Old track In Central N.J.

[Anonymous]

I live near a old railroad line( now a walkway) in Marlboro NJ. I followed it south to a demolisted bridge in Downtown Freehold. I followed it north to a NJ Transit parking lot in Matawan. What is This old railroad Right-Of-Way (now a Bike trail)? What railroad ran it? A little help for a 13 year old boy doing a report.[?]

[Anonymous]

Most likely this was the Central RR of New Jersey's Freehold Branch.

[Anonymous]

You must be right. but I can't find any old pics or evidents leading back to the CNJRR. Internet and Real life.

[jrbarney]

NTrain269,
You might want to try searching at Maptech's file of historical USGS quadrangle maps:
http://historical.maptech.com/quadlist.cfm?stateabr=NJ
Hope this helps.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[Anonymous]

If you can track down "The Northeast Railroad Scene #6: Jersey Central" by Bob Pennisi, there's some photos in there taken on the Freehold branch.

[ndbprr]

Any chance it isn't CNJ but a branch off the New York and Long Branch subsidiary of the PRR?

[Anonymous]

NOT A CHAnce

[Anonymous]

The Freehold branch did join with the NY&LB at Matawan, but remember that the NY&LB was jointly owned and operated by the PRR and CNJ.

[Anonymous]

I've Just Heard that theyr'e putting back the line for Nj Transit at Marlboro because alot of complant of the drive for Matawan Station(30 min drive).I want this line to be built. Look out for a topic in Trains Magazine forum for this line. Who wants it?

[davekelly]

Jersey Central Line in Color volumes I and II has pics of the area.

Dave
(grew up in Lincroft)

[Anonymous]

Lincroft? My grandparents used to live in Colts Neck near the reservoir. From their house we could occaisionally hear trains on the Earle Navy base railroad.

[davekelly]

bwilcox,

Man, that's right down the street. My mom still lives there, two blocks from the Earle road as it crosses Newman Springs Road. Small world!!

[Anonymous]

I haven't been there in over 20 years (have lived in St. Louis since 1981) but the names sound familiar. I've crossed the Earle road and rr tracks many times and never saw a train....but the few times we heard them, the Navy Baldwin switchers had the loudest horns I've ever heard.

[davekelly]

I haven't lived there since 1982 when I moved to Philadelphia to go to college. The place has really changed!

[Anonymous]

I can imagine. It's disturbing to see the rural areas of NJ be overrun by suburbia.

[Anonymous]

Dam dude i live right by this too and have been dying to know what it once was. Newman springs is right by my high school (Marlboro High School). Anyway yah the railroad runs through newman springs..but i first discovered it of buckley road... See, off buckley road isnt just the railroad. A guy who lves directly infront of the track races dirt bikes and built a dirt bike coarse over the rail line and around it. So when I first discovered it i used his dirt bike trail for my haro bike and hung out on the rail lines. ( theirs a cool green bridge you can chill on right off buckley Rd.) Anyway yah i whent back yesterday since it was nice out with my friends and was talking to the dirt bike guy... They paved the whole entired rail road it looks like and put a bunch of fences up, Its kind of a bummer really cause I loved to go to the place when it was a railroad and more of an old fashion type of mystery.. ANyway I go up their alot to ride my bike on the dirt bike trail...If anyone knows what Im talking about reply... [:D]

[Mark300]

Yeah....according to Map NJ-3 of SPV's Comprehensive RR atlas of North America - Northeast, your line is showing as an abandoned CNJ with a junction in Freehold with the CS&O (PRR) and the NJT/NYLB/CSAO at Matatwan. Interestingly, this line extends through Matawan to an abandoned CNJ line at Keyport. The line at Keyport extends out to the ocean at the Highlands.

Glad to hear they may be rehabbing the line as a RR; sorry however, to hear about the sprawl.

HTH & Happy Railroading.

Mark (A native of NJ!)

[joecool1212]

I live a block from the cnj line through Keyport. Shame it was abandoned in the 80s. The rail road is a good source of revenue for the small shore towns, and good transportation out of town. I moved to keyport in 1986 right before conrail abandoned the seashore branch of the cnj also known as the Natco secondary. No economic significence, the reason always given. Now its a bike path all the way to highlands draw bridge and into sandy hook. Been on the path alot of times and cant help but imagine what it was like to be behind a camelback in the steem days. Just goes to show NJ commitment to mass transit. Anyone who travels to sandy hook in th summer knows how convienent a train to the beach would help traffic. Watched the crews tear up the freehold branch and thaught it would be cool to bike to Freehold from matawan. Kind of stupid to to remove the line to the county seat. Oh well Monmouth county has the same commitment to mass transit as the state. Thats NJ. If the line gets returned to service i will ride it but I cant see that happening for at least 10 years. Not black topped yet so cant bike it yet. Says area closed at all the crossings. Only time well tell. Joe A.