Transportation Trips, Excursions, Special Journeys, Outings, Tours, and Milestones In, To, from Or Through New Jersey

TRANSPORTATION TRIPS, EXCURSIONS, SPECIAL JOURNEYS, OUTINGS, TOURS, AND MILESTONES IN, TO, FROM OR THROUGH NEW JERSEY Bill McKelvey, Editor, Updated to Mon., Mar. 8, 2021 INTRODUCTION This is a reference work which we hope will be useful to historians and researchers. For those researchers wanting to do a deeper dive into the history of a particular event or series of events, copious resources are given for most of the fantrips, excursions, special moves, etc. in this compilation. You may find it much easier to search for the RR, event, city, etc. you are interested in than to read the entire document. We also think it will provide interesting, educational, and sometimes entertaining reading. Perhaps it will give ideas to future fantrip or excursion leaders for trips which may still be possible. In any such work like this there is always the question of what to include or exclude or where to draw the line. Our first thought was to limit this work to railfan excursions, but that soon got broadened to include rail specials for the general public and officials, special moves, trolley trips, bus outings, waterway and canal journeys, etc. The focus has been on such trips which operated within NJ; from NJ; into NJ from other states; or, passed through NJ. We have excluded regularly scheduled tourist type rides, automobile journeys, air trips, amusement park rides, etc. NOTE: Since many of the following items were taken from promotional literature we can not guarantee that each and every trip was actually operated. Early on the railways explored and promoted special journeys for the public as a way to improve their bottom line. Some railroads promoted the natural and scenic beauty along their lines. Both the Jersey Central and the Lackawanna extended service to Lake Hopatcong and for decades brought thousands there for weekend day trips or for summer vacations. The Jersey Central delivered their travelers direct to the lake at Nolan’s Point. The Lackawanna excursionists walked across the Landing station platform and boarded steam yachts on the Morris Canal for the short journey up the Feeder Canal, were locked up into the lake, and were delivered right to the dock of the hotel of their choice. North Jersey railroads touted the cool mountains along their routes for summer vacations. The Lackawanna ran scores of special trains up to the Poconos to bring visitors to resorts and youth to summer camps. When they ran short of regular coaches for camp trains the DL&W employed strings of their electric MU cars, with pantographs tied down and hauled by their famous Pocono steam locomotives. The Lackawanna well promoted their trains to the Pocono Mountains. So did the Erie, NY, Ontario & Western, Lehigh Valley, Jersey Central and West Shore / NY Central promote travel to the mountains along their routes. The Lehigh Valley Railroad built and operated Bellwood Park on the east side of Jugtown Mountain and another, Glen Onoko, in PA. The Pennsy, Jersey Central and Reading took advantage of the service they could offer to destinations along the Jersey Shore, including Asbury Park, Atlantic City, Cape May and others. Scores of special excursions were operated to international, national, state and local fairs and exhibits, events, circuses, resorts, parks, etc. Many other hundreds of specials were operated for church, fraternal and association groups. The trolley companies saw additional revenue in providing service on Sundays and evenings to parks and resorts when their cars were normally idle. This was back in the day when the work week was six days. Many amusement parks, such as Palisades, Olympic, Bertram’s Island, etc. were organized, financed and even operated by the trolley companies. The last original “trolley” park in NJ, Clementon, closed in 2019. It had been served originally by trolley and the Reading Railroad, then by Public Service All-Service Vehicles, later by PS buses, and finally by NJ Transit buses. Trolleys served many lakes in South Jersey as well as Lake Hopatcong, Verona Lake, etc. in North Jersey. Trolleys served beach communities all along the North Jersey Coast as well as in Atlantic City, Ocean City, Wildwood, Cape May, and others. We hope this work will be helpful to historians and researchers. Lastly, this compilation should be considered a work in progress. Surely there are many other excursions, fantrips, specials, etc. which could be eligible for inclusion. Here is a perfect example: the NY Division of Railroad Enthusiasts had a collection of all their past fantrip notices. Someone “borrowed” the archive and never returned it… Please contact the editor if you have info to offer: [email protected] 1772: The first stage coach was used in New Jersey for public transportation by Joseph Hart's Philadelphia Coach Line. His route was from Powles Hook (Jersey City) via Newark, Elizabeth and Trenton. It provided the most comfortable means of travel as well as the most expensive. 1776: (Dec. 25) During the American Revolution, Patriot General George Washington crossed the Delaware River with 5,400 troops, hoping to surprise a Hessian force celebrating Christmas at their winter quarters in Trenton. The crossing was primarily made with shallow draft, rowed Durham cargo vessels. The unconventional attack came after several months of substantial defeats for Washington’s army that had resulted in the loss of NYC and other strategic points in the region. At about 11 pm on Christmas, Washington’s army commenced its crossing of the half-frozen river at three locations. The 2,400 soldiers led by Washington successfully braved the icy and freezing river and reached the NJ side of the Delaware just before dawn. The other two divisions, made up of some 3,000 men and crucial artillery, failed to reach the meeting point at the appointed time. At approximately 8 am on the morning of December 26, Washington’s remaining force, separated into two columns, reached the outskirts of Trenton and descended on the unsuspecting Hessians. Trenton’s 1,400 Hessian defender were groggy from the previous evening’s festivities and underestimated the Patriot threat. Washington’s men quickly overwhelmed the Germans’ defenses and by 9:30 am the town was surrounded. Although several hundred Hessians escaped, nearly 1,000 were captured at a cost of only four American lives. (www.history.com) 1787: ( ) John Fitch operated his first steamboat trials on the Delaware River. This is acknowledged to be the first steamboat to operate in America. It was replaced by a larger vessel, the PERSERVERENCE, in the same year using components from the earlier vessel. It ran between Burlington, NJ and Philadelphia in 3 hours, 20 minutes. 1790: ( ) During the summer John Fitch put his steamboat in regular service on the Delaware River between Trenton, Bordentown, Bristol and Burlington. This was the first regular steamboat service to be established in America, but it was not commercially successful. 1818: (Dec.) Speedwell Iron Works at Morristown machined the heavy castings for the engine for the S. S. Savannah which had a main cylinder inside diameter of 40” and a stroke of 5’. The large and heavy parts were cast by the Allaire East River Iron Works (NYC) and brought to Elizabeth Point by vessel. The heavy cylinder casting was loaded on a large and heavy wagon pulled by 40 horses the eighteen miles to Morristown for $8.00. Several trips were made to move all the parts. When the machining was completed the moves were made in reverse. The wood hull S. S. SAVANNAH became the first sail and steam vessel to cross the Atlantic in 1819. 1821: ( ) Steamboat service on the Passaic River between Newark and New York with the steamboat UNITED STATES. (Phil Jaeger) 1825: John Stevens built a “Steam Waggon” to operate on a circular track on his estate at Castle Point Terrace, Hoboken, NJ. It was the first steam locomotive to operate on a track in America, and the first locomotive with a horizontal cylinder. Demonstration rides were given to those who were interested and/or brave enough to give it a try. The estate is now a part of the Stevens Institute of Technology, a private research university which was incorporated in 1870 – the first college in America solely dedicated to mechanical engineering. Stevens’ early steam experiments focused on boats – he designed propellers and other maritime devices. His Phoenix was the first major American-built steamboat to engage in regular commercial transport of freight and passengers and the first to travel on the Atlantic Ocean. Stevens wrote America’s first railroad book – called “the birth certificate of all railroads in the United States”. He has also been called “the father of the patent system”, “a genius of steam”, “the father of American railroads”, and “the father of American engineering”. Note: Replicas of Stevens’ Steam Waggon are in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania at Strasburg, but none in NJ… (Milepost, Vol. 12, No. 1) 1828: (Dec. 13) A Morris Canal Company inspection committee passed over the Boonton plane in a boat 60 feet in length, and 8 ½ feet in width. In the boat with the committee were “about 100 passengers” and “18 tons of stone.” The passage took 14 minutes. While the entourage ascended the plane, “an empty car descended. Had the descending car contained a loaded boat, the ascent would no doubt have been accomplished in a shorter time.” [Kalata, Barbara N., A Hundred Years A Hundred Miles] 1829: ( ) Reduced traveling rates (of $2) between NYC and Easton, PA, were advertised by the NY & Easton Line of Mail Coaches in combination with the “New and Elegant” steamboat BELLONA between Elizabethtown and NYC.

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