The Sunday after Thanksgiving is the heaviest travel day of the year, so several West Jersey Chapter members witnessed the parade of Amtrak and SEPTA Trenton Local trains at the Cornwells Heights, Pa., station on the Northeast Corridor on November 30. Despite the rain, WJC members were able to photograph Amtrak cab car 9635 in its new livery, the new second-generation Acela trainsets, and both classes of SEPTA Silverliners. Photos by Dave Homer.
On Saturday, November 22, the Woodstown Central Railroad sponsored Operation Toy Train, supporting the Marines’ Toys for Tots Foundation. Stops to receive new, unwrapped toys and meet Santa were made in Salem, Woodstown, and Swedesboro. West Jersey Chapter members Randy Acorcey, Hank Cutler, Dave Homer, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Schwarz, and Paula Williamson were on hand to deliver toys. A total of 368 toys were collected. Many thanks to all those who donated to this worthy cause. Photos by or provided by Dave Homer.
On Saturday, November 22, a wooden border was installed around the display of the seven different types of track construction used by the Camden & Amboy Railroad in the 1830s. At upcoming work sessions the border will be aligned and the track will be ballasted with crushed stone. The display is just east of the NJ Transit Bordentown River Line station parking lot. Photos by John Burlage.
On Saturday, November 8, West Jersey Chapter members toured the remains of the World War I ordnance manufacturing facility at Belcoville, south of Mays Landing. “Belco” is an acronym for Bethlehem Loading Company. The facility was constructed in 1918, and was about 70 percent complete when the war ended in November, 1918. The plant had 24 miles of railroad track. For more information, see the following links: Belcoville, BLC Photo Collection, and Bethlehem Loading Company Sign Tour on Atlantic County’s website.
West Jersey Chapter held its annual meeting at the Francis J. Ward Recreation & Community Center in Audubon, N. J., and virtually via Zoom, on Monday, October 27, 2025. At this meeting the results of the annual election were announced. The minutes of the last annual meeting, held on October 28, 2024, were approved, and the following directors were re-elected to serve as the Director Class of 2028: Randy Acorcey, Steve Grous, Pierre Lacombe, Don Lee, Rich Magee, and Kyle Payne. Congratulations! The cost of conducting the annual election using paper ballots was also reviewed.
West Jersey Chapter members can receive a PDF copy of this presentation upon request. Please email us at board@westjersey-nrhs.org and request a copy.
On Saturday, October 25, the south rail of the Camden & Amboy Railroad track display in Bordentown was leveled, aligned, and gauged to 4 feet 8½ inches (standard gauge) between the rails. Project leader and WJC member Pierre Lacombe and his team of volunteers started today’s work by raising and leveling the stone sleepers, which weigh 400-500 pounds each. Pry bars were used to raise the sleepers enough so that stone or concrete shims could be placed beneath the sleepers. This done, the six other types of C&A track construction were leveled and aligned. The display is just east of the NJ Transit Bordentown River Line station parking lot.
Meanwhile, on the River Line, northbound trains ended their runs at the Bordentown station instead of Trenton because of trackwork being performed this weekend north of Bordentown. NJ Transit shuttle buses were employed to take passengers from Bordentown to Trenton, and vice versa for southbound trips. Photos by John Burlage.
West Jersey Chapter had a table at the Stratford Knights of Columbus show, held at John Paul II Regional Catholic School on Warwick Road in Stratford on Saturday, October 25. WJC’s table was manned by Ben Makem (left) and Hank Cutler, who sold Chapter publications, distributed information on WJC, and fielded questions about railroads and working train museums in South Jersey. WJC attends many train and railroadiana shows in our area. Please check our Event Calendar for upcoming shows in which we participate, drop by and say hello.
On Monday, October 20, West Jersey Chapter members met at our storage locker in Cherry Hill for a work session. Photographs from our collection were culled, and books and periodicals reserved for the WJC library were sorted, culled and boxed. Books and photographs in WJC’s collection cover a wide range to topics germane to our region. Work sessions are normally scheduled for 9:00 AM on Mondays and last about three hours. If you would like to help out, please email Dave Homer for details. Photos by John Burlage.
On Sunday, October 19, the north rail of the Camden & Amboy Railroad track display in Bordentown was leveled and aligned. This was accomplished by running a plumb line along the inside edge of the rail and either raising or lowering the components of each type of track construction so that the rail was level and resting upon stringers, cross ties, and stone sleepers throughout the display. The most challenging task was to raise or lower the stone sleepers, which weigh 400-500 pounds each. The display is just east of the NJ Transit Bordentown River Line station parking lot. Photos by John Burlage.
On Saturday, October 18, West Jersey Chapter participated in the 10th Annual Wenonah Cemetery Walk, where reenactors portrayed historic men and women from Wenonah’s past. WJC Treasurer Scott Barnes portrayed Dr. Harry A. Stout (1864-1923), who ministered to the townspeople. The Wenonah Historical Society and the Wenonah Cemetery Association sponsored this event. The cemetery is located across the Mantua Creek in Mantua Township on high ground. This was the first year vendors were invited to the event, and several historical societies were represented. Photos by Dave Homer.
On Saturday, October 4, several West Jersey Chapter members traveled to the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg, Pa., which is owned and run by the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society. The museum boasts many railroad-related exhibits, including the Race Street Tower interlocking machine and model board, an extensive archives, and a large collection of rolling stock. Lunch was on board Reading Company business car No. 15, which is in the process of being restored by RCT&HS and WJC member Kevin Painter.
Prior to our visit to the museum, our group photographed the Reading & Northern’s excursion to Jim Thorpe, Pa., at North Reading, the Industrial Drive grade crossing (“MULLER”) in Tilden Twp., and Molino. Photos by James Brazel, John Burlage, Michael Burshtin, Dave Homer, and Kevin Painter. Group photo by Steve Brodecki.
West Jersey Chapter’s September membership meeting was held in-person at the Audubon Senior Center and virtually via Zoom on Monday, September 22, 2025. Drew Marshall of the Delaware and Susquehanna Model Railroad Club presented a program of his contemporary railroad photos from New England, the Delmarva Peninsula, and the Philadelphia area called Trackside Potpourri. You can play a recording of the presentation by clicking on the image or by clicking here. The length of the program is 22:34.
At our September membership meeting, held at the Audubon Senior Center on Monday, September 22, five West Jersey Chapter members were honored with NRHS Service Awards. Receiving 25-year pins were Michael C. Brotzman, Kelvin L. MacKavanagh, Andrew S. Russell, and Paula R. Williamson, and receiving his 60-year pin was Richard J. Magee. Paula and Rich were on hand to receive their pins and certificates from WJC President Dave Homer. Photos by John Burlage
On Saturday, September 13, four stone slabs were moved into place (each weighing about 400-500 lbs.) to recreate the type of track construction used near Robbinsville where strap rail was affixed to stone slabs to provide a running surface. These slabs were cut earlier by project leader (and WJC member) Pierre Lacombe from larger stones using the pin-and-feather method. The wooden T-rails were removed and replaced by 30-foot sections of 35 lb. T-rail, the same weight of rail used on the original Camden & Amboy Railroad. The weight of T-rail is measured by the yard, so each section of rail weighs about 350 lbs. Photos by John Burlage.
On Friday, September 12, West Jersey Chapter members Scott Barnes, John Burlage, Michael Coventree, Bill Ducommun, Dave Homer, and Brian Yates traveled to the Perryville, Md., station for a day of train watching on the Northeast Corridor. A Friday was chosen for this informal event as MARC trains serve Perryville only on weekdays. We were on hand to view MARC trains 502 and 525 in the morning, and trains 520 and 537 in the afternoon. There was a parade of Amtrak trains throughout the day, including both the old and new Acelas, and a Norfolk Southern train came down the Port Road and headed north along the Northeast Corridor. Members of the Perryville Chapter, NRHS, were on hand to answer questions on local rail history and expected train movements, and they opened up the station for us so we could view their model railroad, historic photographs, and artifact collection. West Jersey Chapter extends its thanks to the Perryville Chapter for a wonderful day trackside. Photos by Dave Homer and John Burlage. Group photo by Richard Hafer, President of the Perryville Chapter, NRHS.
West Jersey Chapter’s August membership meeting was held virtually via Zoom on Monday, August 25, 2025. WJC member Brian Yates presented photos of the Central Railroad of New Jersey from the Chapter’s Francis Palmer Collection. Stations, yards, and locomotives are featured across the system, moving westward from New York City to Scranton, PA. Chapter members fill in additional caption information throughout. Francis Palmer (1901-1993) initially worked as a PRR clerk, using his railroad travel pass to photograph stations all over the railroad’s territory. After being laid off during the Great Depression he left the railroad industry but turned his attention to documenting locomotives and steamships. WJC purchased his photographic collection after his death. You can play a recording of the presentation by clicking on the image or by clicking here. The length of the program is 1:18:19.
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.
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.
West Jersey Chapter’s August membership meeting was held virtually via Zoom on Monday, August 11, 2025. WJC Vice President Fred Ciocciola takes us on a cross-country road trip to visit the many interesting railroad yards, stations, and transit operations centered in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Fort Worth, and Dallas. Among his more unusual finds is a 1909 Brill that is the oldest streetcar operating in daily service in North America. You can play a recording of the presentation by clicking on the image or by clicking here. The length of the program is 1:05:38.
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.
