2/28/1
This one is in Great Meadows near the old station.
A new year had begun, and I had yet to lead another hike. Snow was covering the ground and it looked as though no one would join anyway. To my surprise, Mr. Shoe was willing to come out for another round after so much time!
I decided I wanted to do the hike from Tranquility again, and I asked Cathy to drop us off. Mr. Shoe lived up to his namesake once again by wearing long yellow boots to help him through the snow. My 89 Chevy Corsica had broken down, and I was without a car for some time.
Me, happy that I found a disposable camera in Great Meadows
Mr. Shoe at Great Meadows convenience store
After being dropped off, we took a second to prepare ourselves to enter the woods. I had found where the Lehigh and Hudson River Railroad crossing was by this time, right at the Tranquility Post Office, and we followed it from here. To my dismay, I had forgotten to bring film for my camera, which was upsetting me terribly.
“A guy talked to us after Cathy dropped us off right before we started walking.”
-Mr. Shoe
Oh yeah, I was’nt sure if that was on this one. He wanted to know what we were up to, walking through his property. He was cool with it though...luckily.
At first, we had to walk through some rough snow, but after a short time we came to where snowmobiles had padded the riight of way making for easy walking. When we reached Great Meadows, we walked up Rt 46 east to a mini mart, where I could buy film as well as food and drink.
Along former LHR railroad in Great Meadows
After this rest, we made our way back to the right of way. The usually tough weeds were much easier to navigate this time of year. Also, there were several telegraph poles with untouched insulators on them. I managed to climb one pleon a vine and retrieve an insulator for Mr. Shoe.
Walking across the tie bridges proved a bit more difficult as the snow and ice made them slippery.
Field along former LHR railroad leaving Great Meadows
Crossing deck girder trestle on LHR railroad bed near Great Meadows
Along former LHR railroad near Townsbury
Blow downs over the railroad bed
When we reached Oxford on the DL&W, I decided to try to follow the original right of way of the Warren line, which was only used from 1856 till 1862 when the tunnel was completed. A guy at the gas station ragged me out for being on private property. Most of the 1856 grade, which was nicknamed the “Switch Track” although it did not do any switchbacking, is almost unrecognizeable, but with some research can be found. I stayed on the grade to where it went behind the Shippen Manor, a famous mansion in Oxford. The tracks passed behind here crossing Belvidere Avenenue, then the original station site (which was later moved to what is now Lower Denmark Road), looping around to what is now Academy Street, built on the right of way, and also where Mr. Shoe lived.
Pequest Cut on the former Warren Railroad
Looking down at Mr. Shoe on Rt 31 from the original 1856 Warren Railroad bed, Oxford
Nice mailbox, Oxford NJ
We walked down the main street of Oxford and on to Academy Street to Mr. Shoe’s and decided to stop there. Quite a good hike, especially considering there was so much deep snow.
“It was Superbowl Sunday. I had bad blisters, and I wore waders. I remember I was feeling disoriented because it felt like we were going in the wrong direction, until we got to the mini mart.” -Mr. Shoe
I remember now, that’s why I could’nt get anyone else to coming, along with the snow problem. And yes, it does feel like the wrong direction if you don’t know the area!
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