Bordentown Camden & Amboy Railroad Historic District Project Update V

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.

10th Annual Wenonah Cemetery Walk & History Festival

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.

Reading Railroad Heritage Museum Trip

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.

September Chapter Membership Meeting - Part 2

WJC Vice President Fred Ciocciola shows us what it was like to attend the 100th anniversary of the golden spike that completed the first U. S. transcontinental railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. In addition to photos of the ceremony itself, we get to see Union Pacific and Southern Pacific showing off their best locomotives and rolling stock such as UP’s 4-8-4 #8444. Shots of local railroad action, a huge Kennecott Copper mine, and the peaceful Great Salt Lake scenery round out the presentation. You can play a recording of the presentation by clicking on the image or by clicking here. The length of the program is 32:07.

September Chapter Membership Meeting - Part 1

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.

Special Presentation: 2025 NRHS Service Awards

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

Bordentown Camden & Amboy Railroad Historic District Project Update IV

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.

Perryville Trip

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.

August Chapter Membership Meeting

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.

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.

August Chapter Membership Meeting

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.

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 I

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.

July Chapter Membership Meeting

West Jersey Chapter’s July membership meeting was held virtually via Zoom on Monday, July 28, 2025. WJC member Don Lee shows us the many facets of the world’s first railroad war. Although the nation as a whole had 30,000 miles of track, many railroad lines were built to serve local needs, not to serve as a unified network. Railroads became vital in moving troops and munitions, which also made them valuable targets for opposing forces. At the end of the war, railroads helped the nation mourn the loss of President Abraham Lincoln. The war years advanced American railroading in terms of standardization, management practices, and in 1869 the first transcontinental rail line. You can play a recording of the presentation by clicking on the image or by clicking here. The length of the program is 1:21:15.

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.