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.