This page will cover a portion of what is now commonly known as the Northeast Corridor (NEC). It was once the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad. I am not an expert on the Pennsy, so I will limit any comments to the basics. There is a historical society dedicated to the PRR located at: www.prrths.com
( Jump to Metropark, New Brunswick, Monmouth Junction, Princeton Jct., Trenton )
Although the true beginning of the corridor is in New York City's Penn Station, I will start on the Jersey side of the Hudson.
The exit of the tunnels from New York is located under the Tonnelle Avenue
highway ( Routes 1 & 9 ) west of Jersey City. A NJ Transit Arrow MU
set slides out of the tunnel at 60 mph heading for Trenton.
Located out in the swamps of the meadowlands is 'Hudson' tower.
The largest freight yard formerly operated by the PRR was the Meadows yard. To view that page, Click here.
Prior to reaching Newark, the main passes through the town of Harrison,
NJ. The PATH tracks are on the outside of the PRR/PC/Amtrak tracks and
serve the town.
Just prior to entering Newark, Penn Station, the railroad must cross the Passaic
River. Since the PATH trains use the upper level of the station, a large
multi-deck lift bridge is located here. "Dock" tower is on the
bridge itself and controls movements through the station.
Standing on the very east end of the Newark station platforms gives a good
perspective of the bridge. The PC GG-1 is on the Florida bound
"Champion". The original high speed trains between New York and
Washington, DC were the Metroliners. Built by Budd in the late 1960's,
they ran for the PRR, PC and Amtrak before their retirement. Some cab cars
were rebuilt for use a push-pull cabs.
In a scene repeated thousands of times, a GG-1 on a local pauses on track 1 at
Newark.
The first Metroliner, #800 on track 4. 
A long train fills the length of the platforms.
As viewed from the cab of a Newark bound CNJ RDC car, an Amtrak painted GG-1
heads through the south end of Newark.
South of "Hunter" tower, where the junction for the Lehigh
Valley interchange is located ( now used by NJT Raritan Valley line trains) was
Waverly yard. Small Alco switchers worked the yard for the Penn
Central.
A set of E-44 electric units enter the yard by Waverly tower in 1977.
Electrified freight service under Conrail lasted until the early 1980's.
The bridge over the top is the Lehigh Valley main out of their Oak Island yard.
The west entrance to the Waverly yards is at "Lane" tower. The
outside eastbound track goes up and over the entrance to the yard and that is
where I am standing in the first two photos. Traditional PRR operation had the
passenger trains on the outside tracks and freight on the inside tracks.
Today, Amtrak uses the inside and NJT and Septa local trains use the outer
tracks. The Pennsylvania numbered their main line tracks from south to
north 1 to 4. Remember, even though Amtrak considers the line north to
south, under the PRR and PC it was always east and west. Therefore, the outer
most eastbound track was number 1 track, the inner eastbound number 2, inner
westbound number 3 and outer westbound number 4. Most other railroads
used odd numbers for westbound tracks and even numbers for eastbounds.
Confused? Wait 'til you get the area with six tracks!
Shot from the window of a Newark bound train, a set of MP54's rolls through the
Lane interlocking. 1974.
In 1977, a short eastbound piggyback train with a PC GP-38 and a Reading GP-35
are on track 2 enroute to Waverly passing by the North Elizabeth station.
Approaching the reverse curves at Elizabeth aboard a CNJ train to Bay Head.
1974.
A Trenton local stops at the Elizabeth station in October 1975.
On the same day, an Amtrak westbound with a black GG1 is followed by a westbound
freight with GG1 4825 and 4809 leading. Both on track 3. Amtrak 919
heads east toward New York on track 1.
Taken from the North Jersey Coast Line CNJ train, a northbound GG1 lead train
passes through the industrial area near Rahway.
GP-38 8052 leads three other units departing the General Motors Linden plant in
1977. Photo courtesy of Gary Madden.
On October 29, 1983 a GG-1 leads a fan trip through North Rahway. The date
was for the final runs of the famous GG-1.
After turning the train in Harrison, 4882 heads back to Matawan with the
excursion train.
Amtrak numbered 901 (ex-4901) passes through Rahway station.
Another GG-1 on a North Jersey Coast Line train enroute to New York.
The junction of the North Jersey Coast Line and the PRR main is controlled by
"Union" tower. Located just south of the Rahway station, the
name comes from the fact it is in Union County, NJ. From a point just
below Elizabeth to Union tower the railroad widened out to six tracks.
These tracks were known as "A" track on the westbound side and "aught"
track on the eastbound side.
To the North Jersey Coast Line pages
Colonia was once a small stop between Rahway and Iselin ( now Metropark ). Gary
Madden photos.
Metroliner 811 rushes through Colonia in 1976.
Metropark station was built where the tracks cross over the Garden State
Parkway.
A SD45 leads an Alco C425 and another unit west through the station in 1976.
In a dramatic back lit shot, a NJ Transit MU slows for the station en route to
New York. Several large office buildings have sprung up in the area around
this station. A set of cross-overs just west of the station allows Amtrak
trains to use the station.
Things look somewhat different in 2010 from years past.
Action at Metuchen.
Labor Day 2010 action at Metuchen.
A yard formerly serving the Ford assembly plant is located one mile west of the Metuchen station. This plant was torn down completely in 2008.
Roaring through Edison, NJ is a Conrail GP40 in December 2003.
Edison 9-6-2010.
New Brunswick station in 1975. 2003 celebrates the 100th year of this
building. It has been fixed up nicely.
About one mile past New Brunswick station is the yard at 'County' tower.
That was it in the concrete block building. A yard is located here to
serve local industries. Although the MU trains no longer layover here, the
Jersey Avenue station is a popular destination. It is on what was once the
Millstone branch. CSX locals work this yard daily today.
Adams Station is just south of the Route 1 overpass. The old staircase
lead to the long gone PRR station.
This series of photos were taken on a beautiful Labor Day 2010.
A very modest three car train flies through Monmouth Junction, NJ. This is
where the junction for the line to Jamesburg swung off to the east. The
line to Jamesburg and then north (east) to South Amboy was also
electrified. This line was commonly known as the 'back road'. Photo
by Gary Madden.
A nice telephoto image of a northbound Florida train
The small shelter at Monmouth Jct. no longer in use. 
A Conrail freight in 1980.
That small shelter is still there in 2010, along with Midway tower.
The next station on the corridor is Princeton Junction. A short branch leads to the town of Princeton itself. Nassau tower is located here. Today the tower is closed and the switches have largely been removed. Since there are quite a few pictures here, just click for the Princeton Junction page.
Following a long straight stretch of track the main approaches the New Jersey
capital city of Trenton. These two MU locals meet at Hamilton, NJ. A
new station has been built near here and makes for good train watching spot.
North of where Olden Ave. crosses over the tracks was the site of a tower
called 'Millham'.
E44 4405 leads a westbound past Millham.
The tower at the Trenton station is 'Fair'.
MP54 train sets at the Trenton station. The 54 stands for the length of
the car, 54 feet.
Some freight action from the station platforms. 
RS-11 7619 at Trenton, 1973
GG1 4935 in new Pennsylvania paint leads the eastbound "Murray Hill"
on May 15, 1977.
1973.
A set of MU cars cross the Delaware River bridge into New Jersey from
Pennsylvania.
To continue on to Philadelphia, Click here
To view the page on the Bel-Del north from Trenton to Phillipsburg, NJ, click here
Back to the Penn Central main page