Standing on hallowed ground, in a railroad sense; this location, known as Eatontown Jct. more than 100 years ago, was where the Raritan & Delaware Bay RR (later to be part of the CNJ) first laid rails in 1860. The photographer is standing on top of the remnants of old ties which once held the rails of the passing siding which facilitated the connection to Long Branch, NJ, due east of here on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Today, the original R&DB RR is still operating as the Conrail Shared Assets Operations Southern Secondary, some 157 years later, and hosts a once-weekly train, symbol SA-31, seen here heading south (timetable west) towards Lakewood, NJ. |