Pine Creek Railroad - Allaire, NJ
Posted by: 
94RedRover
N 40° 09.728 W 074° 07.996
18T E 573809 N 4446112
Pine Creek Railroad, an exhibit at the New Jersey Museum of Transportation, is one of the oldest continually operating narrow gauge steam preservation railway exhibits in the country.
Waymark Code: WM60CA
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 03/11/2009
Views: 11
The New Jersey Museum of Transportation, Inc. has many rare vintage pieces of railway equipment and exhibits. The displays increase as the museum acquires and restores more projects continually. The museum began it's operations in 1951, and depends on donations and extensive volunteer hours to remain running.
The Pine Creek Railroad is one of the oldest continually operating narrow gauge steam preservation railway exhibits in the country. A 1/2 hour train ride through the woods of Allaire State Park, is both romantic and fun for kids. The rails here were once part of a network of rails that carried goods and passengers quickly and safely through the swamps and barrens of south Jersey. Once the bog iron industry declined, many of the villages in the area became ghost towns, and the trains stopped running.
The Railway runs a loop through the Historic Allaire Village. There are no stops on the way, but your view will change with the season. The Railroad also offers special Fall Foliage Tours, Great Train Robbery Re-enactments, and Haunted Night Runs.
Some History about Allaire Village:
In the 1800s, it was found that the iron ore in the central Jersey bogs was strong enough and plentiful enough to manufacture much needed cannonballs and other iron products. James Allaire, a manufacturer of marine engines in New York purchased the property in 1822 to process the ores needed for manufacturing. Due to the long hours of strenuous work, the employees brought their families to the site of the company. This brought a need for other industries to offer services. So, soon enough, a village emerged, with a mill to make flour, a bakery to make the bread, an inn to make guests and travelers comfortable, a general store for groceries and a chapel for spiritual health. Employees worked at extracting the ore from the creek, sending it through the blast furnace and into the iron works. So Allaire, a mini city, grew, based around the industry.
The men would work the iron, their payment would be offset by the company for their lodging. The rest of their pay would be spent in the company's general strore, the company's bakery, the company's carpenters, etc... Great business.
Later in the 1800s, a stronger iron was found in Pennsylvania, and the iron bogs in Jersey were abandoned. By 1850, Allaire had become a ghost town.
Engine Type: Steam
Gauge of Railway: Narrow
Approximate Adult Fare: 4.00 (listed in local currency)
Approximate Child Fare: 4.00 (listed in local currency)
Type: Circuit (does not cover the same track twice)
Length of Route: 30 minutes - don't know distance
Dates of Operation: From: 04/01/2009 To: 12/31/2009
Frequency of departures: 30 minutes
Key Attractions:
The runs through the historic village. Not only is the area uniquely beautiful, but this is a great step back into time.
Railroad Website: [Web Link]
Does this Scenic Railroad Provide: Brunch, Lunch or Dinner Trains?: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:Provide a picture of something with the train. Possible photos include the entertainment on board the train, the train itself at any location along the route, a picture of the scenery with part of the train in view, the kids borrowing the engineer’s hat. Show us you had a good time visiting the train. If the train isn't running when you visit get a photo of one of the many railway related items that can be found in locations like this.