Atlantic City Railroad facts for kids

The Atlantic City Railroad was an important railway company in New Jersey. It was a smaller company owned by the Philadelphia and Reading Railway. Later, in 1933, it joined with other railroads to form the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines.

By 1925, the Atlantic City Railroad managed about 161 miles (259 km) of railway lines. These lines helped carry goods and millions of passengers.

A Fast Ride to the Shore: Atlantic City Railroad's History

The Atlantic City Railroad was officially formed on April 1, 1889. This happened when the Philadelphia and Reading Railway brought together all its smaller railroads in Southern New Jersey.

Setting Speed Records

On July 20, 1904, a regular train from Camden, New Jersey, to Atlantic City, New Jersey, made history. Train No. 25, pulled by a powerful engine called No. 334, carried five passenger cars.

It traveled 55.5 miles (89.3 km) in just 43 minutes! This meant it was going super fast, averaging 77.4 miles per hour (124.6 km/h). For one part of the trip, between Winslow Junction and Meadows Tower, the train covered 29.3 miles (47.2 km) in only 20 minutes. That's an amazing speed of 87.9 miles per hour (141.5 km/h)!

Reports even say that for a short distance between Egg Harbor and Brigantine Junction, the train reached an incredible 115 miles per hour (185 km/h). This shows how fast and advanced trains were becoming back then.

Early Railroads That Joined the Atlantic City Railroad

Before the Atlantic City Railroad was created, several smaller railway companies operated in the area. These companies eventually became part of the larger Atlantic City Railroad.

Camden, Gloucester & Mt. Ephraim Railway

This railway started on June 17, 1873. People in Gloucester City wanted a train line to connect their industrial area to the busy ferry landing in Camden. The line also went to Mount Ephraim Borough.

Because the tracks often ran on city streets with sharp turns, a narrow track width (3 feet or 91 cm) was chosen. The first part of the line opened in February 1874. By May 1876, the line reached Mount Ephraim. In 1884, the Philadelphia and Reading Railway bought this company. The tracks were then made wider in 1885 to match other standard railways.

Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railway

In 1875, some directors from another railroad decided to build a second line from Camden, New Jersey, to Atlantic City. This new company was formed on March 24, 1876. They chose a 3-foot-6-inch (107 cm) narrow track width, hoping it would save money.

Construction started in April 1877 and was finished in just 90 days! The 54.67-mile (87.98 km) line opened on July 7, 1877. However, the company faced financial trouble and went bankrupt in 1878. The CNJ and the Philadelphia and Reading Railway bought it in 1883. The tracks were then widened to standard size by October 1884. The Philadelphia and Reading Railway took full control in 1885.

Williamstown Railroad

This railroad began on March 13, 1871. It was started by glass factory owners in Williamstown to connect their town to Atco. The 9.5-mile (15.3 km) line was finished in 1873.

The company went bankrupt in 1881. In 1883, the CNJ and the Philadelphia and Reading Railway bought it. The railroad's name was changed to Williamstown and Delaware River Railroad.

Williamstown and Delaware River Railroad

By 1883, this railroad extended its tracks to Glassboro, New Jersey, making the line 15.73 miles (25.31 km) long. A short 1.2-mile (1.9 km) branch line was also built in Glassboro to serve a glass factory. The Philadelphia and Reading Railway gained full control in 1885. In 1887, a new extension was built to Mullica Hill, New Jersey.

How Railroads Changed Travel to the Shore

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, railroads were the main way people traveled to the beautiful beaches of New Jersey. Railroads owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company carried many beachgoers from cities like Philadelphia and Camden.

Railroads Acquired in 1901

On June 14, 1901, the Atlantic City Railroad officially merged with several other railway companies.

Camden County Railroad

This railroad was created on September 17, 1889. Its goal was to extend the Atlantic City Railroad's Gloucester Branch. This extension reached Spring Mills, where a company made farm equipment. By the end of 1890, 5 miles (8.0 km) of track were finished. The rest of the line was completed in May 1891.

Stations were built along this new line in towns like Bellmawr, Runnemede, Glendora, and Blackwood. Once built, the Camden County Railroad was leased to the Atlantic City Railroad. Trains started running on this extended line in April 1892.

Cape May, Delaware Bay and Sewell's Point Railroad

This railway operated from 1863 until the 1920s. It ran along the coast near Cape May City. It connected places like Sunset Beach, South Cape May, and Sewell's Point. Visitors could use this line to connect to trains heading to Philadelphia.

Ocean City Railroad

This line connected Ocean City Junction to Ocean City.

Seacoast Railroad

This railway ran from Winslow Junction to Tuckahoe, Sea Isle City, and Cape May.

Railroads Acquired in the 1930s

More railroads joined the Atlantic City Railroad in the 1930s.

Stone Harbor Railroad

This railroad was acquired in April 1932. It ran from Cape May Court House to Stone Harbor. It later merged with the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in 1936.

Wildwood and Delaware Bay Short Line Railroad

Acquired in July 1930, this line connected Wildwood Junction to Wildwood. It merged with the Atlantic City Railroad (which was then part of the PRSL) in 1934.

Other Railroads Operated or Leased

Pleasantville & Ocean City Railroad

This railroad started in New Jersey on June 9, 1880. It was a narrow-gauge line (3 feet 6 inches or 107 cm wide) that opened between Pleasantville and Somers Point, New Jersey. The Philadelphia & Atlantic City Railway operated it. People could take a steamboat from Somers Point to Ocean City.

In May 1882, the West Jersey and Atlantic Railroad bought this line. They then leased it and began changing its tracks to standard width in June.

Brigantine Railroads

On August 7, 1889, the Brigantine Beach Railroad was formed to build a line to Brigantine Island. Another company, the Pomona Beach Railroad, was created in 1890 to connect the Brigantine Beach Railroad to the Atlantic City Railroad.

By August 1890, both the Brigantine Beach Railroad and Pomona Beach Railroad were leased by the Atlantic City Railroad. In January 1891, they combined to form a 13.9-mile (22.4 km) line.

In 1893, an electric trolley line called the Brigantine Transit Company was built along Brigantine Beach. However, a storm in 1903 destroyed a bridge leading to Brigantine Island. Because of this, the Philadelphia & Brigantine Railroad stopped all service in October 1903.

The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines

Map of the consolidated Pennsylvania-Reading lines (West Jersey and Seashore Railroad lines in red, Atlantic City Railroad lines in purple)

On November 2, 1932, two major railway companies, the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company, decided to combine their railway lines in Southern New Jersey. They formed a new company called The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. The Pennsylvania Railroad owned two-thirds of this new company, and the Reading Company owned one-third.

Finally, on July 15, 1933, the Atlantic City Railroad leased the West Jersey & Seashore Railroad and officially changed its name to the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. This marked the end of the Atlantic City Railroad as a separate company, but its legacy continued as part of this larger railway network.

See Also

• Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
• Philadelphia and Reading Railway