Atsion Turntable
- Thread starter Teegate
- Start date
All,
Did you know that Atsion had a turntable? Let me explain, and if you have “The Trail of the Blue Comet” turn to page 149.
A turntable was used to turn the engine, or for that matter, any individual train car around so that it was heading in the opposite direction. For example, if a train arrived from Atlantic City at Atsion, and they wanted to have the same engine return to AC from there, they would drive the engine onto the turntable and rotate it around. They then could return it to the main track, hook up, and return to AC.
It was a good day
Guy
Guy:
As you note, railroads used turntables to turn locomotives, but seldom used them to turn cars unless you are talking about self-propelled cars, which the R&DB, VRR, and the NJS did not use. Passenger cars featured "walkover" seats--seats where a trainman could reverse the position of the back to allow passengers to ride facing forward.
Although today we think of the rail route through the Pines as one continuous railroad, remember that beginning in October 1870, Atsion served as a junction point between the New Jersey Southern Railroad and Charles K. Landis's Vineland Railway. The turntable and the engine houses (two total) belonged to the Vineland Railway because Atsion represented the company's northernmost terminus. Contrarily, the NJS had the option to turn locomotives at Jackson Junction (now Atco) or to run in reverse back up to Manchester (now Lakehurst), where the NJS maintained its primary shop complex including a roundhouse and turntable. However, I'm sure the NJS engine crews took advantage of the VRR's turntable on occasion.
Good job, Guy, finding the center pivot block and the landscape features representing postbellum railroading in the Pines! I hope you and Jessica enjoyed the exploration opportunity.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
It appears Winslow Junction did not have one, and I see no mention of Hammonton.
Guy
Thank you Paul and all of you for your kind words. Paul..I just mentioned the cars turning because I would think if they wanted to they could, so I mentioned it. I had no idea if they did or not. I was thinking that if for some reason a coupler on one end of a car was damaged, they could turn it around and then be able to connect up and pull it to have it fixed.
I will be looking for another one, most likely in two weeks. I also will go back to Atsion and videotape the depression. You can't get the proper perspective without a wide angle lens on a camera. I would have to break out my 35MM which is not going to happen.
Guy
The other spot for a turntable i was thinking about was whiting junction,never thought about manchester,thank you guy,and thank you paul for all the very informative info.
Guy:
I deliberately used the word "seldom" because there are always exceptions to standard operating procedures. I never say "never"! For the sake of those unfamiliar with railroad operations, I just wanted to clarify that railroads--or at least these railroads--did not normally turn cars on turntables.
Back in the 1980s, the local pizza shop owners in Lakehurst wanted to construct condos where the roundhouse, turntable, and machine shop once stood in Lakehurst. As a result, the Pinelands Commission ordered a Cultural Resource survey of the land. The project went into a full Phase III data recovery archaeological investigation. While I provided the documentary evidence of what the archaeologist uncovered, the once-active site again resurfaced. Not only did they reveal the entire roundhouse foundation and floor, but the crews excavated the center pivot block for the turntable, the powerhouse and the machine shop, including the foundation for the wheel lathe and the forges in the blacksmith shop. It was a great project in which to be involved and I still retain vivid memories (and slides!!) of the entire site before heavy equipment reburied the remains. Although the project report has languished unfinished for some twenty years, I understand the original clients have recently come forward with the necessary funds to complete the project.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
James:
Whitings did, indeed, feature a turntable--a 60-foot "Armstrong" turntable primarily for the use of Tuckerton Railroad locomotives. With the construction of larger locomotives during the twentieth century, many smaller turntables became obsolete. Such was the case in Lakehurst. As the CNJ phased out its 4-4-0 locomotives, the turntable, and, consequently, the roundhouse at Lakehurst went out of service. For a time, the railroad pinned the turntable to provide rail access to the machine shop building, but that ended with the arrival of the Great Depression.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
Great going Paul,and also to the pinelands commission,hopefully the project will soon be completed,another historic site almost lost to condos,at least it is buried and preserved.
look in the lower right of this link for the type of locos that pulled the Blue comet
whitch include "camelbacks"
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/steam16.html
whitch include "camelbacks"
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/steam16.html
Onehand:
Thanks for the URL to a nice selection of Central Railroad of New Jersey steam locomotive images! Regarding Camelback engines pulling the Blue Comet, this change of motive power occurred as the Great Depression wore on and the CNJ could make better use of the big Pacific engines on other runs. During the first several years, however, the Central used only the G-3 4-6-2s. By the mid-1930s, the Comet's reduced consists only warranted the smaller Class 820 Pacifics or even more diminutive Class 590 Camelbacks.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
very nice
thats an awesome find. I drive the trails around Atsion quite often but i've never seen anything like that before. Very cool
thats an awesome find. I drive the trails around Atsion quite often but i've never seen anything like that before. Very cool
All,
With my success in finding the turntable at Atsion, I decided to see if the remains of one other turntable was still around, and headed out this morning to do just that. After first visiting Friendship and the Oswego lake area, we headed to Whiting with a location in mind where I felt it would be. I was concerned it was right in the middle of a road which obviously would have made the trip uninteresting, but needed to find out one way or another. Arriving at the location we were semi surprised at what we found.
The turntable remains are still there, even though only half of it is intact. The other half was torn up and placed in the pit of the second half. Because of this, one can’t find the center swivel base as we did at Atsion. This one is much more prevalent, with the walls still complete. Even some of the bolts are there with the nuts included. It must have been quite impressive when it was in use, turning the massive engines around.
The circular remains of the 60 foot turntable at Whiting built in the 1800’s.
The remains of the second half can be viewed in the pit.
Most of the pieces have this pipe embedded in them.
These are so very close to downtown Whiting, and people go by it every day. I wonder how many of them even know it is there? Then again most of them probably don’t even care. Anyway, history is everywhere
Guy
With my success in finding the turntable at Atsion, I decided to see if the remains of one other turntable was still around, and headed out this morning to do just that. After first visiting Friendship and the Oswego lake area, we headed to Whiting with a location in mind where I felt it would be. I was concerned it was right in the middle of a road which obviously would have made the trip uninteresting, but needed to find out one way or another. Arriving at the location we were semi surprised at what we found.
The turntable remains are still there, even though only half of it is intact. The other half was torn up and placed in the pit of the second half. Because of this, one can’t find the center swivel base as we did at Atsion. This one is much more prevalent, with the walls still complete. Even some of the bolts are there with the nuts included. It must have been quite impressive when it was in use, turning the massive engines around.
The circular remains of the 60 foot turntable at Whiting built in the 1800’s.
The remains of the second half can be viewed in the pit.
Most of the pieces have this pipe embedded in them.
These are so very close to downtown Whiting, and people go by it every day. I wonder how many of them even know it is there? Then again most of them probably don’t even care. Anyway, history is everywhere
Guy
Last edited:
Nice find Guy,that site is pretty impressive,huge.I am wondering where jerseyman said there was another turntable in lakehurst(which is buried)has a historic sign depicting the site?