THE ERIE RAILROAD
Greenwood Lake Branch

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The Greenwood Lake Branch was a short branch line in northern New Jersey that ran from Jersey City, NJ to Greenwood Lake. It was originally built to serve the iron mines in Ringwood and also to transport ice from Greenwood Lake to New York City. After these two businesses shut down the line was cut down to end in Wanaque/Midvale. Although primarily a commuter line, it did have some online industries and was host to an occasional local freight or two. Not long after the merger between the Erie and Lackawanna in 1960, the line was coordinated with the D,L&W's Boonton Line west of Mountain View, NJ. The Original GL Branch north of Mountain View was then used as an industrial spur only as far as Pompton Jct. At present, New Jersey Transit operates this line which now terminates in Hackettstown on the old Lackawanna Mainline and is close to the final configuration at the time the Erie Lackawanna was merged into Conrail.

Check Out These Erie Pictures
Courtesy Of Paul Tupaczewski And Railroad Avenue Enterprises

Click On The Station Name For A Larger Picture

The Wayne Station was the stop in my home town of Wayne, NJ. Many times I would get on the train here and ride with my family to hoboken to visit my relatives. This station is gone now, as is the tracks and the industry, Mack -Wayne Plastics just out of the picture to the right. Notice the lower quadrant semaphore signal. The automatic block signal to the right, was to control the crossing at grade with the Lackawanna's Boonton Line, 1 mile to the east.

Wanaque/Midvale Yard was the end of the line after 1939. Here a small yard was located with a turntable for turning the locomotives. Later a runaround track was used and the turntable abandoned. Here we see the RS2's and 3's, lined up with their Stillwell coaches ready for the next day's commuter run.

Midvale Station was just south of the yard. The Station was the final stop after the line was shortened in 1939. By the time this photo was taken in 1965, the years had already taken its toll on the proverbial Erie style structure. Today there is little to suggest that a station ever occupied this site.

The Pompton/Riverdale Station was located on Hamburg Turnpike in Riverdale, just 1 mile south of Pompton Junction where the Erie crossed the Susquehanna at grade. Here is this station now, it is still standing and is in use by a fuel oil company. The tracks now belong to the Suzie-Q, and end just south of the station, about where this photo was taken. Notice the cement bench with the ERIE logo on the side.

The Mt. View Station was located 1 mile south/east of the Wayne Station. This was one of three stations in Wayne Township, and one of two in the Mt. View section. The other being the Lackawanna's station of of Parish Drive. Just to the north/west, to the left of the picture, the Geenwood Lake Branch crossed the old Morris Canal. This station has since been replaced by a more modern one, and is served by New Jersey Transit.

Cedar Grove had a small station, but was famous for the tiny bridge that crossed Peckman's Creek. Here we see an Erie Lackawanna SDP45 crossing the high bridge over this creek. Although intended for light commuter service, the Greenwood Lake Branch did see some heavy freights during the EL years, which did not fare very well with the residents in the small communities it passed thru.

Great Notch was the beginning of eastbound double track with the joining of the Caldwell Branch from Essex Fells. Today a small shelter stands where this station once was to serve the busy commuters of NJT

. Montclair Station was located in the suburban Essex County. It was a well to do community home to many professional doctors and lawyers. Here we see an eastbound commuter with push-pull equipment arriving at the station. Although the passenger coaches in this photo are still in use by New Jersey Transit, the U34CH locomotive on the point has now passed into the annals of history. These locomotives were purchased by the State Of NJ for the Erie Lackawanna, and were built by General Electric.

Some Current Greenwood Lake Branch Photos

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