Hike #17
Ronald and I at the Allamuchy-Green fire station near Tranquility
6/1/2k
Again wishing to explore more, I saught my grandfather’s help in scaling another new
section, this time on the Lehigh and Hudson River Railroad from Tranquility, in Sussex
County, south to Buttsville area where we had left off on a 5/16, then on the DL&W
south back to Washington.
Former Lehigh and Hudson River Railroad bed in Tranquility
LHR rail bed in Allamuchy Township
My grandmother drove us to Tranquility where we looked for where the railroad used to
cross, but could not find it. Instead, she dropped us off at the Allamuchy/Green Township
Fire Deparment building. We walked across the nearby cemetary which bordered the right
of way.
LHR railroad bed in Allamuchy Twp.
Ron on a Pequest bridge in Long Bridge NJ
We followed it south, at first through some weeds, but through beautiful farmland. We
also passed by the abandoned Allamuchy Freight Station. As we continued, we crossed the
Pequest River six times on brides throughout the hike. The first and second times were in
a place called Long Bridge, where in under a half mile, the river grew in size considerably.
Pequest River trestle in Long Bridge
Both of these bridges were concrete trestles.
LHR former rail bridge over the Pequest at Long Bridge
Former LHR railroad underpass beneath Rt 80
We then reached the underpass for Rt 80,
and climbed around a bit.
Former LHR underpass below Rt 80, Long Bridge
Rt 80 underpass, Long Bridge NJ
Farmland from the rail bed in Allamuchy Twp.
Former LHR rail bed in Allamuchy Twp.
Next, the right of way passed through some of the most
beautiful farmland I’ve ever seen. We took some time to retrieve insulators which were
plentiful.
Trying to retrieve insulators along the LHR railroad bed, Allamuchy Twp
LHR rail bed at Alphano sod farms
LHR railroad bed at Alphano
Bushwhacking along the edge of a fence at Alphano
Soon, the right of way passed ballfields and then the Sod Farms in Alphano,
where the weeds got heavier. The area was heavily posted, so we decided to make our
way into the woods and follow a fence for more cover.
Old bridge site on the Alphano flats
Soon, we came to a long open area, where we decided to run across to avoid detection.
There was some sort of sewage treatment facility on this tract. After we were a significant
distance from where anyone could catch us, we slowed down. Next, we checked out an
interesting wooden bridge over a sort of canal trench coming from the sod farm off to the
woods.
Lovely view from abandoned bridge on the Alphano Flats
Old railroad signal tower
Old railroad signal tower, Allamuchy Twp.
As we continued on from here there was a camper on a driveway with intimidating
figures of deer holding guns. We tried to move by here quickly.
Before the next road, there were a couple signal towers which we decided to climb up.
After crossing what appeared to be a private road, there were people in an adjacent field
flying model airplanes.
Crossing the Pequest nearing Great Meadows
A turtle in Great Meadows
Fighting through fallen trees over the rail bed, Great Meadows
The right of way butted up agains a couple yards, crossed the Pequest again on another
concrete bridge, then through some sort of junk yard, over another little bridge, where we
found a turtle (the section from Alphano and this point is supposedy all part of Post
Island) and then, after passing through heavy fallen trees, passed by the Great Meadows
Station.
Crossing a ditch in Great Meadows
Great Meadows Railroad Station
Former Lehigh and Hudson River Railroad, Great Meadows
LHR rail bed, Great Meadows
This station is an odd piece of architecture, but beautifully restored by an
engineering firm. The tracks were left in here apparently for aesthetics.
We made a stop in a service station to get drinks from their soda machine, then moved
on. It was oftentimes difficult to locate a route to follow the right of way, but it never
took us too long, nor did we have to fight through anything unbearable.
The old railroad in Great Meadows
LHR railroad bed in Great Meadows area
Old rail trestle over the Pequest near Great Meadows
When we reached Townsbury, we crossed the Pequest again, this time on a deck style
girder bridge. An interesting fact; when the railroad was being built, two towns, Towsbury
and Danville agrued over which town would get the station. Rather than make the
decision, the railroad decided to put the station between the two towns and call it “Great
Meadows”. In the end, Danville won the battle when they changed their own name to
Great Meadows to incorperate themselves with the newly named location.
Moving on, we passed a fallen signal tower, and made our way through a wooded area
along the Pequest. At the next road crossing we entered Pequest WMA, and our worries
about trespassing were over.
Ron with the crow
Ron and the crow
Soon, we found a crow, seemingly unable to fly. We managed to catch the thing, and
began carrying it with us. We crossed the Pequest again on a through style girder bridge
near the Pequest Trout Hatchery, continueing close to Rt 46.
Soon, we reached the town of Pequest, once home of Pequest Furnace. After passing the
furnace site and location of many rail sidings, we crossed the Pequest once again on
another through girder bridge.
Me with the crow
We then followed a path to the south which ascended to
the Pequest Furnace Railroad, which connected the DL&W with the L&HR, using a
bridge right next to the one we had just crossed, now long gone.
We followed the Pequest Furnace Railroad right of way to the DL&W just below Pequest
Cut, and continued to Pequest Road where we found a carboard box to put our crow in.
We left him here to pick up and bring to Dr. Blease’s later.
Entering Oxford NJ
Cooling of the feet on the former Warren Railroad by Oxford Tunnel
As we got to Oxford, we stopped in Rita’s General Store, recently opened by a guy from
Jordan, and named for his daughter. He was a very friendly guy and we got along well.
After chatting with him, and then Stephanie Davis, a friend from High School, we
continued south, using Rt 31 rather than the tunnel again. We then headed back to my
mom’s house to get my car, and went back to retrieve the bird.
Warren Railroad bed in Washington
Descending down the path from the Warren Railroad bed to Jackson Valley Road, Washington
Rt 57, Port Colden
It turned out to be a young crow, and they at the Animal Health Center were not able to
get it to eat, and it died a few days later. This was a rather dumb thing to do, in retrospect,
what with the outbreak of West Nile Virus, but oh well.
Along Rt 57 in Port Colden on a hike
When it comes down to it, Ron was really a big hearted guy, and he was adamant about
bringing that crow back to help it.
Here's the pictures from that hike...
Warren Railroad bed in Washington
Rt 57, Port Colden
Along Rt 57 in Port Colden on a hike
Along Rt 57 in Port Colden on a hike
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