Rahway Valley Railroad
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| Rahway Valley Railroad | |
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| Reporting marks | RV |
| Locale | Northern New Jersey |
| Dates of operation | 1895 – 1992 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Kenilworth, New Jersey |
The Rahway Valley Railroad (RVRR) was a shortline railroad that formerly operated over a span of 97 years (ending in 1992) in Union County, New Jersey between Roselle Park and Summit, with a number of branch lines that served local industries. The Rahway Valley Railroad connected the Lehigh Valley Railroad in Roselle Park and the Central Railroad of New Jersey in Cranford and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western in Summit.
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[edit] History
The predecessor railroad to Rahway Valley Railroad started in 1895 as the New York and New Orange Railroad. The initial segment of tracks ran from Kenilworth, New Jersey to Alden, where it connected with the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Central Jersey Railroad. The railroad was originally created as part of an industrial development project in New Orange (now Kenilworth), it was acquired in 1904 by New York Social Register publisher Louis Keller to provide passenger rail service to Baltusrol Golf Club, of which he was a founder.
In 1905, the name was changed to the Rahway Valley Railroad. The Rahway Valley Railroad added trackage over the years and finally reached its final length of 17 miles when it connected to the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W) in 1931 in Summit, New Jersey. The DL&W connection turned the railroad from a marginal shortline operation into a steady money maker, as carloads from the DL&W were transported over the Rahway Valley Railroad. [1]
Later years saw the railroad run as a freight-only line. The Rahway Valley Railroad was vital to industry in the area, with customers ranging from small fuel companies to large companies such as Monsanto. The Rahway Valley Railroad was bought by the New York Susquehanna & Western Railroad's parent company Delaware Otsego Corporation on December 22, 1986.
Delaware Otsego Corporation did little to revitilize the former Rahway Valley Railroad and broader macro economic trends did not help. As customers switched to truck freight, moved away, or went out of business, the former Rahway Valley Railroad withered to the point that service was ended entirely in 1992 by then owner Delaware Otsego Corporation.
[edit] Depression
The Rahway Valley Railroad was one of the most successful shortline railroads in U.S. history, even turning a profit during the Great Depression. During its lifetime, the RVRR was instrumental in the development of Kenilworth, site of its headquarters, as well as Union, Springfield, and other towns along its route. The RVRR provided both freight and limited passenger services during its early years. Freight became the RVRR's only revenue source after passenger operations were ended in the mid 20th Century, as people switched to automobiles.
[edit] Current Status
Much of the right-of-way is abandoned as of 2006. The Morristown and Erie Railway (M&E) was contracted by the State of New Jersey in 2001 to refurbish and operate the southern portion of the former Rahway Valley Railroad. M&E operations on the southern portion of the former Rahway Valley Railroad commenced in July 2005 and connect to the newly restored Staten Island Railway on Staten Island, New York and the national rail network via an interchange with Conrail Shared Assets in Cranford. Union County is attempting to re-activate the entire abandoned right-of-way from Summit to Cranford, and may contract with a shortline operator such as the M&E to operate the line.
