Southern Railroad of New Jersey

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
While we were with Stan inside the White Horse Inn at Chatsworth, talking about the Blue Comet and the Central RR as the festival whirled on outside, he mentioned that a couple of cars from the Comet were on a siding down near Winslow. Afterward my friend, who works for a mosquito control commission and treats down in that area, said he thought he knew where they were. So with no other important plans we said goodbye to the crowds and headed south by way of Hawkin Bridge to Nesco for gas. Then it was off to the junction.

When we arrived we noticed smoke coming from an old caboose, and not too much later after snapping a couple quick pics, and setting a chained Pit Bull Terrier to barking, we met the occupant. He was happy to have us wander a bit and take some more pics. I asked him what all this classic rolling stock and power was doing on a siding near Winslow Junction, and he informed me somewhat indignantly that "this is a working railroad!" Later, he told us that SRNJ stands for "Someone Really Needs Junk." Here are some pics of some of that "junk."

A decrepit passenger car. I was not able to make out any livery, but the paint is almost entirely gone anyway.



The nicest unit on the siding: a somewhat freshly painted caboose in SRNJ livery.



A Maine Coast RR passenger car.



I'm thinking this is an ALCO FA-series. At least I am sure about the ALCO part, because we were told that almost all the power on the siding was ALCO. You don't see too many of these sitting around.



A passenger car from the Texas and Mexicana, about which railroad I have been able to learn nothing so far.



The interior of the Texas and Mexicana passenger car. Things have been painted over and torn up, but you can get a sense of how ornate it once was.



Some more ALCO power. What I think are a couple of C series, but I am not really sure. Jerseyman would likely know. They might be four-axle yard power too, I suppose.





The only GE power on the siding; a small switcher.



A Jersey Central B unit.



Now we come to what brung us. This is the first of the two cars that our new friend at the siding confirmed were part of the Blue Comet consist.



And the second, tucked off alongside a tanker and harder to get a good shot of.

 

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
Well, it's definitely not open. Some of the passenger cars have trespassing notices on them. The property which the siding sits on wasn't prominently posted, but it did have a Pit Bull tied up on the far side of the tracks :). Once I explained what I was doing the fellow in the caboose was personable, and volunteered some good information. He really didn't seem to mind, so I would guess as long as you aren't climbing around on stuff you'll be fine.
 

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,341
327
Near Mt. Misery
Nice!! On a side note: I was walking down the main drag into the franklin Parker Preserve (by Chatsworth lake heading south) with my son and noticed and old passenger car (?) setting out behind the first house/office on the right. This is right along the old RR tracks and I wondered what historical significance that old car has. This would be fairly close to the spot of the blue comet accident.

Jeff
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,648
8,254
We have a member of this site who does not post anymore who posted photo's years ago of the trains there. He is a train nut and couldn't pass on going there.

Nice photo's!

Guy
 

MuckSavage

Explorer
Apr 1, 2005
599
218
56
Turnersville
I've been there a few times. I didn't really know what I was looking at, but I sat in my vehicle and just thought of how cool they must've been in their prime.
Somewhere down that way, along the Black Horse Pike, but on the opposite side (say the west side) there's either an old rail car of bus (hard to tell which from the pike) lying in the woods a few yards from the roads edge. I think the area is posted, so I never stopped to take a good look at what it is.
 
Oct 25, 2006
1,757
1
73
Great photos Mark, i always when i am in the Hammonton area like to stop at the Junction for a look see, you took us up close and personal with your pics.

Jim
 

omega

Explorer
not really a train nut, but after working in Scranton PA television news when Steamtown first came to the Electric City, I was kind of a train nut by proxy. ;-)

We used to use a shot of one of the engines for a station ID, I am sure that is somewhere in my archive of 3/4" videotape (which I really need to go thru, catalog and convert to DV). One of the last stories I did when working there I did a stand up in the turntable, surrounded by 4 foot high weeds talking about their plans to restore the roundtable and use it was an education theatre in the round. when I went back several years later for a visit, the transformation was astounding, exhibits everywhere and the roundtable was working, with a working steam loco. I guess their plans changed. I haven't been back there is several years, my wife doesn't get the attraction, but I would love to take the excurstion to Moscow. I did it on a media trip way back when it was a side show without a main attraction.

sorry for the ride down memory lane. anyone been to Steamtown? or know what's up with the steam loco at the PineCreek Railroad, that hasn't run in years ( I have video of that somewhere as well)
 

Y-BUC-BILL

Explorer
Mar 9, 2007
129
26
When I was a kid I lived in Pleasantville.Remember the steam engines going across the meadows to Atlantic City.I remember the Blue Comet and the Boardwalk Flyer.The good old days.
 

devilstoy

Explorer
Nov 21, 2008
355
1
44
lindenwold
i came acrossed this one day over the summer by accident , its not to far from where i live and always wondered what the story was behind all those old trains , i must have spent almost 2 hours there and just amazed by the history , i didnt come across anyone or any pitbulls , even the building across the street was completly empty at the time i was there
 
I've been there a few times. I didn't really know what I was looking at, but I sat in my vehicle and just thought of how cool they must've been in their prime.
Somewhere down that way, along the Black Horse Pike, but on the opposite side (say the west side) there's either an old rail car of bus (hard to tell which from the pike) lying in the woods a few yards from the roads edge. I think the area is posted, so I never stopped to take a good look at what it is.

I've seen that too and I always say im gonna go check it out. I think I may sometime this week.
 

devilstoy

Explorer
Nov 21, 2008
355
1
44
lindenwold
I've seen that too and I always say im gonna go check it out. I think I may sometime this week.

its really cool , espeacially if you have kids , like i siad i came acrossed it by accident and spent hours there even tho its not very big , i just parked under bridge in the grass and walked around , ill try to pull the coridnates off my gps for anyone who wants to go
 

Mts83

Explorer
Oct 24, 2008
207
1
Sourland Mountains
www.wtfda.info
Yea, Winslow junction is a great spot to explore around, railfan or not... besides all the old trains/car around you can usually find a crew working on painting or restoring an engine or car as well. Its always nice when you have an area that hasn't been commercialized.

Heres a more direct shot of that caboose:
2236457763_9fc5f7622a.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22516573@N07/2236457763/
 
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