West Jersey Chapter has an outstanding reputation for producing high quality scholarly publications that appeal to photo buffs, serious railroad historians, and regional historians. We currently offer eight different Chapter books, two special publications, and two commemorative tiles, and invite you to browse through our offerings. Most items are available at our monthly Chapter meetings. We also often have a sales table at area railroadiana and model train shows. Please check our Calendar of Events for meeting and show times. If you are unable to visit us in person, you can prepare, print out, and mail with your remittance the interactive order form found at the bottom of this page.
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Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines by Frederick A. Kramer
This new book is a fully illustrated history of the jointly-owned railroad between Camden, New Jersey
and the seashore from its beginning in 1933 to its transfer to Conrail in 1976. Also included is the
development and growth of predecessors West Jersey & Seashore (Pennsylvania Railroad) and Atlantic
City Railroad (Philadelphia & Reading) as well as the connecting ferry services from Philadelphia.
Locomotives and passenger car rosters are provided too. Perfect bound, 8½" × 11" vertical
format, 144 pages with over 300 photographs, maps and timetables. This is a greatly expanded version of
the original 1980 edition with text by Frederick A. Kramer.
Published October, 2011. |
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The Reading Seashore Lines by William J. Coxey and James E. Kranefeld
The Reading gained access to southern New Jersey via its lease of the Central Railroad of New Jersey in
the spring of 1883 followed six months later by the purchase of the failed narrow gauge Philadelphia &
Atlantic City Railway. The distinctive "Reading look" soon became evident with the improvements
and expansion of this operation, which officially became named the Atlantic City Railroad. This work,
unlike our earlier book about the development and decline of the Atlantic City Railroad, covers primarily
the physical railroad and adjacent structures from the beginning to the present. This offering is perfect
for those interested in both railroad and local history. Perfect bound, 8½" × 11" vertical
format, 168 pages, 500 photographs, drawings, and maps (most never before published). Arranged geographically
with station index.
Published October, 2007. |
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West Jersey Rails III
Ten more stories of railroading in South Jersey: the Millville & Glassboro Railroad; steamboats and
boat trains on CNJ's Seashore Branch in 1915; Camden - Pemberton passenger service 1867-1969; the aftermath
of the Barnegat Bay bridge fire; Salem's railroads; Wildwood trolleys; Minotola interlocking; Linden St.,
Camden, freight station; Brown Tower and Bulson St. yard; and Amtrak to Atlantic City. Soft cover, 80 pages,
8½" × 11" vertical format printed on coated stock, with over 170 photographs, drawings, timetables,
charts, and maps. Full color cover.
Published September, 2002. |
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The Lindenwold Hi-Speed Line by J. William Vigrass
From nearly its first day of operation on January 4, 1969, the Lindenwold Hi-Speed Line became a model for
the rebirth of modern transit, serving as a citation in dozens of studies nationwide to bolster public
transportation development. While interurban in heritage, the Lindenwold line proudly displays
characteristics of both urban heavy rail transit and suburban commuter service. This profusely illustrated
56 page soft cover book in 8½" × 11" vertical format well documents the careful regional
planning that made PATCO such a success story in West Jersey.
Published 1990. |
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The Trains to America's Playground by William J. Coxey, Frank C. Kozempel, and James E. Kranefeld
The PRSL was born in tumultuous times: unprecedented highway development in New Jersey, the opening of the
Delaware River (Ben Franklin) Bridge, and the Great Depression, requiring belt tightening on all railroads.
Forming the PRSL was, however, inevitable and this book documents from west to east the route from Camden
and Philadelphia along that wonderful racecourse to the Atlantic that became the World's link to salt water taffy,
Miss America herself, and the glittering conventions that made Atlantic City the archetype of The Seashore.
Soft cover, 48 pages, 11" × 8½" horizontal format printed on coated stock, with over 100 photographs,
drawings, timetables, charts, and maps. Full color cover.
Published 1988. |
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West Jersey Rails II
This companion volume to West Jersey Rails contains eleven more stories of railroading in South Jersey:
the Maurice River Branch; the Delair Bridge; the Electric Line Drawbridge Accident; the Shore Fast Line;
Atlantic-type locomotives; the ill-starred Reading type; Atlantic City Union Station; Riding the Pony Express;
Dieselization of the PRSL; an illustrated all-time PRSL diesel roster; and PRSL Ocean City Commuting. This 72
page soft cover book in 8½" × 11" vertical format is profusely illustrated with over 130
pictures, maps, timetables, and diagrams, including five pictures in full color.
Published 1985; reprinted March, 2001. |
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West Jersey Rails
Fourteen diverse stories on railroad history in southern New Jersey, originally published in the Chapter's
former monthly newsletter, the Crew Caller: New Jersey's Greatest Railroad; Benjamin Fish - Unsung
Transportation Pioneer; Railroad Steamboats on the Great Egg Harbor Inlet; the Steam Dummy Era at Cape May;
the Liberty Special; the Westville Cutoff; Rails Over Water to Island Heights; Camden Area Trolleys; the
Blue Comet; the Wreck of the New York Train at Delair; Reading Steam to the Seashore; About the
Bridgeton Branch; the Philadelphia & Camden Ferry Company; and PRSL Cabin Cars. Soft cover, 52 pages,
8½" × 11" vertical format printed on coated stock, with over 90 photographs, drawings, timetables,
charts, and maps.
Published 1983; reprinted May, 1999 and November, 2003. |
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The Philadelphia, Marlton and Medford Railroad Co. 1881-1931
Built as a branch of the Camden & Atlantic Railroad, the Philadelphia, Marlton & Medford Railroad served
a rural farming area between Haddonfield and Medford, which included the townships of Delaware (now Cherry Hill) and
Evesham. In 1883 the line came under Pennsylvania Railroad control, and was merged into the West Jersey & Seashore
Railroad in 1896. From 1920 until its abandonment in 1931, the Medford Branch was operated as part of the PRR's Atlantic
Division. Two vestiges of this line remained long after abandonment: a wye track at Haddonfield survived
as late as 1966, and a siding in Medford lasted into the Conrail era. A major section of the abandoned line from the
Camden Co./Burlington Co. line to Medford is now NJ Route 70. Reprinted by popular demand, this 32-page history in
6" x 9" format features 18 photos, three timetables, a map, and an official profile of this 12-mile long road.
Published 1973; reprinted 1997 and 2004. |
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Seashore Lines Ramble, November 7, 2009 by John W. Burlage, Jr.
This booklet was prepared for a special excursion over the Cape May Seashore Lines, jointly sponsored by the United
Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey, the Volunteer Railroaders Association, West Jersey Chapter, and CMSL.
It features a history of all the railroad lines in Cape May County, the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
consolidation, and the subsequent disposition of all lines. A guide to all stations, past and present, on the
former Atlantic City Railroad Cape May Branch from Winslow Junction to Cape May is included. Other features include
a roster of the equipment used on the excursion, and profiles of the sponsoring organizations. This 20-page
booklet in 8½" × 11" vertical format also contains two timetables and two maps.
Published 2009. |
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Camden & Amboy/Southern New Jersey Light Rail Transit System Tour Guide by Paul W. Schopp and John W. Burlage, Jr.
Until shortly before it opened to the public, NJ Transit's River LINE was known as the Southern New Jersey
Light Rail Transit System. This guide, prepared jointly by West Jersey Chapter and the Philadelphia Chapter of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society, includes both a history of the Camden &
Amboy Railroad & Transportation Company with special emphasis on the Camden-Bordentown-Trenton route,
and a comprehensive mile-by-mile description of the route detailing current light rail and former railroad
facilities. Also included is a summary of the new light rail line in a nutshell. This 16-page booklet in 8½"
× 11" vertical format also contains three photographs and a SNJLRTS route map.
Published 2003; reprinted 2007. |
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Pennsylvania Railroad: Delair Bridge Commemorative Tile |