Sea Bright seawall

Anyone have any leads on where I could find a pic or two of the old CNJ (with a train would be nice) that ran on the seawall in Sea Bright?

I have no pictures but I was born in Long Branch, NJ during the days of steam. The CNJ's Sandy Hook boat train connection ran down the shoreline through Sea Bright along side of the sea wall to Monmouth Beach then on to North Long Branch then on to East Long Branch continuing on crossing Sairs Avenue where it linked up to the New York & Long Branch at the station originally named Hollywood later changed to West End. During my childhood I was told that the passenger trains only ran in the summer months for the seashore trade. By-the-way, I also believe that most of those southbound trains terminated at East Long Branch as there was a small engine terminal between Liberty Street and Monmouth Avenue that also had a small handpowered turntable and several camelback engines would lay over, and even more on weekends. Here, indeed, the camelbacks were king.

What you mentioned about a small yard between Liberty St. and Monmouth Ave. really interests me as I've never hear dof such a thing. Anymore info on it?

If you drive down Long Branch Avenue, there is a stone abutment that held a trestle at one time - i dunno if that was the lead into a yard, or was a bridge to serve the old Gas Plant (where that Jerry something Park is that is rediculously contaminated)

If you drive down Ocean Blvd (which is built on the ROW from Monmouth Beach south to about Broadway) you will see that big blue house just before where North Broadway used to connect to Ocean Blvd. There is a trucking company next to it, i think that was more than likely the yard and small turntable there - i think there is a map in Trail of the Blue Comet (check your PM btw) that shows the area.

Jt, That stone bridge support carried the CNJ line that went through Branchport to Eatontown and connected with the CNJ Southern Division at Maxwell St., Eatontown.

That was the "main" to Eatontown? I thought that was up the street just a litte bit and crossed at grade.........hmmmm

When im driving down Long Branch Ave, i try to get out of there ASAP - not a real nice area!

Thanks for the info NYandLB!

Its amazing what was there, a 100 years ago - and whats NOT there now. They were very ahead of their time!

Jt: I think I'm correct, if you look at google maps, http://www.google.com/maphp?hl=en&tab=wl&q=
the ROW is clearly visible, take note of Wilber Ray Ave, the ROW is at the west end of that street, the buildings clearly show how the ROW curved off of what is now Ocean Blvd. I will take a look around there tomorrow, it IS truly amazing to see what rail infrastructure existed 50-60 years ago and to imagine how it could be used today...How about adding the Sea Girt- Farmingdale rail trail to the MOM line proposals!!!!!

Sorry, the google map link is wrong...just googhe Long Branch and zoom in on Long Branch Ave, just north of Braodway!

Yea, i just checked google earth, whos pictures were taken probably about 3 years ago, as the school that is built south of the ROW to the east of the Coast Line right at Branchport Jct wasn't built yet.

I can see the bridge abutment, i can't tell if on the west side of the street connected with the ROW or if it was right next to it and ended in an elevated trestle, and the "main" crossed at grade just to the north - following the ROW, it looks as if it could have split, or maybe the bridge was removed at one time, and they built the track right next to it?

I can almost see both ROW's - but it is pretty blurry zoomed in that close, and its hard to tell from street level

I have two railroad ties from that ROW at my house as a matter of fact. My Dad was a LBPD officer, and when they were ripping up the ROW in the late 70's, he asked if he could have a few ties for landscaping the house. We had a few more, but they were cut in half, but i still have 2 whole ties lying around.

http://historical.maptech.com/quad.cfm? ... &series=15

The above link to the 1901 map may be helpful. Note that it is drawn about 19 years after the U.S. Government took over the railroad on Sandy Hook and trains for the public moved to Atlantic Highlands Pier.

Yes being a Long Branch native I know the spot quite well, I know that the abudment is there on the east side of LB Ave but on the west it is totally removed (played tennis at Jerry Morgan park there). I also know that the trestle over Long Branch Ave. was in place as recent as 1980. I had assumed as well that this was the main because when you're in the park there you can see the power lines almost exactly mark the ROW from Monmouth Ave. over to the trestle. If this is the case, where would that small yard have been? Also about when was it removed?

Some people in this thread suggested that the trains ran ON TOP of the seawall? Is this true? Or did it run alongside the wall (the western side, the space where people who live along that road now use as parking spots)?

Trains did not run ON the wall, but between the wall and the road. The tracks crossed the road where the road takes a slant just by the 7-11 in Sea bright.

This weekend, I saw a book at my parents in Monmouth Beach called "Nauvoo to the Hook by George Moss"; it had some interesting historic prints/photos of the railroad in Sea Bright and elsewhere in the area that I've never seen before, might want to check out a copy at your local library. There are also some photo's showing the RR on the walls at the Monmouth Beach Cultual Center on Ocean Ave.