thecoffeecake wrote:well not only am i new to this board im also new to this train thing. i searched the web for toms river rails because whenever i cross the tracks on 37 i always wonder about them, are they used, where do they go, how old are the, what were are they used for
Jtgshu is providing great advice. Most of whatever you want to know is in these various threads.
Just to get you started, the tracks that cross Rt 37 used to be for servicing the former Ciba-Geigy plant(previously Toms River Chemical Co.) which closed in the early '90's and is now an environmentally contaminated site undergoing remediation so no rail traffic since plant closure.
The Ciba tracks branch off the Toms River Industrial Tracks (TRIT) which are basically out of service. They were last used around 2005 to service Builders General and a Propane Distribution facility no longer taking deliveries.
The TRIT used to be the Barnegat Branch of the Central Railroad of NJ (CNJ). The track began at the junction in downtown Lakewood, ran to Toms River (under the Garden State Parkway and past the TR Bus Station and across the Toms River where the new road bridge is that diverts traffic southbound on Rt 166). It then continued south to Beachwood following Rt 166 (formerly Rt 9) where it crossed the Pennsy Railroad (PRR) where the current Rt 9 joins with Rt 166 (the PRR "back road" came from Camden, and travelled thru Pemberton, Whiting, Beachwood, over the Barnegat to Seaside, turned north and ran up to Bay Head). The CNJ continued south parallel to Rt 9 thru Forked River, past the Oyster Creek Power Plant and terminated in Barnegat.
You can find more details and dates by searching any of the town names like Jtgshu said.