of the New Orange Four Junction Railroad via a corporate consolidation on March 1, 1905, the RV opted to move the N. 20th Street stop eastward. The new location, near the junction of the branch and the mainline, was named Warren Street Station. Interestingly, there seems to never of been an actual "Warren Street" in Kenilworth although the street appears on the original plans for the town of New Orange. Warren Street Station burned down on September 13, 1914. An interesting part of the Rahway River Branch was an S-curve which formed two perfect 90 degree curves. This curve would prove troublesome in later years as rail cars became ever larger. Walter Boright tells us more, "There were numbers of instances in which the train jumped the tracks while it was navigating the S-bend between North 12th and North 14th streets near Halsey Street. A railroad crane would be brought in and the locomotive or the train car would be placed back upon the rails. In February 1973 the Chronicle reported that the mayor and council asked the Transportation Department to investigate the mishaps. They stated, '...there have been three recent derailments and residents in the areas have expressed concerns for the safety of their homes and children.' A borough official commented, 'Some are waiting for the train to come into their kitchens.' By and large the RVRR had an enviable safety record as far as railroads go. James Rego, a lifelong downtown resident, grew up near the S-bend. He said this year, 'There were a number of mishaps. The train crept along very slowly. I still can hear its horn blaring as it approached that S-bend with its big steel wheels screeching and squealing as it negotiated the curves. That’s where it jumped the tracks every so often.’” For being only a mile long, the branch line had a great deal of grade crossings, sixteen in total, due to the fact that it ran straight through the middle of a very residential Kenilworth. Corinne Clark, remembers the headaches these crossings used to cause for her father George Davis, "All those crossings on the way to Monsanto were a nightmare. My father was constantly fixing them. Almost every time it rained they would wash out and the train would derail or come close to it." After Monsanto Corporation closed down in 1990, so was the branch line. Delaware Otsego abandoned the old "Can Branch," had the tracks torn up, and the land sold. Several homes have been built on the former right-of-way. See Also: News of New Orange. Cranford Citizen, 1900. Grade Crossing Street Name Wm. Wyer & Co. August 1944 Report on the Rahway Valley Railroad Photographs N. Michigan Ave. Michigan Ave., one track (main), macadam crossing, concrete road, vehicular heavy, 2 P.U. signs. Bound for Monsanto, #17 trundles across N. Michigan Ave. along the old Can Branch. Looking southward. 2/4/1972.  Photo taken by Frank Reilly . #17 crossing N. Michigan Ave. with cars bound for Monsanto. Location determined by Greg Kolodeny. Looking eastward towards the connection with the mainline, with N. Michigan Ave. in the foreground. Photo taken by Jeff Jargosch. N. 22nd Street Crossing not extant at time of report   N. 21st Street 21st Street, one track (main), plank crossing, macadam road, vehicular light, 1 P.U. sign.   N. 20th Street 20th Street, one track (main), dirt crossing, dirt road, vehicular light, no protection.   N. 19th Street 19th Street, one track (main), dirt crossing, dirt road, vehicular light, no protection. Here we look east along the Rahway River Branch, N. 19th St. can be seen in the distance. This photo was taken in the same location as the first on this page. Photo taken by Jeff Jargosch. N. 18th Street Crossing not extant at time of report N. 17th Street 17th Street, one track (main), plank crossing, macadam road, vehicular medium, 1 P.U. sign. N. 16th Street 16th Street, one track (main), plank crossing, dirt road, vehicular light, no protection. N. 14th Street Crossing not extant at time of report Looking northwards on N. 14th Street we see #16 backing across the grade crossing. Photo taken by Jon Franz. Flagging the N. 14th Street crossing on the Rahway River Branch. 11/1985. #16 trundles through the heart of Kenilworth, as seen from the N. 14th St. grade crossing. The houses in the background are on the corner of N. 13th and Halsey Streets. March 28, 1986. Photo taken by Jon Franz. Monroe Ave. Monroe Street, one track (main), plank crossing, concrete road, vehicular heavy, 1 P.U. sign. #17 is about to cross Monroe Ave. Looking northwest from Monroe Ave. 1970. Photo taken by Tom Piccirillo. #16 on the S-curve between N. 14th St. and Monroe Ave. March 28, 1986. Collection of Don Maxton. Looking south at the S-curve, Monroe Ave. in the foreground. Photo taken by Jeff Jargosch. Looking south at the S-curve, Monroe Ave. in the foreground. 1990. Photo taken by Peter Thornton, courtesy Don Maxton. N. 12th Street 12th Street, one track (main), plank crossing, asphalt/macadam road, vehicular heavy, 1 P.U. sign. #17 crossing N. 12th St. in Kenilworth. 8/23/1977. Looking westward towards National Tool and their siding, N. 12th St. in the foreground. Photo taken by Jeff Jargosch. National Tool and the N. 12th St. grade crossing after the rails were pulled up, but the rails are still in the roadway. 3/1991. Photo taken by Jeff Jargosch. N. 10th Street 10th Street, one track (main), plank crossing, dirt road, vehicular light, no protection. Looking westward with N. 10th Street in the foreground. Photo taken by Jeff Jargosch. N. 8th Street 8th Street, two tracks (main & side), macadam crossing, asphalt/macadam road, vehicular heavy, 1 P.U. sign. Looking east at #17 crossing N. 8th Street. Westfield Sheet Metal can be seen in the background. Photo taken by Tom Piccirillo. Looking into the Monsanto plant from N. 8th St. Photo taken by Jeff Jargosch. Looking into the Monsanto plant from N. 8th St. 1990. Photo taken by Peter Thornton, courtesy of Don Maxton. #16 is seen here switching the Monsanto plant.

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