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The Susie-Q, East to West (Virtual Author Presentation)
Aug
18
GPCo Author Presentation

The Susie-Q, East to West (Virtual Author Presentation)

presented by Carolyn Hoffman and
Jon Berkemeyer with Rudy Garbely
to the Tri-State Railway Historical Society

From its earliest origins as the New Jersey Midland Railway in the 1870s, the New York, Susquehanna & Western has been an integral piece of the northern New Jersey rail network. Stretching from the Hudson River in Jersey City and Edgewater westward to Stroudsburg, PA and beyond via its subsidiary, the Wilkes-Barre & Eastern, the NYS&W formed a vital east-west link across the state.

Despite cutting its west end back to Hainesburg, NJ in 1941, the railroad continued to flourish during World War II. Using funds from the influx of wartime traffic, NYS&W became the first Class I railroad in the U.S. to fully dieselize (accomplished in June of 1945). Following the recession of 1957 and the abandonment of the connecting Lehigh & New England in 1961, the NYS&W abandoned its line west of the Lehigh & Hudson River connection in Sparta, NJ. Commuter service ended entirely in 1966, and the railroad’s limited freight operations were cut back in 1968 from Sparta to Oak Ridge and again in 1971 from Oak Ridge to Butler. The NYS&W operated as a down-on-its-luck shortline into the 1980s, when it was famously revived by Walter Rich and the Delaware Otsego Corporation as a powerful Class II regional carrier.

This presentation for the Tri-State Railway Historical Society covers the railroad from east to west, showcasing never-before-seen images from the NYS&W’s earliest diesels in the 1940s through the railroad’s first decade under Delaware Otsego ownership. Carolyn Hoffman, author of the forthcoming book New York, Susquehanna & Western, Volume 1: Jersey City to Passaic Jct., provides a look at the railroad’s locations and motive power during these tumultuous decades. She is joined by Jon Berkemeyer (who is working on Volume 2, covering Elmwood Park to Butler) and her husband Rudy Garbely, who will help to present locations and photos from future books in this series covering the western portions of the “Susie-Q”.

Tri-State’s membership portion of the meeting begins on Zoom at 7:00 PM. Click the button below to register for the webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. The presentation will continue on Zoom and be simulcast on Tri-State’s Facebook page after. All are welcome to attend!

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Jan
20
GPCo Author Presentation

The Morristown & Erie Railroad - Past & Present

As part of the North Jersey History & Genealogy Center's presentation series, GPCo author Rudy Garbely will be giving a slideshow presentation on the Morristown & Erie Railroad, a local 120‐year‐old New Jersey short line railroad with a long history and a unique charm. Garbely’s presentation explores the railroad's beginnings in the 1890s, its successes throughout the 20th century, and its continued operations today. From its humble beginnings shuttling goods between Whippany's mills and Morristown's markets through its bustling World War II activities and its major 1980s expansion projects, the Morristown & Erie still remains Morristown's friendly local railroad.

Garbely's three GPCo books on the M&E will be available for sale at the event.

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