A Hundred Years of Service

       The story of rail passenger service in Clayton, New Jersey by Glenn W, Kindle

The railroad came to Clayton sometime in the 1860’s.The track has always been where it is now. The first station was on West Academy St. The next one was on Clayton Ave. where the Redy Mix Yard located. Then the last station was built at the westerly end of High Street.

            At first all trains were pulled by steam locomotives. In 1906 an electrified third rail was installed, and electric passenger trains began to run. The electric trains were not pulled by locomotives. They were self propelled electric cars such as you see on the Patco High Speed Line or on any subway system. The cars were wooden and painted reddish brown. Since there was no boarding platform, the cars each had a set of stairs, which passengers had to climb in order to get from the ground level to the floor level of the car.      

            Passengers bought their tickets inside the station from the ticket master. On board the train was a fellow known as the “conductor”. Who collected the tickets and punched holes in them with a paper punch. The conductor wore a navy blue uniform with a jacket, vest and a blue cap with a shiny brim. Across the front of his vest was a gold chain, which went from one lower vest pocket to the other. On one end of the chain was a huge pocket watch, which the conductor consulted when the train left the station. The conductor had other duties such as announcing station stops, helping children and old folks up an down the steps and signaling the engineer to start the train when all passengers had boarded. This was done pulling an overhead cord running the length of the train. This cord evidently activated some sort of signal in the engineer was hidden from view and wasn’t bothered by back seat drivers.

            Most of the passenger trains included a baggage car. You could tell which car was the baggage car because it had fewer windows. Mail and railways express traveled in the baggage car. Railway Express company was a shipping company similar to United Parcel, except that items were shipped by train rather than by truck. Trains were met by the post office truck and the truck of the Railway Express Agent. Mail, both letter and parcel, was taken to the Post Office for distribution. Railway Express was taken to the local agent’s office and then trucked by the agent to the recipient. All mail and Express items leaving Clayton were put on the northbound train. All items received at Clayton came from the southbound train.

            Northbound trains stopped at Glassboro, Pitman, Sewell, Mantua, Wenonah, Woodbury Heights, Brooklawn, Gloucester and Broadway Station in Camden, which was the ferry slip. Passengers, going to Philadelphia had to detrain and board the ferry boat, which took them to the dock at the lower end of market Street. From there, they could take a trolley or subway to get to the shopping district or to Broad Street Station, which was PRR terminal at Broad and Market.

            In 1927 the Delaware River Bridge was completed. It is now known as the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Railroad tracks were run along either side of the Bridge, and train service was started between Broadway Station in Camden and the subway station at eighth and Market. This service was the forerunner of the present day Patco High Speed Line.

            Although the Bridge provided a better Philly connection, the Bridge turned out to be what ultimately ruined train service. Buses were slower than trains and a little less comfortable, but they had certain advantages such a more frequent schedule, lower fares, and a one seat ride to center city Philadelphia.

            Trains going southbound from Clayton stopped at Franklinville, Malaga, Newfield, Vineland and Millville. There were a couple of exceptions. There one train which only went as far as Clayton. It was parked at night on a siding just south of Clayton Avenue. Another train called the “fish train” went all the way to Cape May. It got its nickname from the face that fisherman often used it, and it was not uncommon to see fisherman on the northbound trip with his catch in a wicker basket. The “fish train” was steam powered.

            Gradually, the wooden cars deteriorated. They were replaced by metal cars. It got to the point where there were too few cars in service to justify keeping the third rail energized. The third rail was removed in 1949. The last electric train left in Clayton on June 25, 1949. Steam power returned for a brief time. Then diesel locomotives were used to draw passenger cars. Eventually self-propelled diesel cars were put into use. These cars are known by railroaders as RDC’s (for rail diesel cars.). Many people refer to them as Budd cars because they were manufactured by Budd Motor Company.

All good things must come to an end. On January 31, 1971 the last passenger train traveled this route.

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