1848 March 9
- Abram S. Hewitt obtains a charter for the Sussex Mine Rail Road.
Top
1850 May 21 -
Ground broken near Waterloo for mule road.
1851 August 23
- New Jersey Herald reports that three mules were killed by accident
on the mule road.
1853 May 5 -
Ground broken on the Sussex Railroad.
1854 September
25 - A steam locomotive reaches Andover in time to haul ore from the
mine to the canal at Waterloo before it freezes for the winter.
1854 December
11 - First passenger train enters Newton.
1857 January
- Snowstorm blocks slate cut and is cleared by citizens of Newton.
1858 - First
arrangement made with the Morris & Essex for transporting milk
to the city.
Top
1866 September
- Track gauge adjusted from 4'-10" to 4'-8 1/2". Continuation to Branchville
begun under William 'Billy' Bell.
1868 - Work begun
on line to Franklin.
1869 January
1 - First train ran over the Branchville line as far as Lafayette.
June
- Trains able to run to Franklin as far as Fowler's Homestead.
July 3 - Line
completed to Branchville.
Mid September
- Regular service to Franklin commences.
Top
1870 January
- 28 - train car overturns in Andover
1870 July 14
- The depot at Franklin is finished.
1871 March -
Track work begun on south Vernon branch.
1871 March -
supplement added to charter allowing connection from south of Newton
to Stanhope.
1872 May - track
obstruction
1872 July 4 -
Newton 'cutoff' completed.
June
- Franklin line completed to McAfee (south Vernon branch.)
October - Work
on Newton's Brick Depot begun.
November -
McAfee Depot completed.
1873 June -New
four stall engine house completed.
August
- Newton's Brick depot opened. Prefab depot transported from Newton
to Lafayette.
1879 early -
slate quarry opened between Newton and Andover
Spring
- replacing iron rails with steel.
July - telegraph
line installed between Franklin and Waterloo
August - Waterloo
siding extended.
Top
1880 May - some
trains discontinued.
November
- new wye installed at Franklin
1881 May - Sussex
Railroad closes its McAfee depot
July
27 - Lackawanna bought controlling interest in the Sussex Railroad.
Top
1890's Boston
flyer traverses Sussex County
1891 November:
New turntable built in Newton.
1898 humble station
shelter built at Cranberry Lake
Top
1900 blast furnace
at Franklin shut down
March
1 - schedule change.
July 12 - work
on Stanhope cutoff begun.
1901 July 21
- Stanhope cutoff put into service.
July
25 - Camel-back locomotives running on the Sussex road.
August 5 -
train wreck
1902 May - Cranberry
Lake developed as a resort
1903 June 4 -
New Jersey Herald story
Major
improvements at Cranberry Lake
Waterside hotel
built at Cranberry Lake
Ice house built
at Cranberry Lake
1905 new Newton
water tank erected
1906 - Newton's
concrete freight station built.
1907 April 11
- Andover depot first lit by electricity. (NJH)
1909 - one arm
electric semaphore signals installed.
December-
Telephones being installed in all Sussex Branch stations.
Top
1910 December
4 - hotel at Cranberry Lake destroyed by fire.
1911 November
24 - Branchville Junction station burns down.
1912 Lackawanna
contributed half the cost of establishing a county agricultural agent
in Sussex County
1915 Lackawanna
inaugurates first solid-vestibule commuter train on the Sussex Branch.
1916 February
3 - 80lb rail has been laid as far as Augusta.
Top
1922 Lackawanna
receives permission to remove station agent in Waterloo.
1924 Lackawanna
signs perpetual lease agreement of the Sussex Railroad
Top
1932 February
23 - permission to discontinue service to Franklin granted by Public
Utilities Commission
1933 October
- Newton roundhouse torn down.
1934 May 26 -
abandonment of Franklin branch approved by Interstate Commerce Commission
1938 Sussex County
buys Franklin branch right-of-way
Top
1941 July - new
turntable pit blasted at Newton
October
- new, 90' turntable installed at Newton
1944 January
27 - 130 lb. rail being laid from Stanhope to Andover Junction. 90
lb had been used previously.
1945 Sussex Railroad
fully merged into the Lackawanna
Top
1951 June - Hart
& Iliff Lumber yard burns.
1953 June 5 -
engine No. 1135 on Branchville Milk train No. 1050 made the final
steam run on the Boonton Branch of the DL&W [DL&WRR in
the 20th Century pg. 201]
1953 July 7 -
Newton water tank dismantled
1955 April 12
- Wye track outside of Branchville taken out of service and replaced
by run-around track.
August
19 - Hurricane Diane causes flash floods which burst two dams in Branchville
washing out about a mile of the railroad.
October 10
- service restored to Branchville following hurricane Diane.
1958 January
1 - Franklin station destroyed by fire.
1959 January
- Mail service delivery on the Sussex Branch comes to an end
Top
1960 Erie and
Lackawanna merged to become Erie Lackawanna
1962 January
12 - blocking signals taken out of service north of Andover
July
17 - Boiler explosion and fire in the Sussex Milk & Cream Co.
closes the Branchville plant.
September 12
- Sussex Milk & Cream Co. Closes for good.
1964 November
30 - Becker's creamery at Strader's closes. Last milk train runs on
the branch. [Sussex County Voice]
December
29 - remainder of blocking signals taken out of service on Sussex
branch
1966 July 10
- Last passenger train from Branchville to Hoboken.
July
13 - Last passenger train from Newton to Hoboken. Two Erie Stillwell
coaches behind RS-3 #932 ended passenger service on the Sussex branch
north of Andover Junction.
October 2 -
Last passenger train from Andover ended all service on the Sussex
Branch.
1969 Sussex branch
completely out of service
Top
1970 November
14, - The Newton Depot is taken down
1976 April 1
- Erie Lackawanna absorbed into Conrail
1977 July - track
torn up between Andover and Stanhope
Top
1994 January
22 - 8:15 A.M. - The roof of the Branchville station collapses under
the weight of heavy snow, pushing out the end walls. (Crash heard
by Dick Roy)
1998 September
26 - Plaque commemorating the Branchville station was dedicated as
part of Branchville's 100th anniversary celebration.
1999 April 15
- My Sussex Branch Memorial
site up and ready.
October 24, 2001:
The Sussex Branch Memorial receives its domain name, SussexBranchMemorial.com.
May 5, 2003:
I changed the domain name to DLW-SussexBranch.com.
June 2003: The
siding behind the G.L.F. (Agway) building in Branchville is relayed
with track by the owners of Montague Tool & Supply to display
a baggage car. The baggage car was set on the rails on July 1, 2003.