Trainspotting

I have lived near train tracks my entire life. Multiple times during the day and night, freight trains rumble past. The tracks used to be Conrail, now they’re CSX. I remember when the locomotives started going by with a new name on their side. Now, I have even started to see some from Norfolk-Southern and BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe). A couple of weeks ago I even saw Union Pacific cars. As many people who live in the area can attest, a great majority of train cars now consist of matte black tanker cars – probably transporting crude oil.

“Trainspotting” as a hobby isn’t always held in the highest esteem in popular culture. There is a particularly good bit of British slang that could be used to describe a trainspotter – an “anorak” – meaning an obsessive fan of a niche subject. I wouldn’t say I go that far – after all, most of my trainspotting has been by default. Who wouldn’t think it’s cool to see the Barnum & Bailey circus train going by? The sound of a train up close is awesome – reminding you how powerful and big a machine it is. From afar, it can be a soothing lullaby. And what can beat having the engineer reply by blowing the whistle when you wave to them?

If you are a trainspotter or railfan, there are many places to visit in our area, some close and some a bit further away.

A short drive will take you to the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad in New Hope, Pennsylvania. I’ve ridden in their “open air class” car. You ride through Bucks County, learning about the railroad and its history. 

When I was young, my grandparents often took me for rides on the Black River & Western Railroad in Flemington, New Jersey. I haven’t been in a long time but, when I’ve driven by, it looks just like I remember it. I remember seeing a restaurant called “Peachy’s” on the trip – as an adult I’ve wondered where it was located - I always looked for that sign!

Down in Wall Township, New Jersey is the Pine Creek Railroad which chugs through Allaire State Park. This one is a bit different – a narrow gauge railroad instead of regular-sized. The railroad is part of the New Jersey Museum of Transportation.

To get up close to trains and learn their history, visit Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Seeing the old steam engines is really cool – there is even a Union Pacific “Big Boy” engine parked out front. It’s huge!!! Down the road is the historic Lackawanna Station – now a hotel – a beautiful French Renaissance-style building constructed in 1908.

Really far out, but worth the trip, is the horseshoe curve in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It’s so neat. If you buy a ticket at the shop, you can go up to an observation platform right next to the tracks. 

A model railroad you can visit is Northlandz in Flemington, New Jersey, which I haven’t been to but have heard good things about. 

The industry knows there are train buffs out there and puts helpful information on their websites. Here are the ones for the companies I mentioned above:

BNSF – History and Tour

CSX – History and System Map

Conrail – History and System Map

Norfolk Southern – History

Union Pacific – History and Current

Of course, the Mercer County Library System has many books about trains and their history. A few titles that discuss New Jersey in particular are:

Iron Rails in the Garden State: Tales of New Jersey Railroading by Anthony J. Bianculli

Steam to Diesel in New Jersey by Charles P. Caldes

Railroads in New Jersey: The Formative Years by John T. Cunningham

Railroading in New Jersey by John T. Cunningham

Down Along the Old Bel-Del by Warren F. Lee

Railroads of New Jersey: Fragments of the Past in the Garden State Landscape by Lorett Treese

Some last thoughts – get a different perspective of New Jersey by taking a ride on New Jersey Transit. Just pick a destination and hop on board! If you’d rather walk your rails, check out 24 Great Rail-Trails of New Jersey by Craig Della Penna. I recommend the Paulinskill Valley Trail.

- by Andrea at Hopewell