Railroad Forums 

  • Grenloch Branch (abandoned portion)

  • Discussion relating to the PRSL
Discussion relating to the PRSL

Moderator: JJMDiMunno

 #1008971  by George W. Rosenzweig
 
When was the Grenloch line last in use? I'm referring to the section east of the turnpike, where much of it is now a bike path. I'm specifically interested in the Evesham Ave and Clements Bridge Road areas. Also, if any photos exist of this area, I'd love to see them!

What is left of the terminus, and what was orignally there?
 #1008989  by JJMDiMunno
 
George W. Rosenzweig wrote:When was the Grenloch line last in use? I'm referring to the section east of the turnpike, where much of it is now a bike path. I'm specifically interested in the Evesham Ave and Clements Bridge Road areas. Also, if any photos exist of this area, I'd love to see them!

What is left of the terminus, and what was orignally there?
The segment from Station Ave to Grenloch was torn up under the PRSL in 1973. The segment from Bellmawr to Station Ave in Glendora last saw service in 1982, torn up in August of 1984 under Conrail.

See the following page on the SJRail.com wiki for more info:
http://sjrail.com/wiki/index.php?title= ... och_Branch

Until a few months ago, the former station at Grenloch stood in use as a residence. It has since been demolished.

Mike DiMunno
 #1009122  by JJMDiMunno
 
George W. Rosenzweig wrote:Mike, thanks for the info. Refresh my fleeting memory, however. Station Ave is where? (I should know this, but it's early in the morning, and I can't think straight yet!)

Or, to put it very simply, when did a train last cross Clements Bridge Road?
Station Ave is in Glendora, south of Clements Bridge Rd. So the last train rolled by Clements Bridge in 1982, rails up in 84.

Mike DiMunno
 #1278032  by john burke
 
I have often wondered about the debunked Camden to Grenloch N.J railroad. When the tracks were taken up there was little left as to what was the trains route of travel. I have spoken to some of the older residents who live in Glendora and they tell me that on Water street , now names Front Street, that there are four pillings from what was a trussel that crossed Timber Creek. They also said that on the Bellmawr side of the New Jersey Turnpike there are sill many disconnected rails on the ground. One last thing I know the rails to trails in Runnemede and the one in Blackwood seem to follow the high tension electrical lines.I guess this was the path the train took. Please share any and all information with me about this debunked railroad that you may have. Thank you, John
 #1282676  by john burke
 
Thank you for your response to my post Von schlieffen I really appreciate the information. I found out from an older resident of Glendora who remembers the train, a lot more facts. He said that the train route did follow the high tension electric poles. If you follow the bike trail in Runnemede to the bike trail in Blackwood the electric poles fill in the space of the train route. He also told me that there weren't any gates or warning lights where the train crossed Clement Bridge, Evesham or Station aves. The only warning cars received was the trains whistle and these tracks were as close to fifty feet from route 168 The Blackhorse Pike. The four pilings that supported the trussel that crossed water/front street are still there. After crossing Lower Landing Road the train split through St. Joseph Cemetery still following the High tension lines on it's way to main st. in Grenloch the end of the line at The Bateman Manufacturing co. Ensinger Hyde Plastics co. now occupies that spot. I appreciate all the information that I received from the posts that I read on this site and from those who I was fortune enough to talk to who remembers this now debunked railroad. Thank You John Burke
 #1282977  by bluedash2
 
John- all the Grenloch crossings were only the white crossbucks. Only a few on recent years have had signals installed by Conrail. At the former Evesham Rd crossing, there is still only the pole left from the crossbuck going sb towards the Deptford Mall. The old crossing looks like it was only paved over. I remember seeing the weeds growing over the rails as a kid in the early 80's. Sad sight to see as I never got to see a train on that segment of the line.
 #1283080  by David
 
Rail service still exists from Camden to Bellmawr about three to four times a week. About ten years ago, flashers were placed at Kings Highway and Bell Road in Mount Ephraim. At the present time, flashers and gates are being installed in Bellmawr at Browning Road. Rumor has it that the abandoned portion is "Railbanked" for possible future use.
 #1283436  by john burke
 
Thank you Bluedash2 and David for sharing some more information, that you recall, about the now dedunked Camden To Grenloch railroad line. I welcome any and all comments and from those who may have be around when this line was active. Thanks again. John Burke
 #1283621  by john burke
 
I took a walk up to Evesham road and on the Runnemede side of the street I took notice to the ten foot high white pole, a remnant of the old Railroad line. Thank you Bluedash2 for pointing this out to me. It's hard to imagine that a train ever ran through this area. So much has filled in where the train use to run. I'm confident in the knowledge that from the bike trail starting at Smith Lane in Runnemede and following the high tension power line poles down to the other bike trail / railroad line at Brown Ave in Blackwood and from there to Grenloch , that this was indeed the track of the tracks the train took in the now debunked Camden to Grenloch railroad. On a personal note, I didn't grow up in the Blackwood area but I remember as a boy running to the train tracks each day to watch the old steam locomotive past. I would wave to the train and got a whistle back from the train. Then on day, circa. 1955 , the locomotive was replaced by a brown and yellow desiel and that was the last time I went to see the train. John
 #1283633  by von schlieffen
 
As I said, the ROW is intact, EXCEPT for the portion owned by Toyota of Runnemede. The dealership's former owner, upon abandonment of the tracks in the early 80s, purchased the section between Clements Bridge road and Station avenue. The section between Evesham and Station is fully intact (not sure what he thought he would do with a discontiguous strip of land anyway, other than pay taxes on it for perpetuity), but between Clements Bridge and Evesham it has been completely regraded and developed. There is really no chance of this ever being used for railroad tracks again.
 #1283654  by john burke
 
Yes Von Schlieffen the portion between Clements Bridge Rd. and Evesham is completely redeveloped. There is a six foot high white vinel fence at the point where the train would have crossed from Clements Bridge Rd. to Evesham Rd. and you are also correct about the land that runs from Evesham Rd. to station Ave and then picks up Main St. in Glendora. A whole lot of wasted land unable to be redeveloped. Except for the white pole still there on Evesham Rd and the four wooden pill ups that held the trussel as the train crossed Water/Front St., one would never know that a train ever ran down this path from Camden to Grenloch. Of course with the exception of the two rails to trails in Runnemede and Blackwood to Grenloch. This is what made me curious. I thank you and all of the others for whatever you and they have shared with me on the debunked Grenloch Branch. John
 #1283801  by john burke
 
This morning I rode my bike on the rails to trails, it's now called the townships bike and fitness trail, from Brown Ave in Blackwood to Main St in Grenloch and I took notice to at lease three four foot high wooden mile markers along side of the trail. I assume they were left over from when the train rode on this route. I also took notice, just before crossing Almonesson Rd., that there is some sort of rusted cylindrical pipe with a curvature elbow at the top. This pipe is about six to seven feet high. I would also believe this to have served some sort of function along the train route. There isn't much left standing from what was the Camden to Grenloch railroad. It was pointed out to me from one of Blackwood's older residents ,who remembers when the train was running, that just on the other side if the Turnpike underpass on the Bellmaur side, in an overgrown marsh filled wooded area, that still to this day there remains several disconnected railroad tracks lying along the ground for several hundred feet. I don't know if this is true or not so I can't confirm it. John