N Scale Architect Branchville Station
N Scale Architect
4063 County Highway 2
Delancey, NY 13572
thenarch@delhitel.net
N Scale
BSN002 Delaware, Lackawanna & Western
Branchville Station Wood Craftsman Laser Kit
MSRP $69.95
Also available:
BSH003 HO Scale DL&W Branchville Station
MSRP $89.95
Sussex County, New Jersey is nestled into
the northwest corner of the state bordering Pennsylvania to the west and
New York to the north. This rural region of New Jersey has had a long
association with railroads when the first seven miles of track were laid
in the late 1840s to transport iron ore to the Phillipsburg Canal for
shipment to Trenton. The Sussex Railroad was incorporated shortly
afterward in 1851 linking the various hamlets between Andover, NJ and
Branchville, NJ. By the 1930s no less than five railroad companies had
trackage running through Sussex County
.
By the close of the 19th century
the Sussex Railroad had been incorporated into the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western and became that railroad’s Sussex Branch. Under DL&W
management it soldiered on through bouts of boom and depression until
the branch was abandoned in 1967. The Sussex branch hosted a varied
stable of both steam and diesel locomotives during its service life
making for some very interesting operations.
The end of the line was located at
Branchville. This terminus hosted a turntable, various industry sidings,
several dead end spurs and a classic wood framed Victorian station laid
out on a pocket sized plot of real estate. In N scale the entire plant
could be easily captured on an 18” x 48” shelf with out having to resort
to too much selective compression.
The station proper was built in 1869. During
its service life it was moved to accommodate changes to the railroad.
The station finally succumbed to old age and dereliction when it
collapsed in 1994, over a quarter of a century after the rail line
ceased operations.
Reviewed by George
Riley
