BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Joe:

You are quite welcome!

Back in the 70's/early 80's, when I would take the PATH tubes to "PAVONIA" to explore the ruins of the former ERIE terminal area, that was when Pavonia Avenue still went down to the waterfront.

Back then, only a handful of freight/warehouse employees used that PATH station, which was, at the time, closed nights and weekends.

Here is information on the route of the "PAVONIA" streetcars:

From Union City, (inbound to the ERIE terminal) cars traveled south along Summit Avenue to a complex junction in Jersey City, where the tracks running along Hoboken Avenue, Newark Avenue, and Summit Avenue all converged.

There, cars of the "PAVONIA" line swung off onto Hoboken Avenue, then used a stretch of private ROW to Monmouth Street; the cars then ran on Momnouth St. to 7th St., before heading up Erie St.

There, the cars switched tracks again, this time heading east along Pavonia Avenue en route to the ERIE terminal.

Outbound cars (from the terminal) used 9th St. instead of 7th St., heading towards Hoboken Avenue.

This map was printed in "THE PUBLIC SERVICE TROLLEY LINES IN NEW JERSEY, by Edward Hamm, Jr.

Hope this helps!

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Joe:

Until 1923, another PS car line served the ERIE terminal on Pavonia Avenue; this was (originally) the "ERIE" line.

This line began at the Exchange Place terminal, ran west on Montgomery Street, then Newark Avenue, then north on Erie Street, where it connected with the "PAVONIA" line for the remainder of the trip to the ERIE ferry terminal.

Returning, the "ERIE" line ran west on Pavonia Avenue to 7th Street, then along Jersey Avenue, where the cars swung eastward on Newark Avenue, south onto Grove Street, then along Wayne Street, Gregory Street, and York Street to the PRR Exchange Place terminal.

In 1916, interestingly, the "ERIE" and "HENDERSON" lines were consolidated into a new "CROSSTOWN" line.

From the ERIE terminal, the cars ran along Pavonia Avenue, Erie Street, Newark Avenue and Henderson Street to Grand Street.

Returning, the cars went north on Henderson Street, and the east on Pavonia Avenue, and then down to the ERIE terminal.......

"NYO"

[N4 Jamaica]

About six years ago, realizing that my grimy basement was being overloaded with books, I sold my $50 copy of Hamm for $20. Error!

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

On this day in 1967 (58 years ago)..................

The aforementioned "ALDENE PLAN" went into effect, rerouting all CNJ commuter trains away from the Jersey City ferry terminal, and into Penn Station, Newark (the CNJ was now but a lowly "tenant" road)

Also on that day, all passenger service on the Newark Branch ended (during rush hours, through services to Plainfield and Atlantic Highlands was also provided from the Broad Street station, which, today, is but an empty shell, its multiple tracks, Bush sheds, and concourse long ago torn down)

The CNJ's passenger roster was cut by more than half.

With the implementation of the "Aldene Plan", all combines were removed from service.

All ferry service between the Jersey City terminal and Liberty St. in lower Manhattan ended.

Reading's "WALL STREET" and "CRUSADER" were also re-routed to Newark, and RDCs replaced the locomotive-hauled consists on both trains.

The "Aldene Plan" not only killed off most of CNJ's remaining passenger service, but also, eliminated miles of once-busy corridors and junctions which have been totally obliterated.

Had these routes survived, they would have been a vital component of NJT's rail operations, in later years

Back in the 1960s, the automobile and the highway were thought to be the way of the future, and that railroads were out-of-date.

Too bad no one seemed to realize this, until virtually whatever remained of these once-busy rail facilities disappeared down the echoing corridors of time.

How short-sighted the transportation mentality of the 1960s was, and today, we are indeed the poorer for it.........

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

On this day in 1958.......

The most serious accident to befall the CNJ occurred when eastbound NY&LB Train #3314, heading to the Jersey City ferry terminal from Bay Head, plunged through the open span of the (now demolished) Newark Bay Bridge (it has been said that the engineer had had a seizure/heart attack)

The two GP-7s (along with several heavyweight coaches) plunged into the bay; one coach was left dangling from the edge of the open span for hours.

Sadly, the engine crew and 46 passengers lost their lives; the loss of life indeed would have been greater, had it not been a Jewish holiday.......

"NYO"

["JERSEY CENTRAL LINES"]