Paterson tram
The city of Paterson in the US state of New Jersey had a streetcar network from 1864 to 1938 that included both urban and interurban lines and served almost all of Passaic County . As early as 1928, all city lines were closed and only the overland lines to Hoboken , Newark and Edgewater were still in operation. The net had track connections to the tram Newark , the tram in Bergen County and for the tram in Hudson County .
Initially, several railway companies had built tram routes in and around Paterson. The Newark-based Public Service Railway , which also owned the local network, operated the Paterson tram as the Passaic Division from 1907 . The tram companies in Bergen County, Hudson County and Newark had lines to Paterson, and these companies also belonged to the Public Service Railway. The routes that these lines traveled within Passaic County, however, were under the administration of the Paterson Tram or the Passaic Division. On the other hand, the Paterson tram also operated some routes into Bergen County.
history
As early as the 1860s, four railway companies began to build horse-drawn tram lines in the urban area of Paterson. These four companies and another that opened the first electric tram in the neighboring town of Passaic in 1890 were combined to form the Paterson Railway by 1891 , which electrified the horse-drawn railway network by 1892. At the beginning of the 1890s, however, other companies were founded that built electric tram routes and ultimately came under common management only in 1899. The last city line in Paterson was closed in 1928, after which three overland lines operated by neighboring companies ran into the city until 1938.
Paterson Horse Railroad
The Paterson Horse Railroad Company was the first streetcar company in Passaic County. Founded on March 6, 1863, it built a standard - gauge, single - track horse-drawn railway line from the Rogers locomotive factory at the intersection of Market / Spruce Street through Market Street to the Erie Railroad station , where a transfer track to the railroad was installed. The concession of the route was for passenger and freight traffic, which is why the railway company acquired a passenger car. This was not used, however, and the 1.3-kilometer-long line, which opened on June 20, 1864, was used exclusively to transport goods, in particular to transport the built locomotives to the station. The locomotives did not run the route under their own power, but were loaded onto flat cars and pulled them over the track by horses, because the Erie Railroad had a gauge of six feet (1829 mm) at that time and was only converted to standard gauge in the 1880s. The railway did not have its own depot. Horses and vehicles were parked in the locomotive factory.
From 1888, there was a second standard-gauge track in Market Street, which belonged to the Paterson Railway, so that a double-track line was created that was used in common one-way traffic. On November 6, 1891, the Paterson Railway finally took over the railway.
Paterson and Passaic Horse Railroad
Paterson & Passaic was founded on February 28, 1868 and began construction work on a horse-drawn railway line from the Erie Railroad station through Market Street and Weasel Road (now McLean Boulevard) to the main entrance of Cedar Lawn Cemetery in June of that year September 1868 went into operation. The track gauge was specified as four feet, ten inches (1473 mm). A track connection to the existing standard-gauge railway of the Paterson Horse Railroad was therefore out of the question. The train depot was on Market Street at Pennington Street. On November 29, 1869, the route in Market Street was extended from the station to Main Street and through this to River Street, so that two tracks of different gauge were now side by side in western Market Street.
On April 15, 1871, a second line went into operation. The trains on this route also went from Main Street to the cemetery, but from the station through Park Avenue and Vreeland Avenue, at the southern end of which the tracks met again on Market Street. Both lines had the same color code in which the cars were painted, namely green. The route via Market Street or Park Avenue was shown with signs. The third line, the Main Line , was served by red cars. It went into operation on October 30, 1871 and ran along Main Street from River Street to Sisters Hospital (now St. Joseph's Hospital) on the corner of Barclay Street. The railway's second depot was built for this line near the Main / Mary Street intersection.
The last line of Paterson & Passaic opened on December 18, 1871. The Lakeview Line branched off from Market Street at East 29th Street and ran through that street and Trenton Avenue to Florida Avenue. It was driven on with blue cars from the terminus Market / River Street. The Market Street line was discontinued at the same time, the short stretch of Market Street between East 29th Street and Vreeland Avenue was now no longer in line. The following year, the Lakeview Line was extended to Lakeview Station via Trenton Avenue, Crooks Avenue and East Railway Avenue. From April 8, 1872, the Market Street line ran again.
The Paterson & Passaic Horse Railroad had to file for bankruptcy on July 28, 1875. The Paterson and Passaic Railroad Company , founded on March 2, 1876, took over the routes. The new operator also had difficulties operating the network economically. On February 1, 1879, the Lakeview and Market Street lines were set, so that only the Main Street and Park Avenue lines were used for the time being. A new line was not opened again until 1884. The Main Street line was extended on November 3rd of that year through Main Street to Gould Avenue. On May 2, 1888, Paterson & Passaic merged with two other companies to form the Paterson Railway, which shortly thereafter converted the Paterson & Passaic network to standard gauge and also reopened the Lakeview line.
Paterson and Little Falls Horse and Steam Railroad
P&LF was founded on April 9, 1866. She opened her first horse-drawn tramway on April 24, 1869, which began on Broadway near Main Street and ran through Broadway, Bridge Street and River Street to East 16th Street in Riverside. The line was named Riverside Line . A second line, the Broadway Line , was added on December 6, 1870. Their city-side terminus was also on Broadway / Main Street. From there it led through Broadway to East 18th Street. At the beginning of 1871 the Broadway line was extended over Broadway, East 24th Street, 15th Avenue to East 29th Street and in the summer of 1871 further through 15th Avenue and East 33rd Street to Park Avenue / East 33rd Street. The depot for both lines was on Broadway at Mulberry Street, at the city-side terminus of the train. On June 30, 1871, the third line was opened with the West Paterson Line . It began like the other lines at the intersection of Broadway and Main Street, but ran through Main Street, West Street (West Broadway), Union Avenue, Albion Avenue and Totowa Avenue to Ryerson Avenue in West Paterson.
The railway company went bankrupt on January 15, 1876 and was reorganized on September 20, 1877 as the Paterson City Railway . In the meantime, steam operation was started on a trial basis on sections of the route in 1876, but this did not prove itself and was discontinued in 1877 at the latest. The only route under the Paterson City Railway was built in 1883 with the extension of the Riverside Line through River Street to the corner of East 19th Street. On May 2, 1888, the Paterson City Railway merged with two other companies to form the Paterson Railway.
Paterson and Haledon Horse Railroad
With Paterson & Haledon, the fourth horse-drawn railway company was founded in Paterson on April 3, 1868. Their only route began at the intersection of Broadway and Main Street. From there to West Street / Union Avenue she used the existing tracks of Paterson & Little Falls. The route of Paterson & Haledon continued through Hamburg Avenue (West Broadway) and Belmont Avenue to Barbour Street and was opened on July 1, 1873. The Haledon Line did not have its own depot, the horses and vehicles were stored in the depot of Paterson & Little Falls at the terminus on Broadway. On August 23, 1873, the extension through Belmont Avenue to Pompton Road in Haledon went into operation. Like the other two passenger transport companies, Paterson & Haledon went bankrupt on October 20, 1879, and was reorganized as the Haledon Horse Railroad on September 8, 1880. The majority of the shares in the new company belonged to the Paterson City Railway. The Haledon Horse Railroad merged with the Paterson & Passaic and the Paterson City Railway on May 2, 1888 to form the Paterson Railway.
Passaic, Garfield and Clifton Railway
On August 14, 1889, the PG&C was founded with the aim of operating electric trams from Garfield via Passaic to Clifton . On July 26, 1890, the age of the electric tram began in Passaic County - but not yet in the city of Paterson itself. The first stretch began on the Garfield city limits, namely at the bridge over the Passaic River on Wall Street. From there it led through Wall Street, Passaic Street and Main Avenue to Harrison Street, where the depot was located. On October 1, 1890, the route was extended through Main Avenue to Clifton, where it ended at the intersection of Piaget Avenue. The further extension to the city limits of Paterson took over the Paterson Railway, which bought the railway on May 18, 1891.
Paterson Railway
The Paterson Railway was formed on May 2, 1888 as a merger of the Paterson and Passaic Railroad, the Paterson City Railway and the Haledon Horse Railroad. The Paterson & Passaic had a route network in the gauge of 1473 millimeters, while the networks of the other two companies were standard gauge (1435 mm). Shortly after the merger, the Paterson & Passaic tracks were converted to standard gauge and, at the same time, the lines were largely double-tracked and provided with heavier rails. The Paterson & Passaic Lakeview Line, which was shut down but not dismantled in 1879, was also relocated and reopened. On December 1, 1888, the first new line also went into operation. It started on Market Street and went down Beech Street and 21st Avenue to the corner of Madison Avenue.
| line | former operator | Line route | electrification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | P&P | Main Street / River Street - Main Street - Hospital - Main Street / Gould Avenue | December 16, 1891 |
| Park avenue | P&P | Main Street / River Street - Main Street - Market Street - Erie Station - Park Avenue - Park Avenue / East 33rd Street | February 13, 1892 |
| Cedar Lawn | P&P | Park Avenue / East 33rd Street - Vreeland Avenue - Cedar Lawn Cemetery | May 3, 1892 |
| Lakeview | P&P | Main Street / River Street - Main Street - Market Street - Erie Station - Market Street - Trenton Avenue - Crooks Avenue - Lakeview Station | August 22, 1892 |
| 21st avenue | - | Main Street / River Street - Main Street - Market Street - Erie Station - Market Street - Beech Street - 21st Avenue - 21st Avenue / Madison Avenue | July 7, 1892 |
| Riverside | PCRY | Broadway / Main Street - Broadway - Bridge Street - River Street - Riverside, East 19th Street | June 22, 1892 |
| Broadway | PCRY | Broadway / Main Street - Broadway - East 24th Street - 15th Avenue - East 33rd Street - East 33rd Street / Park Avenue | October 8, 1892 |
| West Paterson | PCRY | Broadway / Main Street - Main Street - West Street (West Broadway) - Union Avenue - Albion Avenue - Totowa Avenue - West Paterson, Totowa Avenue / Ryerson Avenue | October 8, 1892 |
| Haledon | HHR | Broadway / Main Street - Main Street - West Street (West Broadway) - Hamburg Avenue (West Broadway) - Belmont Avenue - Haledon, Belmont Avenue / Pompton Road | July 7, 1892 |
In 1890, the Paterson Railway extended the Main Line through Main Street to the city limits on Crooks Avenue. On May 18, 1891, she took over with the Passaic, Garfield and Clifton Railway, an electric tram route from Garfield via Passaic to Clifton, which ended in Clifton on Main Avenue / Piaget Avenue. This route was also extended on July 12, 1891 to the intersection of Main Street / Crooks Avenue on the Paterson / Clifton city limits, so that the network was now connected. Passengers first had to change trains at the city limits. On November 6, 1891, the Paterson Railway also took over the freight line of the Paterson Horse Railroad , which had been used as a second track on Market Street since 1888. So for a short time all trams in Paterson were in one hand. From the end of 1891 the Paterson Railway electrified its horse-drawn railway network, which was completed in autumn 1892. With electrification, the Broadway line was taken out of 24th Street, 15th Avenue and East 33rd Street and led directly through Broadway to 33rd Street.
The Haledon Line and the 21st Avenue Line were connected to the electrification to form the new Haledon Line. As early as January 23, 1892, the Main Line and the line to Passaic and Garfield had been connected to one line (Main Line), so that you could now travel to Passaic without changing. The network therefore now consisted of seven lines. With or shortly after electrification, the Haledon Line was extended beyond its terminus at 21st Avenue / Madison Avenue to 21st Avenue / Market Street. With the electrification of the Broadway line, it was linked to the Park Avenue line and both lines operated as a ring line along Main Street, Market Street, Park Avenue, East 33rd Street and Broadway. The Broadway line now ran clockwise from the center through Broadway, the Park Avenue line ran counterclockwise, i.e. initially through Park Avenue.
In the years after electrification, no changes were made to the network. It was not extended until 1898. The West Paterson Line became the Totowa Line when it was extended across Totowa Avenue and Totowa Road to Laurel Grove Cemetery (off Willard Avenue). Here the Paterson Railway took over the concession of the insolvent Paterson Central Electric Railway for the operation to Totowa, whose line to the cemetery in Totowa had to be set for cost reasons. On November 1, 1899, the newly founded Jersey City, Hoboken and Paterson Railway acquired the Paterson Railway, which initially remained independent. The final merger did not take place until August 2, 1901.
Paterson Central Electric Railway
The city of Paterson required when granting a concession that the licensed route was opened in its entirety. Railway companies that wanted to build a longer route therefore used a trick. They founded separate railway companies, applied for a separate concession for each section and then later merged. The Paterson Central Railway was founded on October 7, 1891, and the Central Electric Railway on October 24, 1891 . The two companies each received a concession for a railway line, namely the PCR for the route from Straight Street through Ellison Street, Little Falls Turnpike (now McBride Avenue), Lincoln Street over a no longer existing bridge over the Passaic River and through Totowa Road to Laurel Grove Cemetery in Totowa, which was east of Willard Avenue, and the CER for a distance from Haledon Avenue / North 1st Street through Straight Street to 21st Avenue. The Totowa Line went into operation on July 1, 1892, and the Straight Line on August 24, 1892. Even before completion, the two companies merged on March 16, 1892 to form the Paterson Central Electric Railway (PCER).
A People's Park Railway Company (PPR) was formed on May 28, 1892 to build the section from Railroad Avenue to People's Park. It opened its route on July 20, 1892, before the completion of the Straight Line. It ran from the intersection of Market Street and Railroad Avenue through Railroad Avenue, Essex Street, Straight Street (south) and Beech Street (north), 21st Avenue, Beckwith Avenue, Madison Avenue to East Railway Avenue, where People's Park is found. PPR remained independent, but PCER was responsible for operating the line.
On December 30, 1897, the PCER went bankrupt. The operation initially continued, but in 1898 the tracks of the Totowa Line were given to the New Jersey Electric Railway , which no longer ran the bridge in the course of Lincoln Street, but now ran its own line to Singac over this route. The line concession for the connection to Totowa took over the Paterson Railway, which, however, built its own line to Totowa and only acquired the tracks in Totowa Road. On June 15, 1899, the Paterson Railway finally bought what was left of the PCER and shut down the Straight line. The tracks in Straight Street south of Market Street were preserved, these were still used by the New Jersey Electric Railway or its successor.
Paterson, Passaic and Rutherford Electric Railway
The same trick as the PCER was used by the Paterson, Passaic & Rutherford on a slightly larger scale. To this end, the Paterson and Little Falls Electric Railway Company (P & LFER) was founded on April 13, 1892 , and the Grand Street Electric Railway Company (GSER) on January 14, 1893 . GSER built the section from Erie Station on Market Street through Railroad Avenue, Grand Street, Canal Street (now Barnes Street), West 27th Street (Carlisle Street), West 18th Street (Nagel Street), West 30th Street (Glover Avenue) to Little Falls Turnpike (McBride Avenue). From there on the Turnpike and down Paterson Avenue to the terminus in Little Falls (Maple Street), the P&LFER built. The entire route went into operation in April 1893, but first had to be changed at West 30th Street / Little Falls Turnpike. On July 25, 1893, the two companies merged with the People's Park Railway to form the Paterson and Little Falls Consolidated Railway Company (P & LFC). The People's Park Railway was initially still under the management of the PCER. On the same day, the new owner started continuous operation on the line now called Singac Line . The further extension of the People's Park Railway to Crooks Avenue was to be taken over by the Paterson and Passaic Electric Railway Company (P & PER) founded on September 29, 1892 , the extension from there via Passaic to Rutherford by Passaic, Rutherford and Carlstadt, founded on September 20, 1892 Electric Railway (PR & CER).
On September 6, 1893, the Singac Line in Little Falls was extended by Paterson Avenue to Union Avenue, in October 1893 by Main Street to Singac Station, in 1894 by Main Street to the Newark – Pompton Turnpike and finally to 1895 to the Singac loop between Amity Street and Coney Road. On November 21, 1893, the newly founded Paterson, Passaic and Rutherford Electric Railway (PP&R) took over the P & LFC, the P & PER and the PR & CER. The P&PER route went into operation on the same day. It led from the terminus of the People's Park Railway through East Railway Avenue to Crooks Avenue, where the line ended at the level crossing. At the same time, the management of the People's Park Railway was transferred to the new owner. Two lines were now operated. The Singac Line ran from the Erie Railroad station through Grand Street and Little Falls to Singac Station, the Lakeview Line ran from Grand Street via PCER tracks to 21st Avenue and on to Crooks Avenue.
The further extension to Rutherford was opened on July 4, 1894. This route ran from Crooks Avenue through Lakeview Avenue, East Madison Avenue and Central Avenue, in Passaic on through Central Avenue, Madison Street, Hamilton Avenue, Washington Place, State Street, Park Place and Main Avenue, in Wallington across the River Street and Paterson Avenue to East Rutherford, where it ran through Paterson Avenue and Park Avenue to the station on the Erie Railroad. The Lakeview Line was now called the Rutherford Line and ran from Paterson to Rutherford continuously. On May 15, 1895, the New Jersey Electric Railway leased the train. Starting in 1897, it also leased the Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford Electric Railway Company's line , which opened in 1896 and ran from Paterson Avenue / Park Avenue to the Hoboken Terminal . This route is part of the Hudson County's tram. Continuous operation on all of these lines began on August 30, 1896, so that now every 15 minutes a railcar ran from Hoboken Terminal to Paterson on the Passaic Line . The vehicles were painted white, which is why the railway was popularly and soon officially called White Line . The section in Rutherford from Paterson Avenue / Park Avenue to the station was now only served by a shuttle car as the Rutherford line. Some White Line wagons ran through to Singac on the Singac Line.
White Line Traction
The New Jersey Electric Railway Company (NJER) was founded on September 14, 1894. They did not build their own lines, but leased the Paterson, Passaic and Rutherford Electric Railway on May 15, 1895 and the Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford Railway on June 7, 1897, operating the White Line and the Rutherford Line .
| line | Line route |
|---|---|
| White | Broadway / Main Street - Grand Street (>) / Market Street (<) - Erie Train Station (<) - Essex Street - Straight Street (>) / Vine Street (Summer Street) (<) - People's Park - Lakeview - Clifton ( Central Avenue) - Passaic - Wallington - East Rutherford - Secaucus - Union City - Hoboken Terminal |
| Rutherford | East Rutherford, Paterson Avenue / Park Avenue - Rutherford, train station |
| Singac | Erie Train Station - Grand Street - Woodland Park - Little Falls - Singac |
The NJER had to go on 14 December 1897 in bankruptcy and was on 9 June 1899, the White Line Traction Company sold (WLT), which in turn on 1 November 1899, a number of other rail companies to Jersey City, Hoboken and Paterson Street Railway merged with all the trams in Paterson in one hand. Before that, however, the NJER took over the route in Straight Street, Ellison Street and eastern Little Falls Turnpike in 1898 from the also bankrupt Paterson Central Electric Railway. The Singac Line now ran this route and ended on Washington Street in downtown. The route from Grand Street to West 30th Street (Glover Avenue) was operated by a new line, the Grand Line .
Jersey City, Hoboken and Paterson Railway
The JCH & P took over all streetcar operations in Paterson and most in Hudson County on November 1, 1899. The Saddle River Traction Company , founded on June 22, 1897, was among the acquisitions . She built a streetcar line from Garfield Station on the Erie Railroad through Midland Avenue, Harrison Avenue, Charles Street, Passaic Avenue, Main Street and Union Street to Lodi Station on the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad . In the opposite direction, the trams ran through Nicholson Street, Arnot Street and Westervelt Place instead of Passaic Avenue. The railway went into operation shortly after the takeover on December 26, 1899. At first it had no connections to other trams.
| line | former operator | Line route |
|---|---|---|
| White | WLT | Broadway / Main Street - Grand Street (>) / Market Street (<) - Erie Train Station (<) - Essex Street - Straight Street (>) / Vine Street (Summer Street) (<) - People's Park - Lakeview - Clifton ( Central Avenue) - Passaic - Wallington - East Rutherford - Secaucus - Union City - Hoboken Terminal |
| Rutherford | WLT | East Rutherford, Paterson Avenue / Park Avenue - Rutherford, train station |
| Grand | WLT | Erie Train Station - Grand Street - Woodland Park - Little Falls Turnpike / West 30th Street |
| Singac | WLT | Washington Street - Spruce Street - Little Falls Turnpike - Little Falls - Singac |
| Main | PRY | Broadway / Main Street - Main Street - Clifton (Main Avenue) - Passaic, Bridge |
| Park avenue | PRY | Broadway / Main Street - Main Street - Market Street - Erie Station - Park Avenue - East 33rd Street - Broadway - Broadway / Main Street (that way only) |
| Broadway | PRY | Broadway / Main Street - Broadway - East 33rd Street - Park Avenue - Erie Station - Market Street - Main Street - Broadway / Main Street (that way only) |
| Cedar Lawn | PRY | Park Avenue / East 33rd Street - Vreeland Avenue - Cedar Lawn Cemetery |
| Totowa | PRY | Broadway / Main Street - Main Street - West Street (West Broadway) - Union Avenue - Albion Avenue - Totowa Avenue - Totowa Road - Totowa, Laurel Grove Cemetery |
| Riverside | PRY | Washington Street - Broadway - Bridge Street - River Street - Riverside, East 19th Street |
| Haledon | PRY | Haledon, Belmont Avenue / Pompton Road - Belmont Avenue - Hamburg Avenue (West Broadway) - West Street - Main Street - Market Street - Erie Station - Market Street - Beech Street - 21st Avenue - 21st Avenue / Market Street |
| Lodi | SRT | Garfield, Erie Train Station - Harrison Avenue - Passaic Avenue / Westervelt Place - Lodi, NYSW Train Station |
On March 27, 1902, the governor line went into operation in Paterson. It replaced the Grand Line and began at its previous terminus in Little Falls Turnpike. The existing route led them to Grand Street, where they turned into Main Street and Broadway. From here it led through Straight Street, in which the disused tracks of the former Straight Line could now be used again, through Governor Street and East 18th Street to 6th Avenue. The Monroe Line was opened in Passaic on August 5, 1902. It was a pendulum line that ran from Passaic Street / 2nd Street (now Market Street) through 2nd Street, Monroe Street and Hamilton Avenue to the corner of Madison Street. At Passaic Street there was a change to the Main Line, at Madison Street to the White Line.
Also around 1902, JCH & P extended the Lodi line beyond Garfield station through Passaic Street to the bridge, where the main line ended, and thus established a connection between this line and the rest of the network. The Lodi cars now drove like the Main Line to Paterson. On the other hand, the Lodi Line was also extended in May 1904. The new line ran through Union Avenue, on its own track to Hasbrouck Heights and Hackensack, where it met the Hackensack tram line in Bergen County on Summit Avenue . The new line belonged to the Hudson River Traction Company , which had been founded on March 21, 1902 and operated the Hackensack Line of the Bergen County network. The Lodi line was now operated by two different railway companies, but in continuous operation from Paterson to Hackensack.
On April 1, 1903, JCH & P opened a new line that it did not operate itself. It led from the intersection of Broadway and East 33rd Street through Broadway to the bridge over the Passaic River, where it met the tracks of the Bergen County tram. The Hudson River line of this operation now went to East 33rd Street in Paterson, where the Broadway and Park Avenue lines could be switched. Also in 1903 the Public Service Corporation took over the majority of the shares in JCH & P, which however remained independent for the time being.
Another new line went into operation on April 3, 1907. The Lakeview Line ran from the Paterson city limits on Main Street (corner of Crooks Avenue) through Main Street, Broadway and Bridge Street on existing tracks. From Bridge Street she turned onto a short stretch of new line into Arch Street and crossed the Passaic River. The terminus of the train was located directly behind the bridge.
The Paterson and State Line Traction Company was founded on November 15, 1901 to build a streetcar north from Paterson to the New York state border. This ambitious project failed due to financial resources. The JCH & P merged on August 20, 1907 with this railway and a few other railway companies. At the same time, the tram operation was spun off from the Public Service Corporation and now traded under the name Public Service Railway . Operations in Paterson and Passaic were administered as the Passaic Division .
Public Service Railway
The lines of the Passaic Division of the newly founded Public Service Railway (PSRY) were given numbers from 53 to 64. The White Line was operated from Jersey City and was given line number 15 of the local operation. The Lodi Line was given line number 93 of the Bergen County Company, but the tracks on this line were largely under the administration of the Passaic Division. During the PSRY era, the entire urban network was shut down. Only the overland lines operated by the neighboring administrations were initially retained. There were only track extensions in the first PSRY years.
However, the new operator initially optimized the route network. The Cedar Lawn line, which only functions as a feeder line, was discontinued in November 1907 and instead every second car on the Broadway line drove from the intersection of East 33rd Street / Park Avenue first to the Cedar Lawn cemetery and back and only then continued its journey towards the city center. The full ring line thus became a loop line. With the takeover of the Bergen network in 1911, the Hudson River line of this operation was extended over Broadway to the city center and now ended like most lines at the Broadway Terminal (Broadway / Main Street).
The first line to be built was the Lakeview line, which opened in 1907 and became the State Line Line on December 19, 1912 . On that day, the extension from Arch Street to the north went through North Main Street, East Main Street, Goffle Road, Wagaraw Road, Lincoln Street, a separate track in their extension, Grand Avenue, Legion Place, and again a separate track , which became North 4th Avenue, extended to the intersection of North 4th Avenue and Rea Avenue in Hawthorne . On March 1, 1913, the line was renamed again and was now called Hawthorne Line . The last line was built from July 1, 1914 to Ridgewood station, where the then independently operated Interurban line to Suffern was located on the other side of the railway facilities and later integrated into the PSRY Bergen network. The new route led further north on North 4th Avenue and as an extension of it on its own railway body, which ran parallel to the railroad and east to Highland Avenue. Alongside this and through Clinton Avenue, the route continued on its own track parallel to Godwin Avenue. The route then led through Washington Place to Ridgewood train station.
From January 14, 1914, the White Line was called the Passaic Line . From January 3, 1916, the Main Line (60) from Passaic continued through Main Avenue to the corner of Brook Avenue. On this piece tracks were used, the management of which was taken over by the Essex Division (Newark tram). From January 2 to December 5, 1917, the Riverside Line (56) ended at the Broadway Terminal instead of City Hall (Washington Street). On December 11, 1919, the Passaic Division took over the administration of the Lodi Line and integrated this line into the Main Line, which was thus extended to Hackensack. Every second car continued to end on Main Avenue / Brook Avenue in Passaic. This was the greatest stage of expansion of the line network.
| number | Line name | Line route |
|---|---|---|
| 15th | Passaic | (partly under the administration of the Hudson Division ) Broadway / Main Street - Grand Street (>) / Market Street (<) - Erie Station (<) - Essex Street - Straight Street (>) / Vine Street (Summer Street) (< ) - People's Park - Lakeview - Clifton (Central Avenue) - Passaic - Wallington - East Rutherford (and further on Hudson Railroad: - Secaucus - Union City - Hoboken Terminal) |
| 17th | Paterson | (partly under the administration of the Essex Division ) Broadway / Main Street - Main Street - Clifton - Passaic - Main Avenue - city limits (and further on Essex tracks: - Nutley - Belleville - Newark , Public Service Terminal ) |
| 53 | Rutherford | East Rutherford, Paterson Avenue / Park Avenue - Rutherford, train station |
| 54 | Singac | Washington Street - Spruce Street - Little Falls Turnpike - Woodland Park - Little Falls - Singac |
| 55 | Monroe | Passaic, Passaic Street / 2nd Street - Monroe Street - Hamilton Avenue / Madison Street |
| 56 | Riverside | Washington Street - Broadway - Bridge Street - River Street - Riverside, East 19th Street |
| 57 | Totowa | Broadway / Main Street - Main Street - West Street (West Broadway) - Union Avenue - Albion Avenue - Totowa Avenue - Totowa Road - Totowa, Laurel Grove Cemetery |
| 59 | Haledon | Haledon, Belmont Avenue / Pompton Road - Belmont Avenue - Hamburg Avenue (West Broadway) - West Street - Main Street - Market Street - Erie Station - Market Street - Beech Street - 21st Avenue - 21st Avenue / Market Street |
| 60 | Main | Broadway / Main Street - Main Street - Clifton (Main Avenue) - Passaic - Main Avenue / Brook Avenue // - Passaic - Garfield - Lodi - Hackensack, Train Station |
| 61 | Governor | East 18th Street / 6th Avenue - Governor Street - Broadway - Main Street - Grand Street - Woodland Park - Little Falls Turnpike / West 30th Street |
| 62 | Park avenue | Broadway / Main Street - Main Street - Market Street - Erie Station - Park Avenue - East 33rd Street - Broadway - Broadway / Main Street (that way only) |
| 63 | Broadway | Broadway / Main Street - Broadway - East 33rd Street - (Vreeland Avenue - Cedar Lawn Cemetery - Vreeland Avenue (only about every other trip) ) - Park Avenue - Erie Station - Market Street - Main Street - Broadway / Main Street ( only in this direction) |
| 64 | Hawthorne | Washington Street - Main Street - Broadway - East Main Street - Hawthorne - Ridgewood, train station |
| 89 | Hudson River | (partly under the administration of the Bergen Division ) Broadway / Main Street - Broadway - city limits (and further on Bergen tracks: - East Paterson - Maywood - Hackensack - Bogota - Teaneck - Leonia - Palisades Park - Grantwood - Edgewater Terminal ) |
The dismantling of the network began in 1920. The two pendulum lines were first shut down. The Rutherford line (53) no longer ran from July 10, 1920, the Monroe line (55) from July 25, 1924. On the Passaic line, additional trips between Paterson and Passaic were made from October 8, 1920 to January 20, 1921 offered, but not proven. On February 13, 1923, the PSRY changed the route to Cedar Lawn Cemetery. From that day on, the Broadway line (63) no longer made the detour to the cemetery, but the Park Avenue line (62), but as before, only every second car. The routing of these lines was changed again on April 6, 1924. Now the Totowa Line (57) ran over Park Avenue to Cedar Lawn Cemetery and the Park Avenue Line was discontinued. The Broadway line now ran in both directions through Broadway to East 33rd Street / Park Avenue. In the meantime, on February 1, 1924, the city-side terminal of lines 15, 17 and 60 had been moved to the town hall. Line 15 then reversed from Essex Street via Straight Street, Market Street, Main Street and Grand Street to Essex Street, lines 17 and 60 coming from Main Street via the loop via Market Street, Washington Street and Ellison Street.
Another shutdown concerned the Main Line (60) on August 31, 1924. The branch via Garfield and Lodi to Hackensack was switched to bus operation, so that now all trips went to Main Avenue / Brook Avenue in Passaic. Two days later the routing of the lines between Paterson and Passaic (15, 17 and 60) was changed. The Passaic line (15) now ran through Main Avenue and Main Street and made a U-turn in the City Hall loop, and the Main line ran accordingly less frequently. A new line was established on the old Passaic Line and now ran from City Hall via Lakeview and Central Avenue to Passaic, where it ended in Passaic Street. It is no longer possible to determine which line number the Lakeview Line received. As early as February 22, 1925, the change was reversed and the Passaic line drove again via Lakeview and, as before, turned via Market Street, Main Street and Grand Street. On March 18, 1925, the Main Line (60) was returned to the Broadway Terminal. On June 5, 1925, the line on Governor Street was closed and the Governor Line (61) renamed the Grand Line again. It ended at the Broadway Terminal and drove from there via Grand Street to the terminus in Woodland Park, West 30th Street.
Further restrictions took effect during this period. From July 31, 1925, the Singac line only operated during rush hour. At the other times there were buses. The Haledon Line was shortened on September 4, 1925 and has since ended at 21st Avenue / Madison Avenue. The section from there to 21st Avenue / Market Street has been closed. From September 21, 1925, the Riverside Line only ran during rush hour. The Hawthorne Line was closed on November 16, 1925 between the city limits of Hawthorne near Rock Road to Ridgewood. The Totowa Line was divided on December 14, 1925 and ends coming from Totowa now in Washington Street at City Hall. The Park Avenue line was reintroduced, running from the Broadway Terminal on Park Avenue to Cedar Lawn Cemetery and in the opposite direction on Broadway. Every other trip ended at Park Avenue / East 33rd Street and returned directly from there on Broadway. Finally, on December 30, 1925, the section from Essex Street via 21st Avenue to Madison Avenue of the Haledon Line was closed and the line now ended east of the intersection of Essex Street and Beech Street on Essex Street.
From January 31, 1926, the Hawthorne line no longer ran on Sunday mornings, and from April 23, 1926 only in rush hour traffic. From August 1, 1926, the Main Line no longer ran on Sunday mornings. On the same day, the Riverside Line was shut down, followed by the Hawthorne Line ten days later. The Broadway line was discontinued on August 3, 1926, the ring on Park Avenue and Broadway was only used in a counterclockwise direction. From September 24, 1926, the Singac line only ran twice in each direction in afternoon professional traffic. At all other times there were buses. The Park Avenue line was replaced by buses on Sundays from October 17, 1926.
Around 1926, the numbers of all lines were changed, so that, as in the other divisions, the tram lines had odd numbers from 1 and the bus lines had even numbers. The same process was carried out in neighboring Bergen County, where the Hudson River Line to Paterson was numbered 1. This number was therefore no longer available for the Passaic Division. Line numbers 15 and 17 of the lines to Hoboken and Newark respectively remained unchanged. Number 5 was reserved for the Interurban route to Suffern, which was extended from February 28, 1926 to Paterson, Broadway Terminal, but was placed under the administration of the Bergen Division. It is not known whether the number 5 was already used for the feeder car on the Hudson River Line from the Broadway terminal to the Interurban terminus in East Paterson, which started on June 15, 1925. The other line numbers were 3-Singac (ex 54), 7-Grand (ex 61), 9-Park Avenue (ex 62), 11-Totowa (ex 57) and 13-Haledon (ex 59). The main line merged into line 17, which ran completely parallel. The cars that only went as far as Passaic kept the designation Main Line. These cars were no longer offered from July 1, 1927, so the main line was discontinued.
Line 7 to Woodland Park was finally shut down on June 9, 1927 and line 3 to Singac on July 14, 1927. On August 3, 1927, the line followed in East 33rd Street. Line 9 now only ran from Market Street, where it ended at the depot, across Park Avenue to Cedar Lawn Cemetery. At the same time line 17 was returned to the Broadway terminal. Bergen Division lines 1 and 5 continued to operate on Broadway. The line 5 was taken back to East Paterson from August 21, 1927, so that, as before 1926, had to be changed here. Further closures affected line 11 to Totowa on September 15, 1927 and line 13 to Haledon on November 5, 1927. Part of the line 13 in the Straight or Beech Street and 21st Avenue remained as an operating route.
Public Service Coordinated Transport
When the Public Service Railway merged with the bus operations of the Public Service Corporation to form the Public Service Coordinated Transport Company on January 31, 1928, only the lines 1-Hudson River (to Edgewater), 9-Park Avenue ( to Cedar Lawn Cemetery), 15-Passaic (to Hoboken) and 17-Paterson (to Newark). Lines 1 and 17 ended in the loop of the Broadway Terminal, lines 9 and 15 at the depot on Market Street, west of Main Street. Line 9 was the last Paterson city line to shut down on October 1, 1928.
On October 1, 1931, line 15 in the city center received a new traffic route and terminus. Coming from Beckwith Avenue she drove through Beech Street, Essex Street, Railroad Avenue and Market Street to the depot on Market Street west of Main Street. In the opposite direction, trains ran from Market Street through Straight Street to 21st Avenue and onto Beckwith Avenue. The tracks on Summer Street, East Essex Street and Grand Street between Main Street and Railroad Avenues have been closed.
From August 7, 1933, most of the trips on line 15 ended at the bridge over the Hackensack River in East Rutherford or from Hoboken in Secaucus. Only six journeys drove through to Hoboken, from November 17, 1933 only four journeys. From March 8, 1934, continuous operation was completely stopped and the Passaic line ended from Paterson in Passaic on Hamilton Avenue. The section from there to the bridge was not shut down, but initially remained as an operating line. The line now only ran in rush hour traffic. After the passengers were almost completely absent, trips to the bridge were offered again on March 19, 1934. However, this only lasted until 1936. The landward terminus of Line 15 became Park Avenue in East Rutherford on May 5, the level crossing on Paterson Avenue in East Rutherford on May 21, Carlton Avenue in Wallington on May 25, and Main Avenue on May 27 / River Drive in Passaic withdrawn. On March 22, 1937, line 15 was shut down and switched to trolleybuses . On July 18, 1937, line 17 to Newark was also switched to trolleybus service. The now remaining line 1 of the Bergen Division to Edgewater operated until August 5, 1938, before it was also shut down.
Sources and further information
- literature
- Edward Hamm, Jr .: The Public Service Trolley Lines in New Jersey . Transportation Trails, Polo, Illinois 1991, ISBN 0-933449-12-7 .
- Joseph F. Eid, Jr., Barker Gummere: Streetcars of New Jersey . Self-published by J. Eid, 2007, ISBN 978-0-9801026-2-8 .