DL&W Through East Orange

I had the opportunity to do a little exploring around the East Orange area and have a few questions about the DL&W through the area. Going west, the railroad comes out of a cut through Roseville in Newark, past the old Grove Street Station, ducks under the Maple Avenue pedestrian overpass, and then seems to go up a slight grade to cross the Garden State Parkway and reach East Orange Station and the fill that takes it over the city of East Orange.

Where the railroad crosses the Garden State Parkway and Oraton Parkway, there remains a short section of stone viaduct over Oraton Parkway Northbound (east of the Garden State Parkway). Above the stone viaduct is a small concrete viaduct that seems to have been installed to give the railroad enough height to reach East Orange Station. The concrete section is about ten feet high and rests on the stone viaduct.

Here is a photo of the location I am referring to

This left me wondering... Were the DL&W tracks through East Orange at one point lower than they are now? I consulted Historic Aerials and the oldest shot available (from 1931) is too blurry to get any type of accurate answer from. If so, when were the tracks raised to the point they are at now? Was it with the construction of the Garden State Parkway in the 1950's?

The stone viaduct only runs for maybe 500 feet (from the above photo, I am standing at the far east end of the stone viaduct, looking west). Was there any reason the DLW put a concrete structure on top of a stone structure instead of just pouring all new concrete for this short section?

Some other photos from the area:

Looking west from the Maple Avenue Pedestrian Overpass

Paralleling I-280. This photo shows the grade that I referred to earlier. East Orange Station is to the left (out of frame), the Maple Avenue Pedestrian Bridge is to the far right of the frame, and Grove Street is to the right (out of frame).

I'd estimate the elevation to be early 20th century, possibly 1921 when the line was elevated between Grove Street and Brick Church. Looks too old for Parkway construction, which began 1954.

This Bing Bird's Eye View shows the short section of stone arches with the concrete arches on top.

Historic Aerials 1954 view (pre-GSP and pre-I-280) shows just the three stone arches with the concrete atop them and Oraton Parkway running beneath them.

Prior to the elevation from Grove Street to Brick Church, did the railroad run at grade through East Orange? Was it electrified at that time?

The M&E mainline was grade level until the 1921 elevation. Electrifcation was in 1930.

A recent shot from East Orange (Brick Church):

NJT 4423 crossing Harrison Street

Note the original ornate light fixture just above the "Keep Right" sign and to the left of the "Brick Church Station" sign. Not too many of them are still around.

Flags, Diamonds & Statues Vol. 9-1 has an article on the DL&W Improvements in East Orange NJ.

It's available at www.anthraciterailroads.org under the FD&S tab.

Flags, Diamonds & Statues Vol. 9-1 has an article on the DL&W Improvements in East Orange NJ.

It's available at http://www.anthraciterailroads.org under the FD&S tab.

Nice shot of the NJT on the overpass, transit383. East Orange has a lot of overhead shot opportunities.

Paterson is the only other station that is built on an elevated viaduct similar to Brick Church or East Orange. It was built by the Erie in 1930 during grade elimination.

transit383, check out this Google Books link.

City Plan for East Orange - Lackawanna Grade Elimination
http://books.google.com/books?id=aCCtAA ... on&f=false

R36 -

Paterson is the only other station that is built on an elevated viaduct similar to Brick Church or East Orange. It was built by the Erie in 1930 during grade elimination.

Add South Orange station.

Tri-State Tom wrote:R36 -

Paterson is the only other station that is built on an elevated viaduct similar to Brick Church or East Orange. It was built by the Erie in 1930 during grade elimination.

Add South Orange station.

Yes. The empty space wasn't always filled in by shops.

In addition, the elevated viaducts at Paterson and Brick Church are similar to many stations on the LIRR's Babylon (South Shore) Branch which were elevated between 1950 and 1980.

The best way to answer the original poster's question is this.

William Truesdale had finally finished the depression project at Roseville Avenue in 1905. Truesdale approached the Oranges for track elevation. Although South Orange and Orange were open arms to the project, East Orange brought the DL&W trouble for construction. Originally, Oraton Parkway was crossed on a stone arch bridge, the one seen today. In 1921, the courts forced East Orange to accept the elevated construction, and to accommodate for this, 1921, the DL&W added a new layer of tracks at a higher altitude (since the top of the bridge had to be heightened) on the Oraton Parkway bridge.

I hope this answers your question