Need help...

[pa3de8]

I am in need of some help if there is anyone out there who has interest in the Hoboken/Weehawken waterfront railroading. I need to find some history and some mapping if at all possible. I wish to do my layout to include the North Bergen, Hoboken, Jersey City, Weehaken areas since I grew up there. If there is anyone who has any information; photos, magazines, books, etc. I would be greatful.

Scott

 

[SpaceMouse]

A lot rides on what year you wish to model. IF you want to model the 1990's, then there are satelite photos availible. If you want to go before that, then go to the library and get the Sanborn insurance maps. They look sort like this.

I am building layout based on this area of my adopted home town in 1950. It is the stub end of a 18.9 mile branch of the PRR.

What are you looking for? To you have any leads yet. To help we need more data.

 

[pa3de8]

I'm looking to build the waterfront area of Hoboken and Weehawken. I'm interested in building the 1960's thru the 1970's. Ifyou stood up on the Palisades, you were able to see al the warehouses, the rail yard behind the warehouses and the piers with the carfloats. That's the area and era I am interested in getting data about.

Scott

 

[SpaceMouse]

Then it's off to the library with you.

It will be easier to narrow things down if you pick a specific year.

Look for the Sanborn maps first. Once you find the locations of the rails and the names and types of businesses, see if you can find a local history. Ask the librarian for help. Use the indexes to find pictures of the specific businesses. Then try you local historical society. Search for the industries using google. Go to the area and walk around.

Here's what I came up with from the above map and a 1938 aerial photo.

 

[pa3de8]

Living in NE PA will I still be able to access those kind of maps for that area?

Scott

 

[SpaceMouse]

I'd check your local university library. Also I believe there is a Internet Link to the maps.

 

[IronBeltKen]

Scott -

Do you plan on modeling any carfloats (great for staging BTW) as part of your waterfront scene? If so, you may want to check these guys out:

Rail-Marine Information Group

The site contains an excellent list of books devoted to waterfront RR'ing. Also, IIRC, the coordinator is in the process of putting all the issues of Transfer onto CDs.

 

[pa3de8]

Scott -

Do you plan on modeling any carfloats (great for staging BTW) as part of your waterfront scene? If so, you may want to check these guys out:

Rail-Marine Information Group

The site contains an excellent list of books devoted to waterfront RR'ing. Also, IIRC, the coordinator is in the process of putting all the issues of Transfer onto CDs.

Thanks CSX! I was emailed that information from a member of another Yahoo group I belong to and I did join the group. I am also planning on including the car floats to answer your question yes!

Scott

 

[pa3de8]

I now have in my possesion maps circa 1942 of the Hoboken/Jersey City/Weehawken waterfronts. A gentleman from a Rail/Marine operations group I belong to got me these maps that the War Department had and he made me some copies.
Great detail and even lists what warehouses where being used at that time by which companies.

Scott

 

[SpaceMouse]

Sweet. If you get a chance scan and post an interesting section for us to see.

 

[pa3de8]

How's this?

Scott

 

[pa3de8]

How's this?

Scott

Well that's no good...I have trouble with this site and getting the pics down to the right size where it will get accepted...

Scott

 

[pa3de8]

I think I'm just going to scan them all and post them in the file section of my model railroad group on Yahoo groups.

Scott

 

[SpaceMouse]

Dang that's a lot of track. I'm interested to see how you model it. The hard part will be generating the traffic to justify the size of that yard--unless compress it somehow.

Keep us posted.

 

[Rednarb]

I would love to see a model shipyard of this capacity! Best of luck!!!

 

[pa3de8]

That's just one page. There are 8 pages of maps for the waterfront.

Scott

 

[pa3de8]

I would love to see a model shipyard of this capacity! Best of luck!!!

The problem with what I want to do is, I can't decide what part of the water front I want to model. I've got maps that include Hoboken/Jersey City/Weehawken/Edgewater. These maps are highly detailed and even give the names of the companies that owned the piers and buildings down there.

Scott

 

[pa3de8]

I am trying to find out some information on the companies who were in operation down on the waterfront at that time such as goods they shipped and such. I even thought maybe that I could model the waterfront in a more modern era and just freelanced it since there is hardly any trackage down there anymore.

Scott

 

[4Starcstms]

Maybe you can do both, sometimes you dont have to 'copy' it per se, just capture the flavor of it all, find some key elements that say port of NY.. Might also try the Library of Congress www.loc.gov