CNJ Flemington branch

[ATSF2419]

I too heard the story of the deteriorating Neshanic bridge being the cause of the abandonment of the line in 1957 but as of 2009 it is still standing.

The line was not entirely abandoned in 1957, if at all.

In The Black River & Western Story (published 1974 by Virginia Smith) there is a picture of a CNJ GP7 coming into Turntable Junction with some freight.

It is entirely possible that CNJ kept engines near or in Flemington near the end. I seem to remember hearing that the CNJ held onto the line around Flemington as Tenneco was a rather lucrative customer. Towards the end, I think CNJ would drill Tenneco and bring the cars to Flemington for BR&W to take to their Lambertville interchange with the PC, thereby avoiding the bridge in question.

BR&W got four miles from Flemington to Three Bridges (RR North, geographically east) in 1974 and as part of the deal, picked up CNJ 1554 on lease. I would presume that the 1600 horses that 1554 offered came in handy for drilling Tenneco as BR&Ws motive power at the time consisted of an SW1 (400) and maybe a GE 65 tonner (forget the road #), plus three steam locomotives (60, 148, and 14). The RS1s didn't come along until after they had taken over service on the line and the CF7s were 10 years in the future at that point. 1554 was officially purchased from Conrail in 1980.

[firthorfifth06]

i imagine that if this line survived for passenger service after complete dieselization, this would have been an RDC route!

[Ken W2KB]

I live in Hillsborough and am familar with the CNJ Flemington line. The line originated in Somerville NJ. Frieght trains would always be part of the busy ( and large) frieght yard in Somerville and the passenger train that was on this line would come right up to the CNJ mainline tracks. There was an underground walkway tunnel that connected the mainline station and the station of the branch line. It is still there today. From Somerville trains would head SW across RT 206 then over a river bridge and on through Dukes estate. There were sidings that ran to the two GSA depots and the line would continue to Flagtown ( passenger station was there) then it made its way into a long cut and came out of it and ran over Pleasant Run Rd and the river bridge to Neshanic Station. There was a passenger station there (still remains) and CNJ freight serviced a lumber and coal yard and a plastics plant not far away . From there the line would continue through Three Bridges (station there) and then on to Flemngton. I believe the line may have at one continued past Flemington to Ringoes and Lambertville where it met up with the PRR.
Much of the ROW is still in existence and can easily be seen and walked in most spots. I too heard the story of the deteriorating Neshanic bridge being the cause of the abandonment of the line in 1957 but as of 2009 it is still standing.

Nice description. The Somerville tunnel and platforms may not be there for long. The contractor constructing the new high level platforms very recently removed all the slate from the roofs of both mainline shelters and the tunnel exit shelter for the branch.

As a followup, the western end of the station canopies have now been removed, leaving only the elevator buildings, I expect to be reused for ADA compliance.

[ccutler]

There is a very nice discussion of the South Branch/Flemington Branch by some CNJ old-timers elsewhere. Apparently the ICC got involved over the safety issues with the track and required that the dangerous tank car loads get shipped up the Pennsy's Bel-Del to Lambertville and their Flemington branch, then transferred via CNJ from Flemington up a few miles to the plant in the late 60s/early 70s. The plant had several explosions in its history and ultimately had to shut when the EPA tightened pollution regs. So I've read...