Cape May Point Branch

[hutton_switch]

Hello all - this is my first post to this forum. I was out at the point this past weekend, and I saw where the tracks end at the beach. I took some video. What I notice is the track extends about 100 feet past the gate to the old magnesite branch, but it looks like they have been removed from the premises inside the fence. My sons and I actually found another gate that was open and walked around the former plant grounds. No sign of tracks in there. My question is this - was the line ever used for passenger service, or did it always just exist for the magnesite plant? Does anyone have pictures of this line in operation?
Thanks,
George

From the late 1980's until about the mid-1990's, my family and I used to spend a week at Cape May Point, and I was always fascinated with the Cape May Point Branch of the CMSL. From what I have seen and heard told about the branch, it was built solely to serve the magnesite plant. I can remember when the abandoned plant was still standing shortly before it was removed.

I believe that it is a long-term goal of the CMSL to eventually get the line back in operation to allow limited passenger service out to the point, particularly on evenings where traffic on the road out to Sunset Beach is gridlocked on evenings when the sun sinks into Delaware Bay. They might need to extend the tracks an additional few hundred feet to make patron access from Sunset Beach to the rail line a bit easier, funds permitting. Of course, the priority right now is to get the swing bridge on the canal back into operating condition to allow rail service itself into Cape May.

[NJ Vike]

I also did some exploring of the area but didn't get to the beach area. It's amazing to see some existing rails and ties still in place. See pages 2 and 3

http://forums.railfan.net/forums.cgi?bo ... 342;start=

[blockline4180]

Hello all - this is my first post to this forum. I was out at the point this past weekend, and I saw where the tracks end at the beach. I took some video. What I notice is the track extends about 100 feet past the gate to the old magnesite branch, but it looks like they have been removed from the premises inside the fence. My sons and I actually found another gate that was open and walked around the former plant grounds. No sign of tracks in there. My question is this - was the line ever used for passenger service, or did it always just exist for the magnesite plant? Does anyone have pictures of this line in operation?
Thanks,
George

From the late 1980's until about the mid-1990's, my family and I used to spend a week at Cape May Point, and I was always fascinated with the Cape May Point Branch of the CMSL. From what I have seen and heard told about the branch, it was built solely to serve the magnesite plant. I can remember when the abandoned plant was still standing shortly before it was removed.

I believe that it is a long-term goal of the CMSL to eventually get the line back in operation to allow limited passenger service out to the point, particularly on evenings where traffic on the road out to Sunset Beach is gridlocked on evenings when the sun sinks into Delaware Bay. They might need to extend the tracks an additional few hundred feet to make patron access from Sunset Beach to the rail line a bit easier, funds permitting. Of course, the priority right now is to get the swing bridge on the canal back into operating condition to allow rail service itself into Cape May.

Isn't part of the Sunset Beach a designated "Nude Beach"? The only one left in NJ? I think the tracks come closest to that portion of the beach area. I don't think Tony Marcie would appreciate the nude on his train.....

[JoeBas]

Isn't part of the Sunset Beach a designated "Nude Beach"? The only one left in NJ? I think the tracks come closest to that portion of the beach area. I don't think Tony Marcie would appreciate the nude on his train.....

Nope, not designated... internet rumor that has spread to widely believed falsehood. Folks still try it, but the cops have little tolerance...

[The Vicarage]

Sunset Beach is not, nor was it EVER, a nude beach. Higbee's Beach, which is immediately south of the canal, was a nude beach at one time, catering to mostly homosexuals. The internet, combined with increased lewd behavior, led to the banning of nudity on Higbee's Beach. That ban began several years ago.

[TEGardner-EE]

In regaurds to the Cape May Point Branch. This section of track was under Conrail control, where the Cape May Branch was under New Jersey Transit control. The branch switch was a south switch. The track ran frpm Cape May Branch switch to the Magnsite only, ending at the silo. The materials shipped in PRR 40' covered hoppers (the cars were marked "Return to Cape May station master") were limestone to the plant and magnsite out, with a few box car for misc. items. The magnsite plant took linestone and mixed salt water (large tanks) slury an heated them up in large kilns to make the magnsite plelets ( about 1/2"). My dad was a rotary kiln firemen there until he retired in 1977. The last time the branch was used was to remove the kilns in pieces, and steel scrate when the plant was tore down around 1983. I have some photos of the plant, will have to dig them out.

[georgehyland]

I would love to see your photos of the plant - I am not sure who owns the line now - but I checked it out a couple years ago and there was some clearing taking place.

[JJMDiMunno]

Are you sure the Point branch isn't owned by NJT? I was 90% sure it was included in CMSL's lease, which is with NJT. I'm sure Conrail would have sold off that real estate long ago if they had control.