Rio Grande Volunteer Fire Company 4th Annual Toy and Train Collectable Show

West Jersey Chapter participated in the Rio Grande Volunteer Fire Company 4th Annual Toy and Train Collectable Show in Cape May County, where Chapter publications were offered for sale. WJC’s sales table was staffed by Ben Makem (on left) and Mike Hudek. WJC picked up one new member, too. Check WJC’s Event Calendar for upcoming events, drop by and say hello.

Bordentown Camden & Amboy Railroad Historic District Project Update III

On Saturday, August 16, three more sections of track were put into place, representing the three examples of early Camden & Amboy Railroad track construction used between Bordentown and Camden. One display represented strap rail construction, where flat, thin lengths of iron were attached to wooden stringers to provide a running surface for the wheels. Unfortunately, these strap rails could come loose, curl up, and rip through the floor of a passenger car, damaging the car and injuring passengers. As such, they were known as “snake heads.” Another type of construction, used in swampy areas and over wide streams, was to drive seven-foot long pilings into the muck, and lay stringers across the pilings to support the rails. The railroad between Bordentown and Camden was completed in 1834. In all, there were seven distinct methods of track construction used between South Amboy and Camden. Photos by John Burlage.

Bordentown Camden & Amboy Railroad Historic District Project Update II

On Saturday, August 9, two more sections of track were put into place, representing two more examples of early Camden & Amboy Railroad track construction. The second section represents the method used on certain bridges. Because horses were used as early motive power, bridges were decked with planks to give the horses a smooth pathway, and the rails were spiked to the planks. The third section, rails mounted on cross ties, was used on a short section of track when the supply of stone sleepers ran out and the railroad had to be finished.The C&A tried wooden ties, and found out they worked better than stone sleepers. Photos by John Burlage.

WJC Turbo Trip to Claymont, Delaware

On Wednesday, August 6, West Jersey Chapter members visited the new SEPTA Claymont, Delaware, station to view the late afternoon/evening rush hour of Amtrak and SEPTA trains between 4 and 7 PM. The station is conveniently located off US 13 at I-495, east of the old Claymont station. Parking is free either in the outside lot or the parking garage. The station is staffed by security personnel and there are vending machines for soda and snacks. SEPTA trains utilize the outer two tracks and Amtrak trains normally use the two inner tracks. We saw a variety of trains on both carriers. SEPTA Silverliner V MUs 735+736 and 871+872 are owned by the State of Delaware, and all four units were spotted during our stay there. Photos by John Burlage.

Bordentown Camden & Amboy Railroad Historic District Project Update

On Tuesday, August 5, the first set of stone sleepers - twelve of them - from various locations along the Camden & Amboy Railroad, were moved into place and leveled. Three of the sleepers were quarried at Sing Sing prison, New York, but the rest were obtained from several locations in the Delaware Valley, and are of various types of rocks. The gauge between the rails was set at standard gauge: four feet, eight and one-half inches. Another stone sleeper was moved from behind the Bordentown River Line station to the future railroad park. WJC member Pierre Lacombe is spearheading this project, which is supported by the Bordentown Historical Society, the City of Bordentown, West Jersey Chapter, and the National Railway Historical Society. Photos by John Burlage.

June Chapter Membership Meeting

West Jersey Chapter’s June membership meeting was held virtually via Zoom on Monday, June 23, 2025. Carrying a diverse mix of commuter, seashore, and freight traffic, the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Atlantic Division crossed the width of southern New Jersey, forming a “back road” to northern shore points such as Long Branch. In this presentation, WJC members Dave Homer, John Burlage, Don Lee, Ben Makem, and John Stone take a close look at the western portion of this line moving from west to east. They show a wide variety of timetables, track charts, structures, and rolling stock starting from the line's heyday in the 19th century to today’s surviving Conrail Shared Assets trackage and visible remnants of abandoned infrastructure. On July 14, this program was repeated, with additional new material added. You can play a recording of the July encore presentation by clicking on the image or by clicking here. The length of the program is 1:39:38.

Delaware & Susquehanna Model RR Club Open House / Haddon Heights Farm Market

On Sunday, June 8, West Jersey Chapter had a table at the Haddon Heights station, during the Delaware & Susquehanna Model Railroad Club monthly open house (the second Sunday of each month). The station was constructed by the Atlantic City Railroad, the Reading Company’s South Jersey subsidiary. The open house was in conjunction with the Haddon Heights Farm Market. Photos by Dave Homer.

Informal Trip to Norristown

On Saturday, June 7, West Jersey Chapter Member Hooper Murphy headed up a trip to Norristown and back. We rode the NJT Atlantic City Line from Pennsauken to 30th Street Station, then SEPTA to Elm Street, Norristown. After lunch, we walked to the Norristown Transportation Center, where we rode the Norristown High-Speed Line (aka Route 100, P&W) to Upper Darby, where we took the Market Frankford El to 30th Street, then took NJT back to Pennsauken. Photos by Dave Homer.

May Chapter Membership Meeting

West Jersey Chapter’s May membership meeting was held in-person at the Audubon Senior Center and virtually via Zoom on Monday, May 19, 2025. WJC Vice President Fred Ciocciola shares the best of his 5,000+ Conrail photos covering both the Class 1 years (1976-1999) and Conrail Shared Assets thereafter. Most of his photos are from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He includes railfan special trains, Army-Navy Game trains, circus trains, and heritage-painted locomotives. You can play a recording of this presentation by clicking on the image or by clicking here. The length of the program is 1:39:36.

April Chapter Membership Meeting

West Jersey Chapter’s April membership meeting was held in-person at the Audubon Senior Center and virtually via Zoom on Monday, April 28, 2025. As the son of a railroader, WJC member Will Dicke brings a deep appreciation for transportation photo subjects. Here he shares a variety of his rail photos from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the western US primarily from the mid-2000s to present. Along the way he discusses his influences and techniques as well as the particular goals he was pursuing at the time of each photo. You can play a recording of this presentation by clicking on the image or by clicking here. The length of the program is 52:51.

March Chapter Membership Meeting

West Jersey Chapter’s March membership meeting was held in-person at the Audubon Senior Center and virtually via Zoom on Monday, March 24, 2025. WJC member and former SEPTA employee Harry Garforth covers the evolution of this line up to the present day. He also shows the parallel evolution of trolley routes 59, 66, and 75 that connected to the El: some converted to diesel buses while others stayed under wire (mostly) as trackless trolleys. All of these operations were profoundly affected by highway construction: first the Ben Franklin Bridge and later I-95. You can play a recording of this presentation by clicking on the image or by clicking here. The length of the program is 47:20.

20th Annual "Lines on the Pines" 2025

On Sunday, March 9, West Jersey Chapter participated at the 20th Annual “Lines on the Pines” festival held at Stockton University in Galloway Township. This festival celebrates everything Pinelands, and participants include authors, artists, craftsmen, historians, and musicians. WJC’s exhibit focused on the railroads which served the Pinelands. Many WJC members and friends stopped by. Photos by Dave Homer.

February Chapter Membership Meeting

West Jersey Chapter’s February membership meeting was held in-person at the Audubon Senior Center and virtually via Zoom on Monday, February 24, 2025. WJC member and former SEPTA employee Harry Garforth shows us the evolution of public transit in the Frankford section of Philadelphia (formerly Frankford Borough). Following horse cars, steam railroads, and trolleys, the electrified Frankford Elevated rapid transit line was built during 1916-1922. Today this route is part of SEPTA’s “L” or Market Frankford Line. You can play a recording of this presentation by clicking on the image or by clicking here. The length of the program is 50:42.

Informal Trip to Dover

West Jersey Chapter members took a ride to the western end of NJ Transit’s Morristown Line electrification at Dover on a crystal-clear February 22, 2025. Our journey started at the Pennsauken Transit Center on the River Line. At Trenton our group took NJT Northeast Corridor Line express No. 7822 to Secaucus Junction, where we boarded train No. 6921 for Dover. Pictured on the Dover station platform next to NJT ALP46A 4664 are (left to right) Jim Murphy, Hooper Murphy, Ben Makem, John Burlage, and Bob Douglas. The trip report is available here. Photo by Dave Homer.

January Chapter Membership Meeting

West Jersey Chapter’s January membership meeting was held in-person at the Audubon Senior Center and virtually via Zoom on Monday, January 27, 2025. The PRR T1 Steam Locomotive Trust has mounted an ambitious 15-year effort to build a new 4-4-4-4 from original PRR plans using modern parts and design techniques. The Trust’s General Manager Jason Johnson joins us to provide an update on recent fabrication efforts and where the project is headed next. He explains why deviations from the PRR design are needed to safely and economically operate in 21st century excursion service. The Trust’s ultimate goal is the same one that motivated PRR in the first place: to have a beautiful and functional machine that can reach 120 mph or more out on the mainline. You can play a recording of this presentation by clicking on the image or by clicking here. The length of the program is 1:01:08.

SMS Shop Visit

Several West Jersey Chapter members visited the SMS shops at Center Square, Logan Township, on the morning of January 27. Locomotives in the shop on this day are, from left to right, EMD FP7 903 in Reading Company livery, Baldwin DS-4-4-750 102, Baldwin DS-4-4-1000 9069 in Pennsylvania Railroad livery, GE B23-7 1961, and Baldwin AS616 554. No. 554’s 608A prime mover has been rebuilt. Photo by John Burlage.

December Chapter Membership Meeting

West Jersey Chapter’s December membership meeting was held virtually via Zoom on Monday, December 30, 2024. WJC President Dave Homer and five other members take turns showing their photos from 10 years ago, illustrating the subtle and not-so-subtle changes in US railroading since then. In 2015, diesel heritage paint schemes were relatively new, as were Amtrak’s ACS-64 locomotives. On the other hand, the then-ubiquitous AEM-7s have since been fully retired. While many of these shots were taken in New Jersey, subjects as far away as Texas, Colorado, and Alaska are also covered. You can play a recording of this presentation by clicking on the image or by clicking here. The length of the program is 54:03. Photo by Will Dicke.