FARMINGDALE, N.J. — The Delaware & Raritan River Railroad, a Chesapeake & Delaware subsidiary, celebrated the completion of its F&S Connection with a golden spike ceremony in Farmingdale on Oct. 13. The $12 million project extended D&RR’s Freehold Branch by 5 miles from Freehold to Farmingdale, where it joins D&RR’s Southern Branch. Interchange with Conrail, which had been at Jamesburg and Red Bank, is now consolidated at Jamesburg, making D&RR operation more efficient.
Speakers emphasized how state and local authorities cooperated to make the project a success. “This is such a great public-private project,” C&D president Kean Burenga said, “with benefits to the community, customers, and railroads alike.” Farmingdale Mayor Jim Daly and Howell Township Mayor Theresa Berger drove the last spike home with blows from a spike maul.
Hundreds attended, making the occasion resemble a town fair. Chesapeake & Delaware equipment was on display, joined by classic cars, two vintage Public Service busses, a pumper from the Farmingdale Fire Department, and several rail history and retiree organizations. Farmingdale’s kindergarten through eighth-grade classes also attended. And C&D made the day a company holiday so its employees could join the celebration.
The Freehold Branch began as the Jamesburg& Freehold Agricultural Railroad, chartered in 1851. It came under Pennsylvania Railroad control 20 years later. Regular service between Freehold and Farmingdale continued until Penn Central ended it in 1975. D&RR’s herald, clearly inspired by Pennsy’s, honors this heritage. The Southern Branch’s roots lie in the Raritan & Delaware Bay Railroad Co., chartered in 1854. It was reorganized as the New Jersey Southern before becoming a Central Railroad of New Jersey property in 1879. CNJ’s famous Blue Comet, between Jersey City and Atlantic City, operated over the line from 1929 to 1941.
I remember as a child we used to go to the lake in Jamesburg that is now Thompson Park to go swimming. One day the PRR doodlebug hauling one other passenger car headed east. It was probably the train from Trenton via Monmouth Jct.on the mainline.
“buses”
That beautiful EMD GP9 must be around 65 – 69 years old.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
I was invited to ride with the crew of 752 bach in 1997 when i visited the black River .
Congratulations DRR!
Dr. Güntürk Üstün