Toms River Industrial Track!

As the timetable shows, there was service starting and terminating in Long Branch to Philly. Originally, PRR only had NY&LB trackage rights as far north as Long Branch, so there was service via the Freehold & Jamesburg line, and the Phila & Long Branch RR (the Whitings-Toms River-Seaside line of this thread).

It was busy enough in the old days that PRR surveyed a parallel line to the NY&LB north (east) of Long Branch, and the Freehold & Jamesburg was planned to be double-tracked.

Whitings was such a bottleneck that PRR lines were surveyed from Medford to Manahawkin to bypass the then-busy junction.

Wouldn't you love to see traffic like that now???

It was busy enough in the old days that PRR surveyed a parallel line to the NY&LB north (east) of Long Branch, and the Freehold & Jamesburg was planned to be double-tracked.

I was in the Allenwood post office a couple of weeks ago and they had copies of some very old photos of the area posted on their bulletin board as a display which included a number of shots of the F&JARR (I would hazard a guess they were circa 1900). Besides being very interested, it showed the rail line as being double tracked, atleast in the vicinity of the Allenwood Station.

I think I've seen that photo. If my memory serves me, Allenwood had a passing siding that also served as a team track. To the east, Manasquan was double-tracked from the NY&LB junction to just west of where the station sat on Broad Street. Farther west, the Allaire station also was pictured as double tracked with a passing siding. Farther toward Farmingdale, the creek bridge right at the crossing with Hurley Pond Road was single track (bridge still exists).

When i was a kid I remember the double track in Allenwood. It ran from Ramshorn drive to just east of the parkway. There was a coal siding off of that siding
that ran just south of the wooden station that is now at Allaire Park. The wooden station was located on the North side of the tracks facing the intersection. I was surprised to see a stone station (which is allot bigger than the wooden station) in one of the pictures. Does anyone know the date that the stone structure was taken down and replaced by the wooden stucture? Where was the stone strucure located. I cant place the location from the picture. During the late 1950s the coal offloading ramp received a shipment about once a week...along with a shipment of coal to I believe Shaffers in Manasquan. Somestime the lumber yard on Atlantic ave in Manasquan recievd a boxcar. Occassionally the freight went on to Sea Girt freight staion and offloaded a boxcar or two. Just west of the Parkway on hospital road, where district 5 of monmouth county highway dept has a yard was a gravel pit which loaded a couple cars a week.That siding had a switch on the south side of the main track that ran across hospital road into the gravel pit. The freight was pulled by a sw something or rs3. Usually shipments came on Mondays and Fridays aroun 3 in the afternoon. I have some pictures of the Manasquan PRR station, doodlebug, SW something and Manasquan frieght Yard.

I believe that was the PRR Freehold Secondary, which crossed over CNJ's Southern Secondary in Farmingdale. The PRR line ran east to Sea Girt.

JADes718 wrote:I believe that was the PRR Freehold Secondary, which crossed over CNJ's Southern Secondary in Farmingdale. The PRR line ran east to Sea Girt.

Yea thats what they have been talking about for the last few posts.

The wooden station from Allenwood that's now at Allaire was built in the early 1940s, I'll have to find the exact date.

We went off topic here, we can discuss more PRR Freehold & Jamesburg stuff on the FIT thread.

i was looking at some older pictures from about 2004 and 2005 of trains on the TRIT and followed the line on google maps and couldnt find columbia propane and builders general, can someone help me out

Builder's General is on the corner of Germania Station Rd and Rte 37w on the south side of the hwy and Columbia Propane is about an 1/8 -1/4 mile west of that

Pinewald Station wrote:Builder's General is on the corner of Germania Station Rd and Rte 37w on the south side of the hwy and Columbia Propane is about an 1/8 -1/4 mile west of that

Thanks

Columbia Propane is 200 feet west of Bannier drive which is about a 1/4 mile west of Germania station Rd.The next light west is the old Stela Lumber switch by ST Catherine's Blvd and Rte 37w. They used to bring tons of lumber in there by rail to build the development Holiday City. Can't think of any industry/business between Stela and Lakehurst. If you are ever down TR way PM me and I can show you the grand tour in less than an hour !

Anywhere to see some trains in Toms River now? I see about 1 a week in Lakehurst, but thats about it.

Nope, unless you find a hobby shop.

Pinewald Station wrote:Columbia Propane is 200 feet west of Bannier drive which is about a 1/4 mile west of Germania station Rd.The next light west is the old Stela Lumber switch by ST Catherine's Blvd and Rte 37w. They used to bring tons of lumber in there by rail to build the development Holiday City. Can't think of any industry/business between Stela and Lakehurst. If you are ever down TR way PM me and I can show you the grand tour in less than an hour !

I was poking around the line 2 weeks ago and I have a few questions about some things along the line some railroad related and some not.

1) Taking Alexander Ave. off of 37 once you cross the tracks there are several paths laid out and real estate signs in the woods there...is this some future development?

2) Taking Backbone Hill Rd. across the tracks there is what looks like some sort of construction company with numerous no trespassing signs...any idea what this is?

3) Immediately west of St. Catherines Blvd there is an old spur that goes behind the social security building to an abandoned lot. Is this the Stella Lumber you speak of? This is between St. Catherines Blvd but before you get to Builder's General & Columbia Propane.

4) On the Hagstrom atlas it has a Toms River Station shown just east of Mule Rd. yet I didn't see anything left there. Was this the CNJ Toms River station? It seems out of the way considering back then wasn't so much west of Route 9 no?