Booton Line Drawbridge over the Hackensack River

This afternoon while kayaking on the Hackensack River we stopped at the access road near the Boonton Line drawbridge (DB) and then explored the bridge and the two shacks. We also kayaked directly under the western span of the bridge. It was interesting to actually walk around the area and imagine what it was like in its heyday, however, the bridge steel ibeams are in terrible shap and I am surprised that the bridge was condemed years ago. In some spots the corrosion was so bad I could have put my arm through the ibeam.

One of the shacks (the newer one) had the windows broken out and I managed to salvage the bridge operators copy of a January 2002 train schedule. I wan't paying attention back then, is that when the bridge/line went out of service?

The swing bridge also looked in pretty rough shape. Mid span was what appeared to be an NJT generator; my guess is that the bridge tender had to hike out for each ship that passed by and start the generator to rotate the bridge. Is that correct?

Then we were were finished with our kayak adventure we drove around to the east side of the bridge and explored up to the new train station (Secaucus Transfer) . You could clearly see that there were two tracks on the Booton Line in operation that were reduced for a single track to cross the bridge. However, it was also clear that the bridge was dual tracked at one time.

Let me know if you want information on how to get to the kayak/canoe launch area over there. This was definately a neat trip!

Just a word of warning, while it sounds like a great trip, the line has not yet been abandoned, so you were tresspassing at various points. Be careful.

JLo, I saw some of your accidental pictures on the web yesterday; very nice! Maybe that was a different Jlo web site....

Thanks for the information on the trespassing issue. Although I didn't see any signs stating "no trespassing", I suspected that was the case. However, I have to say that the site had been trespassed severely already. The bridge tenders shack was totally vandalized - all of the windows had been smashed out, the desk ransacked and papers, documents, and manuals strewn all over the place. The older shack had been vandalized as well.

It must have been pretty lonely working out there all night long - that place is the boondocks for sure! If this line has not been abandoned, is that to say that the line might be re-activated?

One of the shacks (the newer one) had the windows broken out and I managed to salvage the bridge operators copy of a January 2002 train schedule. I wan't paying attention back then, is that when the bridge/line went out of service?

The bridge was "abandoned" (left open) on October 15, 2002.

There have been many talks about differant types of re-activation on the boonton line, but nobody wants to repair those bridges.

Also, nobody every heard anything else about the kearny hearings about the drop of NJT service.

To me, the DB Drawbridge is now nothing but a great photographic subject when the sun sets in the west. It's probally never going to be used again, because if service is ever reactivated, that bridge will most definatly have to be replaced.

I recently had a dream about this location........I was on one of JimmyWilson new NY&GL trains from Benson Street to Hoboken and just as our train(with heavy U-34CH) passed over DB, the pilings below us gave way, the bridge collapsed and the whole trainset sunk to the bottom of the River......I grabbed onto Jimmy Wilsons arm and we swam to shore.........Ahh the muck was horrible!!

Steve

njt4172 wrote:I recently had a dream about this location........I was on one of JimmyWilson new NY&GL trains from Benson Street to Hoboken and just as our train(with heavy U-34CH) passed over DB, the pilings below us gave way, the bridge collapsed and the whole trainset sunk to the bottom of the River......I grabbed onto Jimmy Wilsons arm and we swam to shore.........Ahh the muck was horrible!!

Steve

Haha! Funny. I know, I too would like to see Jimmy pull it off- but don't think it is going to happen. Well, RIP abandoned portion of the Boonton Line.

njt4172 wrote: our train(with heavy U-34CH) passed over DB, the pilings below us gave way, the bridge collapsed and the whole trainset sunk to the bottom of the River

Steve

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Forget scrapping the U34? Sink it instead?

Forget scrapping the U34? Sink it instead?

Then it'll be an artificial reef like the NYC Subway IRT Redbirds.

DB is in rough shape but it was able to safely carry the loads at the time of it's closure. I forget if it had speed restrictions to keep the impact load down. One half of the bridge was not used for years as there was a fire on the bridge and it caused a lot of damage to one side. The U34's put less stress on bridges than the Geeps and F40's because of the long wheel base and the third set of axles even though they were heavier.

There is no such thing as "abandoned" with NJT. It's "currently not in service". Besides DB isn't NJT's bridge anyway.

JLo, I saw some of your accidental pictures on the web yesterday; very nice! Maybe that was a different Jlo web site....

Definitely not me. Frankly, I am afraid to look just in case some psycho is using my identity!!

JLo, you can relax it was Jennifer Lopez the latin entertainer with an exceptionally short skirt in which she was accidentally photographed.. I was pretty sure she wasn't into railroads in New Jersey.

Look, my butt may be a little large these days, but not THAT big!

To get a little back on topic, heres some of my favorite photos of the abandoned boonton line, not only pretaining to the DB Drawbridge...

1. http://www.deviantart.com/view/10329800/ (The track bed in the meadows between Arlington Station and DB Drawbridge. Purposly Aged in Photoshop.)
2. http://www.deviantart.com/view/8421517/ (DB During a beautiful sunset.)
3. http://www.deviantart.com/view/8421458/ (Another DB sunset photo.)
4. http://www.deviantart.com/view/8356884/ (Panoramic 360* shot of DB from the Laural Hill side - May take a time to load dependong on connection.)
5. http://www.deviantart.com/view/8310866/ (Panoramic 360* shot of WR from the Kearny Side - May take some time to load.)
6. http://www.deviantart.com/view/6829579/ (Old beat up grade crossing at the beginning of the Caldwell Branch)
7. http://www.deviantart.com/view/6502308/ (Old beat up grade crossing at Alrington Station)
8. http://www.deviantart.com/view/6501949/ (NYGL Sign at Arlington Station informing passengers about potential NYGL Commuter Service.)
9. http://www.deviantart.com/view/6501550/ (Looking into the Kearny Cut at the now single tracked route.)
10. http://www.deviantart.com/view/2105518/ (Probally the last time these signals where activated when crews had equiptment on the rails to tear up the east bound track.)

I have more, but these are my favorites. They cover roughly 3 miles of the line.

Coments welcome!

Olton Hall wrote:DB is in rough shape but it was able to safely carry the loads at the time of it's closure. I forget if it had speed restrictions to keep the impact load down. One half of the bridge was not used for years as there was a fire on the bridge and it caused a lot of damage to one side. The U34's put less stress on bridges than the Geeps and F40's because of the long wheel base and the third set of axles even though they were heavier.

There is no such thing as "abandoned" with NJT. It's "currently not in service". Besides DB isn't NJT's bridge anyway.

That explains alot, because the one side without track was all charred up... Many thanks for that info, i've been meaning to ask for a long time...