SOUTH JERSEY & WESTERN

History of the SJ&W

  • February 4, 1830 - Camden & Amboy Railroad chartered by the New Jersey legislature.
  • September 1832 - Completion of single track between Bordentown, NJ and South Amboy, NJ.
    Company owned steamboats carry passengers to/from Philadelphia and Bordentown, and also between New York City and South Amboy.
  • September 1834 - Completion of track between Bordentown, NJ and Camden, NJ. Ferry service begins between Philadelphia and Camden.
  • Late 1834 or early 1835 - Control of the Philadelphia and Trenton RR acquired.
  • 1838 - Trackage completed between Bordentown and Trenton.
  • January 1839 - Trackage complete between Trenton and Jersey City. Section between Jersey City and New Brunswick constructed by the New Jersey Rail Road & Transportation Company.
    This is the beginning of the present day "Northeast Corridor".
  • March 19, 1852 - Camden and Atlantic Railroad chartered.
  • 1853 - Camden and Atlantic reaches Hammonton, NJ.
  • 1854 - Line completed between Camden and Atlantic City, NJ.
  • July 4, 1854 - Regularly scheduled service start between Camden and Atlantic City. Running time is scheduled for 2.5 hours.
  • 1865 - Relationship started with the Pemberton and Hightstown Railroad Company.
  • 1867 - "United Companies" is formed when the NJRR&TC was persuaded into the fold with the C&A and P&T.
  • 1867 - PRR starts through service to Jersey City, using the tracks between Philadelphia and Jersey City.
  • July 1, 1871 - Audit of the United Companies shows the following:
    Stock held in 4 railroads and 1 canal company- Delaware and Raritan Canal.
    Holdings in 13 other railroads, 2 ferry companies, 3 horse car lines, 2 bridges, 4 turnpikes, 1 steamboat line and unnamed telegraph companies.
    These are valued at $38,312,371.
    Rolling stock for the railroads included: 160 locomotives, 221 passenger cars and 2,277 freight cars.
  • November 30, 1871 - United companies buy out of pending PRR lease. Instead they sell the PRR the Philadelphia - Jersey City route.
  • 1880 - Line between Newfield, NJ and Atlantic City, NJ completed.
  • 1894-1896 - Construction of the Delair Bridge across the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Pennsauken, NJ, with connecting link to Atlantic City mainline at Haddonfield, NJ.
  • 1897-1899 Construction of Delaware River Bridge between Bridgeport, NJ and Chester, PA. Purchase of the PRR's Chester Creek secondary, West Chester Branch, and the Octoraro secondary. This is the start of western expansion. Equipment on lines west and south use "UC" reporting marks.
  • 1900 - UC rails reach Washington D.C.
  • 1910 - UC rails reach to Chicago, IL and St. Louis, Mo. This is the limit of western expansion.
  • 1922 - Introduces The Phantom as its premier passenger train between Camden and Chicago.
  • 1933 - UC renames itself, and all controlled railroads, the South Jersey and Western when it purchases the Reading's southern New Jersey rail lines.
  • Janurary 1934 - Work starts on the new "Union Station" complex in Atlantic City, with the razing of the Atlantic City Railroad's old station.
  • Feburary 12, 1935 - Atlantic City terminal project is complete at a cost of $4 million.
  • 1937 - Purchases the Frederick secondary from the PRR.
  • June 15, 1938 - PRR puts cantenary from Frankfort Jct., Philadelphia, PA to Pavonia Yard, Camden, NJ into operation.
  • 1940 - Purchases CNJ's Southern Division between Bridgeton, NJ and Lakehurst, NJ.
  • September 11, 1946 - Fire destroyes part of the Shore Fast Line's trestle between Somers Point, NJ and Ocean City NJ.
  • 1947 - SJ&W helps to refinance rebuilding of the SFL's bridge to Ocean City.
  • 1947 - The Phantom is re-equipped with new cars and diesels. This is the first time that the The Phantom paint scheme is seen on dedicated cars. Previously it used pooled equipment.
  • Janurary 18, 1948 - SFL abandones trolley operations between Atlantic City, NJ and Ocean City, NJ.
  • 1948 - SJ&W reinstates rail operation, using "doodlebugs", between Atlantic City and Ocean City. Trackage rearrangement, at 8th St., allow trains to use the 10th St. Ocean City Station.
  • 1957 - Purchases New York,Ontario & Western. The NYO&W keeps its corporate identity.
  • 1961 - Purchases the Rutland. It also keeps its identity. Some trackage of the old "Grapevine" is rebuilt. Aso connections are accquired to conect it with the NYO&W.
  • 1963 - Discussions with the New Jersey Expressway Authority, looking to build the Atlantic City Expressway, leads to the conclusion that the Atlantic City terminal is just too busy to move or raze. The A.C.E. is shifted 10 blocks south at its eastern terminus.
  • 1964 - Disscusions with the Delaware Port Authority, about using the right of way between Camden and Lindenwold, NJ, for a rapid transit line, leads to the scrapping of the plan and the SJ&W increases service between Haddonfield and Camden.
  • 1967 - Secondary track built from just south of Sewell, NJ to the new Gloucester County College. This is passenger only and serves as a shuttle to the campus.
  • 1968 - Purchase of the Washington and Old Dominion. It keeps its identity.
  • 1971 - SJ&W and all controlled lines opt out of Amtrak.
  • 1976 - Extends GCC secondary to the new Deptford Mall. Station is located on the corner of Clements Bridge Rd. and Almonesson Rd., in the Mall Parking lot.
    The enire route is double tracked, equipped with 261 signalling and has cab signals. Maxium authorized speed is increased to 80mph. The route is now formally called the Mall Branch. The Mall Branch now sees limited freight to the Deptford Mall.
  • 1976 - Purchases the Lehigh and Hudson River, Lehigh and New England, Lehigh Valley, parts of Penn Central, Reading and CNJ prior to the formation of Conrail.
    SJ&W and NYO&W were not considered in the formation of Conrail.
  • 1977 - Takes over NEC commuter services between New York City and Wilmington, DE after Conrail wants out. Also take over some of the Jersey Coast Line service and other northern New Jersey commuter services at this time.
  • 1978 - Purchases the Milwaukee Road. It keeps its corporate identity. SJ&W pulls the MILW out of Amtrak and starts operating passenger trains to the west coast from Chicago.
    The Olympia Hiawatha makes a triumphal return.
  • 1980 - Transcontinental passenger train service is instituted between Camden, NJ and Seattle, WA. The train's name is called, fittingly, The Transcon.
  • 1984-1986 - Entire Mall Branchy is re-aligned as the northern portion of New Jersey State Route 55, the "Cape May Freeway", is built. The new tracks are in the median of the highway. The construction requires new bridges to be built, at either end, with 2% grades and a reduction of speed on said bridges.
  • 1998 - Purchases the Illinois Central. It keeps its corporate identity, is pulled from Amtrak and starts running service to the Gulf Coast.
    The City of New Orleans is once again an IC train.
  • 2000 - The Shore Breeze start running between Camden, NJ and New Orleans, LA through St. Louis.
  • Various years. UC/SJ&W purchase lines that were going to be abandoned or sold, if they fit in with the operating parameters for the railroad. Also lines are either sold or abandoned if traffic warrants.

Note: Everything up to 11/30/1871 is actual history. The PRR did lease the UC starting 12/1/1871. The time line for the Delair bridge is also accurate as are any dates that show completion of lines in southern New Jersey. This is true if there is a line item with month, day and year listed.

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