Ft. Dix

What branch served the Ft. Dix. NJ area? and is it still active?

The Pemberton Branch served Fort Dix. It is currently active from Pennsauken (Hatch interlocking) through Moorestown to Mount Holly.
The branch is locally referred to as the "Back Road". It usually operates MWF.

http://www.transitspot.com/gallery/Rail ... 04_08_18_1

Bob

Thank you! When was the section that served the post abandoned? I remember when I was there in July of 68, the Army had a switcher and was quite active. Two years later after my tour in Vietnam, I was there again going to Germany. The amount of freight traffic to the post seemed to drop off. Then a year later in 1971 while getting seperated from AD, traffic was way down.

I do remember marching across that line ,back in 1965, while undergoing basic training. I seem to recall once seeing a Pennsy Baldwin switcher pass by. Oh yes, the "good old days".

I am not sure on this but as late as 1975 PC was still running trains that went East beyond the Mt. Holly station which is where the line ends today. I don't know how far east beyond Mt. Holly the line went so it may not have reached Ft. Dix. Soldiers used to go to and from Philadelphia on the train but I know that by 1968 they were being transported in busses.

The only time there was public passenger service was during WW I, to Camp Dix. Troop trains served Fort Dix until after WW II, but I went from the induction center in Newark to Fort Dix by bus in 1961.

It wasc not a regualarily scheduled transit system bus they used at that time. When soldiers wanted to go into Philly the base used chartered buses but they were used precisely because there was no longer any passenger rail service for the troops. By the way Ft. Dix was a very busy place in 1968- Tet Offensive aftermath.

Howiew wrote:What branch served the Ft. Dix. NJ area? and is it still active?

The Union Transportation Co., part of the PRR "family," served Fort Dix. The UT interchanged with the PRR at Pemberton where it met PRR's Pennsauken (Camden) to Pemberton Branch (which itself was originally the Philadelphia and Long Branch Railroad across the state through Toms River and Seaside, and north to Long Branch on the NJCL). This line is now cut back to Camden-Mount Holly. More at Jerry Britton's web site: http://kc.pennsyrr.com/guide/pemberton.html

According to this web site, the last movement on the UT was in 1977.

The closest railroad to Fort Dix today is the ex-CNJ ConRail Shared Assets Southern Secondary at Lakehurst.

Thank you all for your replies. When I got inducted in 1968, it was plane from Buffalo to Newark, then chartered bus to Ft. Dix. Scheduled bus service to Ft. Dix was run by Public Service Coordinated Transport which is now NJ Transit.
At the reception station there ,we had to go down to where the Army kept it's switcher for some testing. While in formation, used to watch it work the warehouse area.

I believe the UT line to Hightstown was ripped up between Hightstown and Imalystown in 1950. The construction on the NJTPK severed the line. I-195 crosses the line right where it used to end in Imalystown.

I think Conrail then came through in 1983 and tore out more of the line between Imalystown and Mount Holly. Such towns as New Egypt, Fort Dix, and Pemberton lost the line at that time. As stated above, end-of-track is in front of the restored Mount Holly station, and trains often run right to the very end of the rails. In doing so, they block the Madison Avenue crossing for periods of time. Here's a great shot of a Conrail local blocking Madison Avenue. The train station is behind the photographer.

This is a great website to view picture of the current line to Mount Holly, now called the CSAO Pemberton Industrial Track. http://www.sjrail.com/

The Pemberton train station was also restored, and looks stunning. Click here...http://www.ronsaari.com/stockImages/new ... tation.php