Kback 9
To answer your questions I’ll refer to information received from Bob Hoeft a former CNJ employee who worked the Freehold Branch from the 50’s on.
1. The typical passenger train was 5 cars (1 combination and 4 coaches) on the weekday trains #4902 and #4927 between Freehold and Jersey City. The Saturday trains #4950 and #4957 between Freehold and Matawan consisted of 2 cars (1 combination and 1 coach). All passenger trains were steam hauled (usually a T-38 camelback) till the end of passenger service in April 1953.
2. The “typical” freight train was more varied and depended on what was dropped off by the nightly Jersey City Bay Head road freight JQ-3. Originally the local freight to Freehold was designated QV-1 (later QVX) and ran to Freehold on M/W/F. On T/TH/Sat it ran down the Sea Shore Branch. Diesel motive power initially was a H-15-44 and in later years a RS-3. Shippers on the branch past the Matawan yard limits are as follows. In Freneau there was Matawan Lumber which received wood products in boxcars from the Pacific Northwest. In Morganville there was Champion Oil, Faye Sales, and Becker’s Coal trestle (question #3). Champion Oil repackaged oil for resale so they received oil in tank cars and shipped out in boxcars. Faye Sales received lumber products in boxcars. Becker’s received bituminous coal in B&O three bay hoppers to heat their greenhouses. They also received anthracite in CNJ two bay hoppers for resale to local industries and houses. In Marlboro there was the State Hospital and Dugan’s. The State Hospital north of Marlboro received about 200 cars a year of Bit coal in B&O three bays until they changed over to gas. Dugan’s received Bit coal for there coal trestle on the east side of the main and feed and grain on the west side for their distribution facility next to the station which by the way still stands. Freehold had numerous industries. While physically the largest, the A&M Karagheusian mostly received coal for their boiler. Very little shipped out of the mill. The largest shippers in Freehold were the two feed houses Holland & McChesney and S.R. Mills. Both received feed and grain in boxcars from the Midwest and occasionally BAR reefers loaded with potato plate seedlings from Maine. Other shippers in Freehold include Bayonne Steel, Allied Transit Mix, and Freehold Lumber. All of which were served from the team tracks across from the station. Bayonne Steel received (ironically) mostly plywood in boxcars. Allied Transit received cement from the Portland Pa area in covered hoppers. Freehold Lumber received wood products from the northwest via boxcars. There was also a coal yard next to the freight station. I don’t know the name of it though and it was my understanding it didn’t do much business. The only other “regular” business was LCL. This was handled in CNJ boxcars loaded in E’Port for dropoff along the line were needed. Trains were typically 8-12 cars long.
Hope this helps.
Scott Speed
To answer your questions I’ll refer to information received from Bob Hoeft a former CNJ employee who worked the Freehold Branch from the 50’s on.
1. The typical passenger train was 5 cars (1 combination and 4 coaches) on the weekday trains #4902 and #4927 between Freehold and Jersey City. The Saturday trains #4950 and #4957 between Freehold and Matawan consisted of 2 cars (1 combination and 1 coach). All passenger trains were steam hauled (usually a T-38 camelback) till the end of passenger service in April 1953.
2. The “typical” freight train was more varied and depended on what was dropped off by the nightly Jersey City Bay Head road freight JQ-3. Originally the local freight to Freehold was designated QV-1 (later QVX) and ran to Freehold on M/W/F. On T/TH/Sat it ran down the Sea Shore Branch. Diesel motive power initially was a H-15-44 and in later years a RS-3. Shippers on the branch past the Matawan yard limits are as follows. In Freneau there was Matawan Lumber which received wood products in boxcars from the Pacific Northwest. In Morganville there was Champion Oil, Faye Sales, and Becker’s Coal trestle (question #3). Champion Oil repackaged oil for resale so they received oil in tank cars and shipped out in boxcars. Faye Sales received lumber products in boxcars. Becker’s received bituminous coal in B&O three bay hoppers to heat their greenhouses. They also received anthracite in CNJ two bay hoppers for resale to local industries and houses. In Marlboro there was the State Hospital and Dugan’s. The State Hospital north of Marlboro received about 200 cars a year of Bit coal in B&O three bays until they changed over to gas. Dugan’s received Bit coal for there coal trestle on the east side of the main and feed and grain on the west side for their distribution facility next to the station which by the way still stands. Freehold had numerous industries. While physically the largest, the A&M Karagheusian mostly received coal for their boiler. Very little shipped out of the mill. The largest shippers in Freehold were the two feed houses Holland & McChesney and S.R. Mills. Both received feed and grain in boxcars from the Midwest and occasionally BAR reefers loaded with potato plate seedlings from Maine. Other shippers in Freehold include Bayonne Steel, Allied Transit Mix, and Freehold Lumber. All of which were served from the team tracks across from the station. Bayonne Steel received (ironically) mostly plywood in boxcars. Allied Transit received cement from the Portland Pa area in covered hoppers. Freehold Lumber received wood products from the northwest via boxcars. There was also a coal yard next to the freight station. I don’t know the name of it though and it was my understanding it didn’t do much business. The only other “regular” business was LCL. This was handled in CNJ boxcars loaded in E’Port for dropoff along the line were needed. Trains were typically 8-12 cars long.
Hope this helps.
Scott Speed
