Index>History
>Marking Time
Marking
Time
Some of the
events in Sussex Branch history are not referred to with exact dates.
As I find documentation of events, I will add them to this section.
[January][February][March][April][May][June]
[July][August][September][October][November][December]
January 1,1869
- First train ran over the Branchville line as far as Lafayette.
January 1, 1958
- Franklin station destroyed by fire.
January 1959
- Mail service delivery on the Sussex Branch comes to an end.
January 12,1962
- Blocking signals taken out of service north of Andover.
January 22, 1994
- 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)
January 28,1870
- Train car overturns in Andover.
Top
February 23,
1932 - permission to discontinue service to Franklin granted by Public
Utilities Commission.
Top
March 9, 1848
- Abram S. Hewitt obtains a charter for the Sussex Mine Rail Road.
Top
April 1, 1976
- Erie Lackawanna absorbed into Conrail. Sussex Branch remained in
EL estate :-)>
April 12, 1955
- Wye track outside of Branchville taken out of service and replaced
by runaround track.
April 15, 1999
- My Sussex Branch Memorial
site up and ready.
Top
May 5, 1853 -
Ground broken on the Sussex Railroad.
May 21, 1850
- Ground broken near Waterloo for mule road.
May 26, 1934
- abandonment of Franklin branch approved by Interstate Commerce Commission.
Top
June 5, 1953
- 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]
Top
July 3, 1869
- Line completed to Branchville.
July 4, 1872
- Newton 'cutoff' completed.
July 7, 1953
- Newton water tank dismantled.
July 10, 1966
- Last passenger train from Branchville to Hoboken.
July 12, 1900
- work on Stanhope cutoff begun.
July 13, 1966
- 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.
July 14, 1870
- The depot at Franklin is finished.
July 17, 1962
- Boiler explosion and fire in the Sussex Milk & Cream Co. closes
the Branchville plant.
July 21, 1901
- Stanhope cutoff put into service.
July
25, Camel-back locomotives running on the Sussex road.
July 27, 1881
- Lackawanna bought controlling interest in the Sussex Railroad.
Top
August 5, 1901-
Train wreck on the Stanhope Cutoff.
August 19, 1955
- Hurricane Diane causes flash floods which burst two dams in Branchville
washing out about a mile of the railroad.
August 23, 1851
- Sussex Register reports that three mules were killed by accident
on the mule road.
Top
September 1,
1962 - Last service to Branchville creamery.
September 25,
1854 - A steam locomotive reaches Andover in time to haul ore from
the mine to the canal at Waterloo before it freezes for the winter.
September 26,
1998 - Plaque commemorating the Branchville station was dedicated
as part of Branchville's 100th anniversary celebration.
Top
October 2, 1966
- Last passenger train from Andover ended all service on the Sussex
Branch.
October 10, 1955
- service restored to Branchville following hurricane Diane.
October 24, 2001:
The Sussex Branch memorial receives its domain name, SussexBranchMemorial.com.
Top
November 14,
1970 - The Newton Depot is taken down
November 24,
1911 - Branchville Junction station burns down. A new one is built
by April of 1912.
November 30 ,1964
- Becker's creamery at Strader's closes. Last milk train runs on the
branch. [Sussex County Voice]
Top
December 4, 1910
- hotel at Cranberry Lake destroyed by fire.
December 11,
1854 - First passenger train enters Newton.
December 29,
1964 - remainder of blocking signals taken out of service on Sussex
branch.