Trains in Brigantine

Seven Bridges Road was never associated with a railroad, proposed or otherwise.

I know this is an older thread, but I have some added info about this subject.

I checked where the junction was into the Reading line, and it looks like the newer section of the Blue Heron golf course destroyed most of it. I found ballast roughly in the shape of a skinny wye, but the Brigantine branch portion looked erased to Genoa ave. It almost looked like the golf course put in a paved path right on top of the ROW. I did find that small piece of light rail that was mentioned earlier, it was back in the woods near some older looking trash (maybe early 1900's juding by the seams in the broken bottles) That piece of rail is really rusty, maybe 4 feet long, and probably 80lb. rail. I checked and saw no dates or stamps of any kind on it.

There is what looks like a tower foundation for the PRR AC line crossing. I've seen it from the NJT train window slowing down for the siding, but I have yet to hike into the woods there to see for sure.

I kayaked out to where the trestle crossed over Grassy Bay behind Brigantine. (Following from west to east)There are the remains of a bridge abutment like structure for what used to hold back fill or ballast, the piles then continue for about 40 or 60 feet into the water, then stop for about 20 feet. They continue again for another 40 or 60 feet and then end right before the channel marker for what might be the intracoastal waterway. (sorry, I forget the marker number). I was very shallow there, maybe 2 feet tops and 3 inches min at a little above low tide (incase you want to check it out with a boat.)

The trestle dissappears all the way across grassy bay with the piles completley removed. The ROW continued across the nose of a marsh with no trace of anything left there, then went across a small portion of a bay and then the piles came back for about 30 feet before going onto a very small triangular shaped island. On the other side of that little island the piles continued to run right up the edge of a small creek. They appear on the bing.com birdseye view, but they are actually cut right at the very low tide level, and are only about 1 foot above the mud.

The ROW continues across the last meadow before the water crossing just behind Brigantine with slight traces of the road bed here and there. The funny thing is, there is absolutely no ballast at all in this section. The roadbed appears to be made solely with loose sand and gravel. No wonder it washed out so bad in that storm in 1903.

I'll be putting up pics on my Flickr in a week or so if and will try to link them to here if anyone is interested.

Nice exploration. I look forward to seeing your pictures. Post the link when you are ready.

GSC wrote:I recall coming across something that said the Reading wanted to operate coal trains from Pennsylvania (to a carfloat) and then across NJ to Brigantine to a barge facility to transport Reading coal to New York City and New England. Anyone else hear of this theory?

Does the word Brigantine automatically turn bold and yellow? We'll see when I post this...

There was a plan to operate car floats from Delaware across the top of Delaware Bay to Bayside just west of Greenwich in Cumberland County that would have connected with the CNJ Southern Division. I don't think it ever went into operation but here are still (or was) some remnents of the engine house and the ferry slips at Bayside. I don't know the whys or wherefores of the plan and it don't make much sense the B&O,RDG,CNJ route from the south through Philly then on the Bound Brook seems easier.

Thanks for keeping this post alive and looking forward to pictures.

Ok, not a problem. I should be able to have them up by the weekend. I also have pics of the Bayside carfloat docks, but should that be in it's own thread, or is here ok?

On the same trip I made out to Brigantine I also ventured out to the old ACRR (Reading) Sea Isle City branch that came in through Corson's Inlet. I could post that as well, but I'd probably post that in it's own thread, unless one's already been started for that branch and I haven't found it yet.

Please post here as many of us have subscribed to this thread. So, whenever someone posts here, we're notified.

Thanks again!

Here are the shots I took from the other day.


Standing Tall for All These Years by Owls Flight Photography, on Flickr
Piles as they head east into Grassy Bay.

There is nothing left across the middle of Grassy Bay, until the ROW hits a small triangle shaped island before a small channel.

Up Close by Owls Flight Photography, on Flickr


Brigantine Inner Channel Trestle by Owls Flight Photography, on Flickr
Other side of triangle shaped island there are 4 piles remaining in the water until the ROW hits shallow mud in a small creek.


Cut Below Low Tide Level by Owls Flight Photography, on Flickr
Piles in the mud in the creek.


ROW Towards Brigantine by Owls Flight Photography, on Flickr
The ROW across the meadows. No wonder this was damaged so bad in that storm in 1903, it was only gravel. No cinder or ballast at all, or at least that I saw after looking around for a while.

I had to get to this before the freeze!

Thanks for sharing.

Are you going to be exploring the way back to the main?

Kevinhooa wrote:I know this is an older thread, but I have some added info about this subject.

I checked where the junction was into the Reading line, and it looks like the newer section of the Blue Heron golf course destroyed most of it. I found ballast roughly in the shape of a skinny wye, but the Brigantine branch portion looked erased to Genoa ave. It almost looked like the golf course put in a paved path right on top of the ROW. I did find that small piece of light rail that was mentioned earlier, it was back in the woods near some older looking trash (maybe early 1900's juding by the seams in the broken bottles) That piece of rail is really rusty, maybe 4 feet long, and probably 80lb. rail. I checked and saw no dates or stamps of any kind on it.

There is what looks like a tower foundation for the PRR AC line crossing. I've seen it from the NJT train window slowing down for the siding, but I have yet to hike into the woods there to see for sure.

For some fun go to http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/, and enter "Pomona, NJ" under the Geocode box on top right. THen toggle back and forth between "1930" and the modern satellite photo and maps to see exactly what used to be where. You are right about the golf course being in the junction location. Regarding the tower on the PRR at the crossing, from the 1930 map it looks like there might be something on the north side of the PRR about 500 feet west of the crossing. JS