(erielack) Orange Branch

[Todd Hollritt <thollritt_@_yahoo.com>]

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  I used this website to trace the former Erie / EL Orange Branch in West Orange. You can use the "Self guided Tour" on the website that walks you along the former trackage.There is also a book produced by the historical society that has additional information according to the site. 
 
http://westorangehistory.com/id73.html
 
 If you visit the area, you can easily spot the where the former Orange Branch ended near Main Street, the former yard is still an open gravel parking lot. And you can trace the line as it ran from Main Street east toward Orange, N.J. as it heads eastbound. There are still a few former consignees the railroad once served that included a lumber yard, coal dealer (Landscaping business today) and of course Thomas Edison's factory, also visible are at least two large concrete retaining walls that stood along the Erie trackage. One at the former yard and another one stands near Watchung Ave.   
  What really caught my eye was this structure that stands less than 50 yards from the right of way. Just off Park Avenue is this "Station like" structure that stands near a park. The "Frank "Bo" Ench" Field House looks VERY similar to a train station! It has the same style roof, gables and yes it's even painted in Erie-ish "Green and Cream" paint. I included two photos. This location is close to the former Llewellyn Station, but does not resemble either one of the former West Orange stations that once stood in town. 
 
Todd ~Â 
 
Almost 100 years ago to the day a strange event occurred on the Erie Railroad here in West Orange. This is from the website... On May 5, 1913 a lion was on the lose here at this exact location in West Orange. As strange as it may sound it was actually reported in the New York Times. Two young boys had opened the door to a box car. Unknown to them was that a real live lion was inside. With the door open the lion jumped out. The freight yard at the time was more or less walled in by fences and embankments and piles of coal so the lion could not escape the freight yard and was trapped inside. But the two young boys managed to get up over the fences and alert a policeman. A crowd gathered outside of the freight yard as the policeman fired shots at the lion but could not hit him. A man with a rope tried to lasso the lion but it didn’t work either. Finally a woman named Lalla Selbini emerged from the crowd. It was her lion whose name was Pete. She was
 performing at a local theater and the lion was part of a vaudeville act. Pete the lion was glad to see her and she guided him back into the box car and secured the door without further incident.




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