I always wondered, what were the similarities between Lackawanna’s Morristown (M&E) and Paterson (Boonton Line) stations. They look to be from the very much the same design, but Paterson differed because it was a two story structure with a walkup to track level. Did they look similar inside in any way?
Since the construction of Route 19 and Route 80 eliminated the Boonton Line through here in 1963, I did a little industrial archeology looking for any signs of the former station, or any signs of DL&W for that matter. There’s still a tiny street named “Lackawanna Plaza” that I imagine once led to the railroad station. it dumps you right on an on ramp to route 80, what a great tribute huh! And there’s some cement steps with metal railings along Marshall Street that lead to nowhere in the area, they go direction of the station site, I always thought they looked sort of Lackawannaish.
No sign of the tracks around here anymore, but you see a bit of a trail near the most visible remaining structure. It’s the crumbing cement and plate girder Lackawanna overpass that used to take Valley Road over the tracks just easy of the station. Its days are numbered I am sure. But I bet NJDOT still has nightmares over the removal of the Grove Street overpass just east of here, a classic cement icon itself, with those huge Lackawanna pillars, it took forever to demolish that fortress of concrete and rebar. It is sad the station didn’t survive tha carnage here;
I read somewhere the Lackawanna Railroad used to have a competition to see what station kept its grounds the neatest and decorated with gardens. I think Paterson actually came in first once!
And if we want to compare property values… well that’s my .002 cents, it really sums up the economy in this section of Paterson these days.
My vote for BEST former EL station still goes to Tenafly. What an amazing station, it’s very unique and well kept, not another one like it around.
Todd ~
- ---------------------------------
Yahoo! Shopping
Find Great Deals on Gifts at Yahoo! Shopping
The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
Sponsored by the ELH&TS
http://www.elhts.org
------------------------------
This HTML page is © 2000-2008 Blue Moon Online System and The Railfan Network
This page and the data contained therein may not be reproduced
for any form of commercial use without the explicit permission
of J. Henry Priebe Jr. or his duly authorized agent.