Abandoned DL&W bridge in Rockaway to be demolished

I got this notice of a pre-construction meeting for the demolition of the Route 46 bridge over the abandoned DL&W line that had originally gone through Rockaway Borough. The bridge is located just east of East Main Street.

Chris



NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

MEMORANDUM

TO: Applicable FROM: Carl Kneidinger
Department Regional Construction Engr.
Personnel Region North, Mt. Arlington

SUBJECT: PRE-CONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE DATE: April 6, 2005
PHONE: (973) 770-5025

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Demo. 2004 46 (48)
Over Abandoned DL&W Railroad, from Route 46,
Main Street Intersection to Cisco Road.


FED. PROJECT NO/AGREE NO.: STP-7802 (149)
DP / CE NUMBER: 04131 / 1410541


CONTRACTOR: Smith Sondy Asphalt Construction Co. SUB/COMPLETION DATES: /


A Pre-Construction Conference will be held on the above captioned project on Thursday, April 21, 2005 at 10:00 A.M. at the Regional Construction office (Conference Room 1A), located at 200 Stierli Court, Mt. Arlington, NJ 07856-1322.

Correct location would be RT 46 and Rockawy's Main St. Say near the Bird Factory to old timers and they know exactly where you mean. Or right there by Poust"s. I have ridden through that "tunnel" by train and bike and by foot several times. What surprises me is that while the railroad was abandoned and dismantled back in 1948 that this structure is still around and that the roadbed is still visible across the Catty Hole on Den Brook off Indian Lake Rd.

And the other interesting fact is that the Route 46 bridge/tunnel was only put in around 1939 or 40........... I believe the railroad crossed at grade before that......

Steve

Henry,

How old were u when u rode the line??? Do you have interesting stories to tell?? The line was abandoned about 30 years before I was born.....

Thanks,
Steve

I was born in '43 and moved to Denville in '46. I do have a very vivid memory of the times for some stupid reason. I rememeber riding the line once or twice. Living at Indian Lake meant crossing the track to get home. Two most interesting stories possibly:

There was a train, can't remember eastbound or west, about hte time school was let out nearby, say 2:30pm. One neighbor lady was so concerned about the school kids...remember 4 and 5 year olds walked to and from school without sex offenders and other boogiemen to interfere with life. This lady, a grandmotherly type by all means, was so upset over the unguarded crossing and the kids coming home from school, she once stopped the train!

The other memory was a rainey day in 1948 or 49, whichever year was when the tracks were lifted. Due to the rain and since my mother was home and with a car, she was thoughtful enough to come down to the school to retreive me in the 1938 Ford. She also was obliged to retrieve the rest of the neighborhood, another half dozen or so kids. As we approached the Indian Lake grade crossing we were stopped while the work train picked up the rails on the crossing. It was an awsome sight for this 5 or 6 six year old. But one of the girls in the car was so upset she was crying because they were taking the train away. I still do.

In later years the bridges at the Catty Hole and dam in the pond were lifted, but the roadbeds all around that area remained...it was the original wye for the Boonton Branch, and we often walked and biked them. In our high school years especially we often would walk or bike the roadbed from the west side into Rockaway; we e
"entred the property" off Merrie Trail which had a path from the road to the railroad to the old Jackson Lumber Company field...er, where Wendy''s is now. On several occasions my friend Bob would pracatice cross country by running the roadbed all the way to East Dover and then back to Indian Lake via the old track 3 path.

Railfan/historian Gary Kazin gives incredible tours of the area. Most interesting spot to me was the triple crossing at Rockaway: Morris Canal, Route 513, and the trolley line. I think the cross street is Nichols Drive.

I believe that's correct.

There's a picture of the crossing in the Morris County Traction book by Greenberg.