Rockaway River and Montville Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Rockaway River and Montville Railroad connected the Lackawanna Railroad's Boonton Branch
in Boonton, New Jersey
with a stone quarry on Hog Mountain (also known as Turkey Mountain) in Montville, New Jersey. The railroad was incorporated on July 14, 1899 and the capital stock was owned by the Lackawanna. The branch ran northeasterly from the Lackawanna's mainline up a very steep grade. The quarry was located about a mile up from the mainline. Railroaders would tell harrowing stories of bringing heavy freight train
s, laden with stone, down the short branch. Bad weather made the downgrade trip particularly treacherous.
The train station in Madison, New Jersey
, an architectural masterpiece, which is on the National Register of Historic Places
, was built with stone quarried on Hog Mountain. The station opened on April 17, 1916, and recently underwent a total restoration. The RV&MRR closed shortly after completion of the Madison train station. Stone from the quarry was also used to build a dam on the Boonton Reservoir (also known as the Jersey City Reservoir) in Boonton, New Jersey.
The RV&MRR was built on a right-of-way that is now occupied by Capstick Road. The quarry appears on local maps at the end of the present road. However, there apparently was at least one more quarry located farther up the mountain along what is now Briarcliff Road. There is a narrow, unnamed road that connects Capstick Road and Briarcliff Road.
Boonton Branch
The Boonton Branch refers to the railroad line that was completed in 1870 and ran 34 miles from Hoboken, NJ to Denville, NJ as part of the Morris & Essex Railroad, which in turn was part of the Lackawanna Railroad...
in Boonton, New Jersey
Boonton, New Jersey
Boonton is a town in Morris County, New Jersey that was chartered in 1867. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 8,347. The town was originally called "Boone-Towne" in 1761 in honor of the Colonial Governor Thomas Boone....
with a stone quarry on Hog Mountain (also known as Turkey Mountain) in Montville, New Jersey. The railroad was incorporated on July 14, 1899 and the capital stock was owned by the Lackawanna. The branch ran northeasterly from the Lackawanna's mainline up a very steep grade. The quarry was located about a mile up from the mainline. Railroaders would tell harrowing stories of bringing heavy freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
s, laden with stone, down the short branch. Bad weather made the downgrade trip particularly treacherous.
The train station in Madison, New Jersey
Madison, New Jersey
Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the population was 16,530. It also is known as "The Rose City".-Geography:Madison is located at ....
, an architectural masterpiece, which is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, was built with stone quarried on Hog Mountain. The station opened on April 17, 1916, and recently underwent a total restoration. The RV&MRR closed shortly after completion of the Madison train station. Stone from the quarry was also used to build a dam on the Boonton Reservoir (also known as the Jersey City Reservoir) in Boonton, New Jersey.
The RV&MRR was built on a right-of-way that is now occupied by Capstick Road. The quarry appears on local maps at the end of the present road. However, there apparently was at least one more quarry located farther up the mountain along what is now Briarcliff Road. There is a narrow, unnamed road that connects Capstick Road and Briarcliff Road.