History Rahway Valley Railroad

1 history

1.1 new york , new orange railroad 1897–1901
1.2 new orange 4 junction railroad 1901–1905
1.3 rahway valley railroad 1904–1986
1.4 delaware otsego corporation 1986–1992

history
new york , new orange railroad 1897–1901

the predecessor railroad rv started in 1897 new york , new orange railroad. initial 4 miles of track ran kenilworth, new jersey, aldene, connected central railroad of new jersey. railroad created part of industrial development project in new orange (now kenilworth). railroad chartered in june, 1897 members of new orange industrial association serve factories in new orange (now kenilworth.) in charter railroad line given permission build summit, limited funds prevented this. year 1899 factories in new orange shut down, due economic recession. ny&no operated passenger trains year. 4-mile ny&no became unprofitable , stopped paying taxes , sold under foreclosure in 1901 hastily organized new orange 4 junction railroad.

new orange 4 junction railroad 1901–1905

this short-lived railroad organized william w. cole , several partners, held interests in new orange industrial association, take on foreclosed upon new york , new orange railroad. during entire 4 years of operation break-even deal railroad. in 1903 nofj contracted pennsylvania railroad remove soil tin kettle hill prr s approach new york city tunnel. prr became interested in line , helped acquire right-of-way build line summit. prr had plans extend railroad south line. surveys line summit made in 1902. due financial problems in company nofj never extended summit. in july 1904 rahway valley railroad chartered build kenilworth summit. mr. cole, president of nofj became associated new line , appointed president. nofj , rahway valley railroad consolidated on march 1, 1905.

rahway valley railroad 1904–1986

view of rahway valley railroad @ summit circa 1910



rvrr bridge on rahway river

louis keller, founder of baltusrol golf club, dissatisfied transportation golf club on rough dirt roads existed in union county, new jersey in 1900s. further frustrated efforts of new orange industrial association, , 2 railroads ny&no , nofj, build rail line kenilworth summit. keller became involved project called cross county railroad in 1903 in invested, project went bust. decided take matters own hands , form rahway valley railroad on july 18, 1904. not being experienced in managing , building railroads, keller became associated nofj president william w. cole , brought him on rvrr president, nofj , rvrr consolidated on march 1, 1905.

through efforts of keller , cole line extended summit in 1906, denied access connect delaware, lackawanna, , western railroad in summit. on next twenty-five years court battles ensue on connection before 1 made in 1931.

in 1909, lower costs, keller created lessee company, rahway valley company, lease entire railroad to, in-order lower costs. lessee company controlled keller family entire existence. rahway valley railroad company owned of track, stations, , other structures, roselle park summit, , monsanto branch, operations carried out lessee.

in 1914 when world war started rahway valley railroad experienced boom in activity. gunpowder plant built american can co. in 1914 on unionbury branch. plant known “fireworks factory” opened on unionbury branch czarist russia, , shipped via rv. disaster on unionbury branch destroyed fireworks factory, , rumors of german spies caused line hire armed guards protect rails foreign infiltrators. american can co. provided string of 8 coaches came staten island via staten island railway every morning loaded workers , transferred rv. lehigh valley ran trains kenilworth time bring in workers, , cnj shipped many 5,000 arsenal workers day 3 shifts. @ peak rv carried thousands of workers factories around clock.

in 1918 signing of treaty of versailles world war came end, , freight traffic severely declined , passenger traffic disappeared. lack of traffic railroad put compromised position. railroading experience of william w. cole disappeared unexpected death in 1915, replacement charles wittenberg died in 1919. louis keller, turn, , no ability operate railroad himself, brought roger a. clark , son george company in 1919. through roger clark s ability attract business on line line s financial situation began turn around.

in 1921, louis keller died. executors of estate appointed roger clark president. first move discontinue passenger service. since 1918 there 2 passenger trains day consisted of 1 passenger coach , locomotive no. 5 cater keller s golfing pals, clarks called blue chip fellows. next clark upgraded increasingly deteriorating rahway valley railroad locomotive fleet. nos. 9 & 10 put out pasture unneeded , scrapped. in 1927 no. 12 purchased, deemed large , retired in 1929. wasn t until 1929 nos. 13 & 14 purchased rvrr phased out older locomotives.

roger clark died in 1932 , keller estate put son george a. clark in helm of president. under george clark rahway valley railroad made actual first net profit in many years in 1934. clark continued attract new businesses locate on line. increase in larger industry along railroad occurred. 1950s increase of improved highways, trucks began chipping away @ rahway valley s business market.

clark forced himself dieselize railroad in 1951 purchase of 70-ton locomotive no. 16 general electric. few years rahway valley interchangeably used steam (#13 & 15) , diesel (#16) power until second diesel locomotive (#17) purchased in 1954. no.13 scrapped , no.15 put storage in kenilworth until sold steamtown in 1959.

george a. clark died in office in old kenilworth station in 1969. son robert g. clark created president. time george clark died significant decrease in traffic on rahway valley railroad seen. smaller profits came deferred track maintenance , weeds seen growing along line. in 1970s came closing of line in maplewood. bob clark attempted attract new business line, , temporarily successful, base still being taken out under him. unexpectedly died in 1975.

the keller estate, still owners of railroad, appointed experienced railroader benard cahill presidency. cahill able bring new life railroad. secured grants state update trackage , secured new office space in former lehigh valley passenger coach purchased , parked on siding in kenilworth, previous offices in old kenilworth station burned in 1974.

in 1980 passenger trains again run on rahway valley railroad, albeit week, occasion of u.s. open being held @ baltusrol golf club. trains run between kenilworth , baltustol in push-pull formation nos. 16 & 17. train, sponsored union county trust company, used passenger coaches rented cooperstown & charlotte valley railroad in new york.

despite improvements , revitalization, formation of conrail in 1976 put rahway valley railroad in awkward situation. having 3 independent railroads connecting it, rvrr had 1 railroad connecting in 3 separate places. conrail last train ran summit in 1976. no longer using summit connection, rvrr increasingly used former lehigh valley connection , less , less used former cnj connection @ aldene. despite these new predicaments rvrr under cahill kept trudging along, increasingly relying on largest customer, monsanto corp. in kenilworth, more smaller customers switched trucks.

delaware otsego corporation 1986–1992

in 1986, rahway valley railroad unable purchase liability insurance. line in turn sold delaware otsego corporation (do), operates new york, sushquehanna, , western. nos. 16 & 17 removed line in 1989, , put service in binghamton, ny. replacement no. 120 of nys&w, emd sw9 built emd.

the did little revitalize line. deferred track maintenance , customers became disenchanted lines new management , turned trucks. do, operators of former staten island rapid transit line cranford linden, began using aldene connection had received less maintenance in years past, derailments frequent. in 1988, now-unused former lehigh valley connection removed. monsanto corp. closed , jaeger lumber discontinued service in 1991. virtually no business left serve delaware otsego corp. closed rahway valley railroad along staten island rapid transit line in april 1992, rvrr having 1 customer left.