Sleepers on New Jersey’s Pioneer Railroad

Presented by Pierre Lacombe

The January meeting will feature a presentation by Pierre Lacombe, retired geologist, who has investigated stone sleepers of the Camden & Amboy Railroad and about twenty other early-1830s railroads. Construction of New Jersey’s pioneer railroad, the Camden & Amboy, began in late-1830 and service began in Fall 1831. The railroad opened between the Delaware River and Raritan Bay in Fall 1832. About 100,000 stone sleepers were used in its construction. Lacombe mapped the location, rocky types, and constructions for more than 2,000 sleepers. The stones came from more than ten quarries in the Delaware and Hudson valleys. Various styles of roadbed used stone, wood-and-strap iron rail, stone-and-strap iron rail, and most importantly stone and rolled iron t-rail designed by Robert Stevens. The presentation will include information on original stone bridge abutments, stone culverts, and ballast.

The membership portion of the meeting begins on Zoom at 7:00 PM. Click here to register in advance for this webinar. Attendees will need to register in advance 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 our Facebook page after. All are welcome to attend!