Curious Area on Summit/Chatham Line - Morris County Traction

Today I happened to pass the now abandoned Lincoln Dealership on River Road near the intersection of Chatham Road in Summit. What seemed curious to me is that most of the empty parking lot is either hot top or concrete, but the entry road that goes back to the service department and body shop is cobble stone.

The area was just begging to be explored so I walked back there and discovered that the Morris County Traction Company bridge piers are still in the Passaic River and that part of the ROW is still visable adjacent to the cobble stone driveway. Also, there evidence of a large circular pit in the cobble stones out back (but it has been filled in) that might have been a turn table, except there's no evidence of tracks in the area.

Anyone know about this area?

That was the Traction Company car house, and you saw the abutments for the bridge to Chatham. The line had its own private right of way west into Chatham, where it rejoined Main Street.

When I was a kid, I remember going to the car house to buy my school tickets for the #70 bus. The rails were quite visible inside the house, embedded in the floor, although the trolleys had been gone for 30+ years by then. Tickets were seven cents.

I don't recall a turntable, although it's likely the house would have had one to turn the service vehicles, etc.

And if you follow the railroad west from Madison, you can see the traction row on the westbound side into Morristown (including the Morris Avenue traction station and stairs). Then, from Morris Plains, on the east bound side follow the traction line (including the side of the road row to Graystone Pk. later used by the DL&W to deliver coal to the hospital) until the cut nearing Route 10 overpass where it crossed over to the westbound side once again and follows into Mt. Tabor. Can't follow on the row because of private properties, bridges out, etc.

Lackawanna484 - thanks for the information. Like I said, you da man.

I just found Larry Lowenthal's MCTC book and sure enough, the map shows the car barn right on the Summit side of the river. However, his map shows the building on the wrong side of the ROW if my assumption that the auto body shop was the car barn is correct.

If anyone else is interested in taking a peek behind the old Lincoln Dealer on River Road, do it soon. My guess is that the whole place is going to be leveled/excavated in the very near future.

Henry6, where on Morris Ave is this? You don't men where Normandy Parkway goes over the M&E, do you?
I thought the MCT ran behind the apartments accross from Washington's HQ.

CF

"And if you follow the railroad west from Madison, you can see the traction row on the westbound side into Morristown (including the Morris Avenue traction station and stairs)."

You can see it from the train, it is on the walk-bike path that follows the railroad up from Convent and is right under the, I believe, Morris Ave. bridge. In fact the path goes right by it or on it. Haven't been there in years myself.

henry6,

You mean the Normandy Parkway bridge in Morris Township.

AFAIK, the MCT didn't intersect with Morris Avenue until you get to Morristown itself. The track were actually in Morris Ave near the current day Morristown train station. Stayed in the roadway up to and around the Green in Morristown.

Chris

Yes. Normandy Pkwy. I had to check with mapquest to be sure. Normandy Pkwy. was not what it was *&&(*)*& years ago when I was growing up down there!!