A question was raised in New Jersey Railfan about scheduled trains on the Princeton Branch which prompts me to wonder what motive power was used prior to electrification. It would seem to have been a natural for a light tank engine, but I'm not aware that the PRR had any. Did they just use a D class and run it around the train?
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Princeton Branch pre-electrification
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I think there was an article about it in the NRHS magazine a couple of years ago. Ted
There was a full length article about the Princeton Branch in TRAINS some years ago. I have it at home and will look for it.
I have an idea the equipment would likely have been a small 4-4-0. I'm not sure, were they PRR Class D? But maybe something heavier on the through train to Jersey City? That main line was always a hot one, the train would've undoubtedly have had to move right along.
One thing I do recall from the TRAINS article -- I reread it not all that long ago -- when the Princeton football team was hosting a rival, say Yale or Harvard, they handled a lot of special trains. There was a layup yard east of the Princeton station. So I think K4s and GG1s all put in appearances on the branch.
[edited once for typo]
I have an idea the equipment would likely have been a small 4-4-0. I'm not sure, were they PRR Class D? But maybe something heavier on the through train to Jersey City? That main line was always a hot one, the train would've undoubtedly have had to move right along.
One thing I do recall from the TRAINS article -- I reread it not all that long ago -- when the Princeton football team was hosting a rival, say Yale or Harvard, they handled a lot of special trains. There was a layup yard east of the Princeton station. So I think K4s and GG1s all put in appearances on the branch.
[edited once for typo]
Just to add one additional comment-
I did a quick archive search in the Yahoo! PRR-Fax group. I didn't find anything about the steam days on the Princeton Branch. I did discover that as late as the fall of 1933 (as per PRR - New York Division ETT#19 dated 9/24/1933), the branch was apparently being operated with a rail motor car.
The New York Division electrification was phased in beginning in January 1933. In the Yahoo group someone wondered about the date of the electrification of the Princeton Branch and thought it might have been around 1934. No one gave a more precise date that I could find.
I did a quick archive search in the Yahoo! PRR-Fax group. I didn't find anything about the steam days on the Princeton Branch. I did discover that as late as the fall of 1933 (as per PRR - New York Division ETT#19 dated 9/24/1933), the branch was apparently being operated with a rail motor car.
The New York Division electrification was phased in beginning in January 1933. In the Yahoo group someone wondered about the date of the electrification of the Princeton Branch and thought it might have been around 1934. No one gave a more precise date that I could find.
A well published1870's photo at Princeton Jct. shows a 4-4-0 and turntable, apparently for the branch.
That's interesting--I just assumed that if they did use a D-class 4-4-0 they would just have run it around the train at each end and run it backwards in one direction. Thanks to everyone for the information.
JimBoylan wrote:A well published 1870's photo at Princeton Jct. shows a 4-4-0 and turntable, apparently for the branch.Unless there was another turntable or wye at Princeton that still would not get the engine pointed in the right direction for both trips. Unless after arriving at Princeton the power deadheaded back to Princton Jct.to be turned. But that doesn't seem too likely.
Btw, I found the TRAINS article about the branch. It's pgs 44-51 of the June 1987 issue. But darnit, it doesn't say anything about either turning trains or what kind of steam power was used.
On pg. 46 there is an 'all-time' track diagram. It shows a wye at Princeton Jct. (prior to 1923) but no wye at Princeton and no turntable at either end of the branch.
It does mention the heavy football traffic though.
In 1923 a young John Barriger III, then a young PRR student apprentice, wrote a story for the Dec. 1, 1923 issue of Railway Age. It detailed how the Pennsylvania handled that year's heavy special passenger traffic to Princeton on the day of the Harvard game.
No less than 42 specials were handled with a total of 22,907 passengers carried aboard 298 cars. At the time there were three storage yards located on the Princeton end of the branch -Lower, Middle and Upper yards.
The locomotives off all those trains must have certainly been turned. But where?
QUICK EDIT-The Xerox copy I have of the TRAINS article is not the best. Looking at it some more I think there was a wye located at the north side of Upper Yard at Princeton. It's the closest point to Palmer Stadium and the map also shows a "Coal Shed" located alongside the wye's tail track.
I looked through Triumph V, and on page 85 there is a track plan from 1929 that does show a wye as described, north (compass east) of the Upper Yard. Based on the track plan it could easily have taken 15 minutes to turn an engine, considering the moves necessary to get from the station track to the wye and back--all to be done over again after a 3-mile trip. I imagine those yard tracks and the wye were mighty busy during a football game in the 1920's, with all the engines having to be turned.
ExCon90 wrote:Based on the track plan it could easily have taken 15 minutes to turn an engine, considering the moves necessary to get from the station track to the wye and back--all to be done over again after a 3-mile trip.Yes I agree. Given the nature of the branch probably easier to just run in reverse one trip. But you never know.
What a show that must've been on 'game day.' Turning the power off forty-two special trains. Wonder if the John Barriger III collection (which I believe is in St. Louis) might contain any photos? It might because in addition to being a top rail official he was a devoted fan.
So, was this branch double track?
No I'm not a railroad professional, but that doesn't mean I can't provide first hand observational comments.
It not only was once double-track, 150 years ago it was the main line. 
I should've checked John Wilmot's 1987 TRAINS article FIRST. 
The Princeton Branch was never part of anyone's main line, though the original Camden & Amboy route served Princeton. It was replaced by a straighter New Brunswick-Trenton route in 1864, pretty much the alignment of today.
Since the line no longer served Princeton C&A built (what was then) a 3.2 mile branch from Princeton Jct. to Princeton in 1865.
The branch was double-tracked in 1905. A map accompanying the article indicates the second main was converted to sidings and removed at some point before 1987.
The Princeton Branch was never part of anyone's main line, though the original Camden & Amboy route served Princeton. It was replaced by a straighter New Brunswick-Trenton route in 1864, pretty much the alignment of today.
Since the line no longer served Princeton C&A built (what was then) a 3.2 mile branch from Princeton Jct. to Princeton in 1865.
The branch was double-tracked in 1905. A map accompanying the article indicates the second main was converted to sidings and removed at some point before 1987.
To add to Tommy's comments, the original Camden & Amboy main line between Trenton and New Brunswick followed the east bank of the Delaware & Raritan Canal from Trenton to Kingston, then headed NE across country to a point near Monmouth Jct. where it then followed the present alignment to New Brunswick. This latter section survived as part of the PRR's Rocky Hill branch for over a hundred years after the rest of the old main line line was abandoned. It thus passed through Princeton at the far east end of town, at the foot of Alexander St. Until about 15 years aho there was a large frame building at this location that was originally an inn-tavern that served both the canal and railroad, and also functioned as the railroad's passenger station. Sadly, by the late 1980s it was too decrepid to save and was demolished.
Tommy Meehan wrote:The branch was double-tracked in 1905. A map accompanying the article indicates the second main was converted to sidings and removed at some point before 1987.In NJT forum someone mentioned the bridge over what is now US route 1 was replaced when that road was widened.
Also, it looks as if the tail track for the branch (railroad east past the pen) actually ran all the way to monmouth junction.. There are concrete structures and other remnants that point to another track being there at some point.
No I'm not a railroad professional, but that doesn't mean I can't provide first hand observational comments.