Centre St Branch

Did the old Centre St. Branch connect to the NEC under the CNJ bridge in Newark? There is clearly a ramp to the NEC there, and I recall an old branch line running along Rt 21 in the late 80s.

I think the ramp near the CNJ was part of the shoo-fly when the "new" Penn Station was constructed in the 1930s.

The Triumph book has an extensive section on the building of railroads in downtown Newark. I'll see what it says about the Center Street branch. it would seem logical that the branch would connect with the line up from Elizabeth in that area.

There used to be a building with a coal fired boiler next to Penn Station on the west side at Edison Place. The 'ramp' was used for delivering coal hoppers. I suspect that the plant was a central heating plant for the station but an not certain. There was no CNJ connection.

Ken, I wasn't referring to a connection to the CNJ. I was referring to the old PRR connection near the PAC, which had a siding running along Rt 21.

That makes more sense actually. Perhaps the ramp was used for that at one time, but regular service would have been via the former bridge over the Passic. I recall seeing the coal hoppers, maybe in the '70's or so.

JLo wrote:Ken, I wasn't referring to a connection to the CNJ. I was referring to the old PRR connection near the PAC, which had a siding running along Rt 21.

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That "siding" was part of the connection between the Morris & Essex and the predecessors of Pennsy back in the 1850s and 1860s, I believe. Later, the M&E / DL&W built its own connection to Hoboken and ended the practice.

The two level bridge opposite Saybrook Place / Park Place / PAC was part of the H&M (upper deck) and PRR Center Street branch (lower deck), which turned south and ran down toward the area of what's now Penn Station. It may have connected with Pennsy, I don't know if it ever connected with CNJ, but the Pennsy and CNJ were bitter rivals

I didn't get a chance to look at Triumph last night and see what they've mapped in the area.

The old NJRR crossed the Passaic at Centre St. and then curved SE along the W side of the River turning SSW onto what is now basically the NEC. As late as 1853, the M&E also used the Centre St bridge going East. Later, the PRR build the bridge at Dock and the centre street branch remained as a secondary, connecting to the main just about where Commerce St/Raymond Blvd are now. By 1872 there was a bridge at Dock and the M&E had their own. When PRR elevated the line through Newark and built new Penn Stn., the Centre St. spur still existed, sans connection to the NEC, and ended at the power plant at City Dock.

http://www.oldnewark.com/imagepages/maps/1853nwk.htm
http://www.oldnewark.com/imagepages/ima ... 904/05.jpg

CarterB, thanks.

In addition to serving the coal fired station heating plant a parallel track crossed the road into a express building. The structure survives in a much altered conditon as a office building. If I recall properly the spur was wired and the catenary ended at this building.