Carlton Hill station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carlton Hill
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Carlton Hill station in December 1909, facing towards BE Draw.
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| Location | Jackson Street & Erie Avenue, Rutherford, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates | 40°50′32″N 74°06′50″W / 40.8422°N 74.1140°W | |
| Owned by | Erie Railroad (1906–1960) Erie–Lackawanna Railroad (1960–1966) |
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| Line(s) | Erie Railroad Main Line (1888–1963) Carlton Hill Branch (1963–1966) |
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| Platforms | 1 side platforms | |
| Tracks | 2 main line | |
| Construction | ||
| Platform levels | 1 | |
| Other information | ||
| Station code | 2125 | |
| History | ||
| Opened | c. 1870 | |
| Closed | October 3, 1966 | |
| Previous names | Santiago Park (–May 1874) West Rutherford (May 1874–) |
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| Key dates | ||
| 1965 | Agency closed | |
| October 1967 | Depot demolished | |
| Former services | ||
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Carlton Hill station was a train stop in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. It was part of the Erie Railroad's main line. The station served people living in Rutherford and East Rutherford's Carlton Hill area. It also handled freight for the Royce Chemical Company, which made household cleaners and dyes.
From Carlton Hill, trains went west to Passaic Park and east to Rutherford–East Rutherford and Pavonia Terminal.
Carlton Hill Station opened in 1888 on Jackson Avenue and Erie Avenue in Rutherford. It served the main train line until 1963. At that time, tracks were removed in nearby towns as part of a big plan called the Passaic Plan. The drawbridge near Carlton Hill was opened permanently and later taken down. This left Carlton Hill on a short branch line. For a few years, only a few trains used this branch. In 1966, the Carlton Hill branch was closed because it wasn't used much. The old tracks are still there, but the station building was torn down in October 1967.
Contents
About Carlton Hill Station
Carlton Hill station was located where the Erie Railroad's main line crossed Jackson Avenue in Rutherford. It was about 10.75 miles (17.30 km) from New York City's Chambers Street Ferry Terminal. The main line had two tracks. There was one platform next to the station building, which was on the side where trains went east.
In the mornings, many people used Carlton Hill to travel to New York City. After the morning rush, a station agent would check the train yard. They also handled billing for freight from the Royce Chemical Company. The yard often had train cars, both empty and full, waiting to be picked up.
Even though the station is no longer used, you can still visit the old site. You can get there by taking New Jersey Transit buses #160 and #190 and then walking to Jackson Avenue. The old station site and tracks are now owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway.
How the Station Looked
Carlton Hill station was first built in 1888. It was a wooden building, about 57 feet (17 m) long and 16 feet (4.9 m) wide. This wooden design was a common style for Erie Railroad stations. When it first opened, it was called West Rutherford.
In 1889, the station had many trains each day. Eighteen trains came from New York City and Jersey City, and seventeen went to New York City. There were fewer trains on weekends. A one-way ticket from Jersey City to Carlton Hill cost $0.35. A round trip was $0.50. The Erie also had a "Family Commutation Service" for 50 trips, which cost $8.75.
The station was popular with people going on holidays. They would visit resorts along the Passaic River. For a few years, a horse-drawn train line called the Rutherford Railway also ran nearby.
A Strange Incident in 1945
On August 17, 1945, something unusual happened at Carlton Hill. People on a train passing through the station suddenly felt sick. This was because of a gas called sulfur dioxide.
Workers were moving sulfur dioxide from a large tank car to storage tanks at Royce Chemical. A hose split, and they didn't close the valve on the tank car. This caused the gas to spread around the Carlton Hill area. When the passenger train stopped, its engine was right next to the leaking tank car. The gas went into the train cars, causing people to panic and rush to get out.
An off-duty engineer named W.S. Osborne was on the train. He ran to the engine and found the crew unconscious. Osborne quickly took control of the train. He moved it away from the gas leak, which helped reduce how much gas people breathed in.
As the gas spread, workers at a nearby factory also felt sick. They rushed out of the building. Emergency teams arrived to help. Several passengers were treated by a local doctor. Four people were taken to the hospital. These included a passenger, a local resident, and two train crew members. The train's fireman was treated at the scene.
The sulfur dioxide gas also damaged plants in the area. Residents complained that the fumes had killed many trees and gardens. The mayor of Rutherford had even sent a letter in 1942 asking Royce Chemical to clean up its area. A local police officer said there had been gas leaks before, but none as bad as this one.
The president of Royce Chemical, Albert Royce Jr., said that sulfur dioxide was not poisonous. He claimed it only smelled like rotten eggs and wasn't serious. However, nine people had been made sick by the fumes. A few days later, it was reported that three more people had been affected. This brought the total number of victims to 12.
Why the Station Closed
In the 1950s and 1960s, railroads like the Erie and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western faced challenges. They decided to combine some services and share tracks to save money. Also, officials in Passaic wanted the main train line moved out of their city. The tracks caused traffic problems when trains stopped.
After the Erie and Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroads merged in 1960, the idea of moving the tracks in Passaic came up again. The new company, Erie–Lackawanna, decided to move its main line to a different route. This meant the main line past Carlton Hill was no longer used. The BE Drawbridge was left open and later put up for sale for $0.00 in 1964.
After the main line was moved, the two tracks from Rutherford through Carlton Hill became a short branch line. This branch mostly carried empty trains. However, there were a few trains that went from Carlton Hill to Rutherford and then to Hoboken. In October 1966, service on the Carlton Hill Branch was stopped. The station no longer received passenger trains. The station building was torn down in October 1967 because it was falling apart and local residents complained. Only the tracks and the old platform remain today at Jackson Avenue.
Images for kids
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Carlton Hill station in March 2011, 45 years after the station closed. The partially overgrown tracks of the old Erie Railroad main line are visible along the deteriorating platform
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Carlton Hill station site in January 2015, mostly cleared
