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The Ogden Mine Railroad

 

The Ogden Mine Railroad was chartered in 1864 to provide a route from the mines at Edison to a connection with the Morris & Essex or the Morris Canal. Construction began in 1865 and connected to the M&E in 1867.  The total length as constructed was 10 miles. 

The OMRR was built as a standard gauge steam railroad. The original steam locomotives were 0-6-0s and were used to first haul iron to the Morris Canal and then to its connection with the DL&W.

In a rather interesting situation, the OMR ended in a bidding war between the DL&W and the CNJ. Finally, in 1881, the CNJ took over the railroad in the common 999 year lease.

As seemed to be to norm for the CNJ of those years, the mines soon started to lose out in the competition with the mines of Pennsylvania. Within a few years, the CNJ found itself owning yet another money draining branch line.

Needless to say, the lease did not last the full 999 years. In 1935 most of the Ogden was abandoned. 

I have been recently told that there remains at least one structure from the Ogden Mine RR, a stone arch bridge over Sparta Mountain Rd in Sparta Township.

Ogden Mine Railroad: 1864-1881

(c) 1999 - Phil Paone