THE ABANDONED BOONTON LINE EX ERIE GREENWOOD LAKE LINE R.I.P 1840's?-2002

[daffylatke]

The good news is that the line is not abandoned and NS is not going to abandon it. It is just out of service. "We want to do what we can to preserve existing freight rail (lines)," NS said.

[naterailfan]

so sad that this railroad is now abandon. that line had alot of survice back in the day.

[kmeluso]

A fantastic tribute to the NY&GL. I was familiar with each spot. I also liked how you got a picture of the Newark Branch below the bridge.

[homedad40]

what is with the stupid music ?

[johnyboy087]

@homedad40 ask youtube

[bill07016]

Great video a good friend of mine was the last operator on the swing bridge

[sickskillz14]

I sincerely thank you for posting up this video and footage.. I live nearby the old arlington station in kearny and pass by these track one day hoping they'll be in service once again in my lifetime..

[johnyboy087]

@sickskillz14 Thanks for watching! I hope to that it will one day be back in service.

[THEATREofPAIN270]

@sickskillz14 I grew up in Kearny on Devon Street and always remembered those NJT trains and the occasional frieght trains. I was 10 in 1980 and those duel tracks were alive and the area was thriving with commuters. Its a shame how time has passed and it was all left there to rot. I often wondered if they would ever be used again. There were a lot of Kearny shots in this posting that brought me back. I used to play on those tracks all the time walking up and down them especially to the FUDD.

[CRPULSE300]

if it wasn't for the overgrowth that would be a sweet speeder ride!

[jackcolbypi]

It is very cool to see that there is at least one other person out there who understands the importance of what was....

[Rickyrab]

I support the bamboo-railroading of abandoned railroad lines. Let the amateurs take it over! After all, there are recreational canoes on the old canals in many places, right?

[Iceboy575655]

So whats the history behind the Bascule bridge over the Passaic that was shut down and never opened again?

[johnyboy087]

@Iceboy575655 Sorry, I dont know the history about the bridges :(

[gjmcdo22]

This is the Erie Greenwood Lake Division, not the D.L.& W. Boonton Line.

[SUBWAY125]

What station is that at the beginning? Also what are the stations that are abandoned at?

[johnyboy087]

@SUBWAY125 The first station is Glen Ridge then the other is in Belleville, then North Newark, Kearny, Arlington and thats all the stations.

[SUBWAY125]

@johnyboy087 Also In Montclair portions of the line are still there. I may go up there to see it! :)

[bigsteam57]

In 1963 the EL sold part of the Boonton line east of Mtn View to the state of NJ and re-routed all through freight trains over the recently rebuilt Greenwood Lake line which runs through some upscale suburban neighborhoods. The predictable complaints about noise were considerable. I guess those people have their peace and quiet now!

[indyfan22k]

Where/How is the state and federal goverment and/or rail companies gonna get money to rebuilt the lines anyway ??

[weatherguy173]

ghetto diesel at 4:29 . Power Car U34CH no. 4169 (possibly ex Conrail or Lackawanna?).

[SUBWAY125]

Actully, NJT should rebuild this into a connection to the Mainline, Boonton line, and the Morristown line, like the NJCL. Maybe someday someone will buy this and make it relive. But WHY did it close? Couldn't someone AT LEAST turn it into a tourist RR?

[tv15busy]

DOES ANYONE KNOW ABOUT THE ERIE CALDWELL BRANCH????

[YankeePat94]

I would convert this line into a trail

[johnyboy087]

@YankeePat94 i wouldnt. NS is still holding on to it in case of future use. And even if they do convert it, they better leave the rails, crossings, and signals in place.

[SUBWAY125]

@YankeePat94 Are you crazy?! Thats how we lost the Milwaukee Road! Besides, this line was built in 1840, one of the oldest railroad tracks in America.

[cynthiaryan1]

Thanks for this awesome video. I lived in Bloomfield for 10 years and commuted on the Boonton line from the now-abandoned Benson St. and Rowe St. stations. I really loved that the trains came right into the residential areas, so you could walk to the stations. The Benson St. station had been preserved with a little exhibit that included a mannekin with a conductor's uniform and artifacts from early rail days. The route to Hoboken went over the water and was always really pleasant. Thx again!

[CSXandSpartanfan33]

1:17 was the ns train abandoned also. Were some of the trains abandoned?

[johnyboy087]

@CSXandSpartanfan33 Nope, they were the locals heading to Hartz Mountain in Bloomfield.

[NYSW1904]

Is the line still in the same condition that these pictures depict? I would love to check it out, especially if signals/stations are still on the abandoned portions of the line. Great video man, hate to see stuff like this.

[johnyboy087]

@NYSW1904 Im not sure but i can tell you that the local freights that were using it havent been on it in 2yrs now.

[cforssi]

I love this video!!!

[cforssi]

I love watching this over and over. The music is haunting and wonderful. Too bad the line has been abandoned. Thank you for posting. It is one of my favorite videos on Youtube. You have some real talent for this type of documentary.

[johnyboy087]

@cforssi Thanks for watching :)

[YankeePat94]

at least NS kept the block signals. Unfortunately, the grade crossing signals east of where the orange branch splits off have been removed, but the good part they did not pave over the tracks yet and the trestles are still up.

[EPrailfan]

Very good video/song. Sad though that both ends of the NYGL are now gone. Was not aware that this had happened until recently. Guess the line was too costly to maintain(according to NJT).

[Nuno0614]

Great song, awesome video, fantastic job...

[johnyboy087]

@Nuno0614 Thank you

[AlexAcE1]

Great photos;)

what's the name of the song?

[johnyboy087]

@AlexAcE1 Thanks but i dont take credit for all of them...the song is trinity by 009 sound system. i wanted better songs but because of copyright i couldnt get them :(

[tv15busy]

do you think Upper Montclair and Montclair State University will ever have weekend service???

[tv15busy]

when the new hudson tunnels open up in 2017 will the Montclair-Boonton line have weekend service directly to NYC? Also i heard they want to electrify the line west of Montclair State University, is that true???

[OXaudiovisual]

Great Video

[johnyboy087]

@OXaudiovisual Thank you!

[tv15busy]

@johnyboy087 hey did you hear about the new hudson tunnels being built and completed by 2017

[tv15busy]

how come Norfolk Southern never changed out the signals on the tracks or service them???

[johnyboy087]

which signals? the old approach lights for trains dont get used anymore and the crossings are maintained evry 30 days and if there is a malfunction.

[tv15busy]

where is the old orange branch line

[johnyboy087]

that is by MT. Prospect Ave. in Newark.

[tv15busy]

Hartz Mountain is closing so my guess is that NS will no longer use the old Boonton line

[johnyboy087]

really?

[tv15busy]

I heard they are moving their business to Ohio

[tv15busy]

how come they are redoing the Benson Street Station house???

[johnyboy087]

someone bought it awhile back...

[tv15busy]

what did they buy it for?

[johnyboy087]

restoration

[tv15busy]

@johnyboy087 the montclair-boonton line has weekend service in downtown montclair. Will Uptown Montclair and Montclair state Univeristy ever have weekend service????

[johnyboy087]

@tv15busy idk

[tv15busy]

@tv15busy what are they using the Benson Street Station house for???

[johnyboy087]

@tv15busy not sure

[tv15busy]

@tv15busy before the montclair connection, did the montclair branch have weekend service

[johnyboy087]

@tv15busy i was a kid back then and only saw like 6 trains on it my whole life. including an NJT GP40PH-2 leading a couple Comet cars and a yellow flatcar across Mt. Prospect Ave. So i doubt it.

[tv15busy]

@johnyboy087 have you ever seen a train run down the Montclair-Boonton line on a weekend?? if so what did it look like

[johnyboy087]

@tv15busy never seen one

[tv15busy]

@johnyboy087 how come the diesels cant go under the hudson tunnels

[tv15busy]

those railroad crossing signals are old why dont they put in new ones?? also why did they take out one track???

[johnyboy087]

there is no use in replacing the signals because they still work and trains barely run through. The track being torn out...well idk but i think it has to do with taxes.

[tv15busy]

does Norfolk Southern still use this line???

[johnyboy087]

yes. but 2-5 times a year

[tv15busy]

can you tell me when they go down the old line

[johnyboy087]

nobody knows anymore. but i remember crossing it once and it was pretty shiny. but i didnt understand cause i thought the whole thing was abandoned. I didnt know trains still ran down there up until last year after they stopped coming weekly :(

[UnionPacificBNSF]

I'll ask him about photos He NS locals run as needed on portions of the line He said leasing the line would be a pratical thing to do companies such as RailAmerica and WATCO can take old lines and run at profit where a Class 1 could not

[UnionPacificBNSF]

A freind of mine has seen a few short NS trains on the line as well as stored autoracks on the unused portions of this line.

[johnyboy087]

thats so cool. did he get pics or videos?

[Intransitman]

I saw 4140 the other day, she's doing ok here in Montreal.

[PlayBeyond14]

lol Kearny I cant wait to move back

[GenesisSanctuary]

Man, I actually found a part of the old Boonton Line next to the Hackensack River while walking around Secaucus. It was really depressing. I really wish NJT would reactivate the line, at least as a Light Rail line or something.:(

[johnyboy087]

i saw DB DRAW when crossing the Hackensack River

[GenesisSanctuary]

DB DRAW? What's that?

[johnyboy087]

the Drawbridge at the end of the video. open since 2002-2003ish

[GenesisSanctuary]

So that's what the drawbridge is known as? I'm not very familiar with certain railroad terminology.

[johnyboy087]

yup thats its name

[Intransitman]

@GenesisSanctuary Even a short train like some thing to Princeton.

[GenesisSanctuary]

Yeah, that would be a great idea.:)

[TrainmasterCurt]

This is too bad, more shortsightedness on the rail companies part, and those damn highways!

[njt5140]

Whoever you are there are some of my images on here that I NEVER granted permission for you to use, I ask that you remove them promptly and before you make any other videos of these types get concent of the photographers before publishing their work!

[johnyboy087]

may i ask who this is?

[RCBSD45]

I know some of the photographers here. Did you get their consent to lift their pics and use them here?

[tv15busy]

why did NJ transit buy the old Benson street station if they arent using it anymore

[johnyboy087]

they sold it. didnt they?

[tv15busy]

does conrail and northern Suffolk still use the abandoned boonton line these days?

[johnyboy087]

you mean NORFOLK SOUTHERN and no Conrail is dead 10 yrs. NS goes down a portion of it then switches off the main and goes to the Newark Subway.

[tv15busy]

does any train run on the tracks of Benson Street??????

[tv15busy]

why did they shut down this line????

[johnyboy087]

monclair connection

[ffairlane57]

Look on the bright side.

Lower Montclair has weekend service now.

[dth131]

Nice job! Too bad NJ Transit does not have the same vision they do for Montclair (6 train stations in one town!) NJ T should re-activate this line.

[johnyboy087]

we all want them to

[Fireheart528]

@dth131  Has anyone dared go up it on a handcar or similar piece of eqiupment?

[tv15busy]

whats going to happen to the abandoned part of the montclair boonton line??????

[johnyboy087]

get rustier and more overgrown. and this is the Lower boonton Line. Monclair boonton Line was the name when they were connected and this was abandoned. Norfolk southern uses a portion of it to serve a customer in Bloomfield. NS owns the whole line.

[tv15busy]

will benson street station ever be used again??

[johnyboy087]

sadly; no

[wheeler666]

i was just walkin these track this afternoon... weird

[wheeler666]

one thing though... you gotta label these pics with annotations.. i would love to know the exact location of each pic.

[doubletrack]

If you think the Abandonment from West End to MontClair is tragic? What about wat was done to the Original Lackawanna Route from South Paterson to Mountain View as a Through Freight and Passenger Line

[johnyboy087]

i think i know which line that is. did it come off the Pascack Valley line in east rutherford because there is an old Erie main that used to go to paterson.

[doubletrack]

Thats the Old ERIE Mainline it went through Carlton Hil over the River into Passaic Park on a steam Powered Swing Bridge then wend down the Middle of the Main Drag of Passaic and came into Paterson. The Current Route into Paterson was a Rebuilt Newark Branch Connection that linked the Lackawanna Boonton Line to the Erie Mainline. NJT Clifton Passaic and Lyndhurst Stations are Ex DL&W Boonton Line. The DLW then swung West Around Garret Mtn and Headed West

[johnyboy087]

ya i know that line. i found an ariel view from 54' and thanks to Rt.21 the bridge over Passaic is gone.

[doubletrack]

Also At Mountain View the Boonton Line is mostly East-West and the Greenwod Lake generally compass N-S... i think the Totowa Industrial is still in there. its the old Boonton Line ROW

[ned987]

I Don't live here, so I didn't know about it before now, but it's sad they would shut down a whole line.

[metropod]

NJT only stoped using a section of the line between Montclair NJ and Hoboken. The switch to useing the montclair conection allowed trains from the Boonton line acess to dowtown Newark and the Midtown Direct Connection at Kerny Junction.

[coolguy676]

How come they Cancelled it??

[johnyboy087]

cause they built the monclair conection. they should have redone this line with that money instead of destroying buildings and ruining people's commutes.

[GenesisSanctuary]

R.I.P old Boonton line. You are sorely missed.:(

[RCKTBOY7]

Makes me wanna cry... :(

[johnyboy087]

imagine how it makes me feel since i saw the last commuter train on the line and didnt know about it till i went passed the line a few years later and saw that. it would've been the perfect spot.

[RCKTBOY7]

I know exactly how you feel. :)

[NJT4111]

fantastic, I think i wanna walk the line now. Looks spooky, and really neat looking

[johnyboy087]

spooky? ha this line is extremely dangerous to walk on. you can only walk on it during fall and winter, and a little bit of spring. i fell in crude oil while i was walking through arlignton.

[ERIELACKU34CH]

excellent, brings back memories

[johnyboy087]

same here

[NJT4111]

you still have my cabride video in the U34 too!