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Thursday, December 10, 2009

The Tuckerton Railroad

I included a story about the Walter Adams farm in New Gretna by Ben Allen in the December 7, 2009 Blog. Ben mentioned, in the first paragraph reprinted below, that Walter Adams' stage coach made trips from New Gretna to Tuckerton where your could catch the train to New York City and beyond. (I still don't have a photo of Walter Adams. I wonder if there is a member of the Adams family out there in the Blog-O-Sphere who might have a photo of Walter and his family?)

The big barn on Walter Adams farm housed four cows, a bull, four or more horses plus salt hay, bedding hay, a stage coach, a sled, and several wagons used to haul hay, wood, etc. The cows provided milk for many people in the area. The stage coach was used to take people to and from Tuckerton. I don’t know what the fee or schedule was, but you had to go to Tuckerton to catch the train to New York, etc.

That there was a train line and railroad station in Tuckerton may come as a surprise to some of our Blog readers, as there is little evidence that such a service ever existed. The only hint that I have seen while travelling around Tuckerton is the street sign at an intersection of North Green Street and Railroad Avenue the street that I take to get to the Tuckerton Lumber Company for my home improvement projects.


The street sign at the corner of North Green Street and Railroad Avenues provides a hint that a railroad station was once present nearby. (December 9, 2009 photo by Pete Stemmer.)

The old Tuckerton Railroad station was located at the corner of North Green Street and Railroad Avenue about where the Concrete Depot building is now located. (December 9, 2009 photo by Pete Stemmer.)

Present day site of the old Tuckerton Rairoad Station at the corner of North Green Street and Railroad Avenue. (Map courtesy of Bing Maps.)

The Tuckerton Railroad was built in 1871 from Whiting to Tuckerton, mainly to meet steam ships that would bring summer tourist to Long Beach Island. Over the years additional track was layed and the line was linked to others that ran to New York and Philadelphia. The railroad became a boom to the local shell fish dealers as they were able to get their oysters and clams to big city markets on a regular schedule. They no longer had to depend on the weather for the shipping of their products by schooner. The railroad was also popular with the locals as they could travel from Tuckerton to West Creek, Mayetta, Manahawkin, Barnegat, and other shore towns.

The increased use of the automobile, along with better area roads, led to decreasing business for the railroad, and it gradually became less and less profitable. It finally closed in 1940 with the scrapping of the 50 year old Engine No.5 at Barnegat.


Engine #5, shown above at Tuckerton in 1933, was scrapped in 1940 at Barnegat. (Photo courtesy of the Tuckerton Historical Society.)

I'm not sure when the Tuckerton railroad station and the auxiliary buildings on North Green Street were dismantled or demolished. Perhaps one of our Blog readers can fill in those details.

Following are some photos of the old Tuckerton Railroad station and auxiliary buildings.

Tuckerton Railroad Station - 1940
Photo courtesy of the Tuckerton Historical Society



Tuckerton Railroad Station - 1930
Photo courtesy of the Tuckerton Historical Society



Tuckerton Railroad Station Old Freight House - 1946
Photo courtesy of the Tuckerton Historical Society



Tuckerton Railroad Station Coal House - 1946
Photo courtesy of the Tuckerton Historical Society



Tuckerton Railroad Station Water Tower - 1946
Photo courtesy of the Tuckerton Historical Society


Tuckerton Railroad Engine #4 on a turntable - 1899
Photo courtesy of the Tuckerton Historical Society



Tuckerton Railroad Coach #6 - 1933
Photo courtesy of the Tuckerton Historical Society


Two Tuckerton men, Archelaus Pharo and Theophilus T. Price, were largely responsible for the railroad coming to Tuckerton.


Archelaus Pharo
Photo courtesy of the Tuckerton Historical Society



Dr. Theophilus T. Price
Photo courtesy of the Tuckerton Historical Society


You could take the Tuckerton Railroad line going north or south to a variety of towns and larger cities, according to the following 1874 Time Table.


Time Table courtesy of the Tuckerton Historical Society


Following are samples of some of the tickets that you may have collected when travelling on the Tuckerton Railroad.


Tuckerton Railroad ticket courtesy of Tuckerton Historical Society.



Tuckerton Railroad ticket courtesy of Tuckerton Historical Society.




Tuckerton Railroad ticket courtesy of Tuckerton Historical Society.



Tuckerton Railroad ticket courtesy of Tuckerton Historical Society.



Tuckerton Railroad ticket courtesy of Tuckerton Historical Society.



Just think, you could get to all of the above destinations from New Gretna by first taking Walter Adams' stage to Tuckerton.

Pete S

PS-

Anyone wishing additional information on the Tuckerton Railroad may find the book "The Tuckerton Railroad: A Chronicle of Transport to the New Jersey Seashore" by John Brinckmann at the Bass River Community Library. The Tuckerton Historical Society also has the book in its library collection as well as an exhibit on the Tuckerton Railroad which includes photos, tickets, and memorabilia. The Society Museum, housed in the old Giffortown School House, is on Leitz Boulevard in West Tuckerton and is opened on Wednesdays from 10 AM to 4 PM. It will be closed for the Christmas holidays from December 10, 2009 thru January 12, 2010. It will reopen Wednesday, January 13th.


The Tuckerton Railroad exhibit at the Tuckerton Historical Society. (January 17, 2007 photo by Pete Stemmer.)

You can visit the Tuckerton Historical Society's Web Site by clicking on the link below:


23 comments:

  1. Where were the Middle Branch and Lacy Stations? The former station along Railraod Ave, west of Rt 9 in Forked River was the CNJ.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I lived in West Creek and I remember watching as they took up the track. It had to be around 1940 or 1941

    ReplyDelete
  3. hi I have 100s of 1912-1930s tuckerton railroad schedules documents,signed paperwork letters schedules etc from this r.r at home and some now on ebay for those interested in history of the railroad.Most items signed by a Mr John Price and a mr edwin Marjoree?

    ReplyDelete
  4. gmulf@att.net

    interested in Tuckerton RR history for the Live steam railroad group in Bass River Twp-New Gretna

    please email me

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