Do you remember the underpass at the Pennington train station? All that is left now are these handrails leading down into the ground after it was filled in. Lots of people have fond memories of the underpass – including the thrill as kids when they were surrounded by the sound of the train rumbling overhead. But does anyone have pictures of the underpass – or any pictures of the train station in operation?
Here’s an undated Artvue postcard of the Pennington station, looking north towards the N. Main St. bridge, with industrial buildings and silos further up on the right of the tracks.
So what is the date of this image? One hint is that there are two train tracks, which puts it before the mid 1980s. And the entire area around the station is clear of trees and well maintained.
While we’re at it, are there any photos of the view up and down the train tracks at the Pennington station or from the N. Main and Delaware Ave. bridges? There were tracks and sidings, signals and signal bridges, and additional buildings including a freight depot.
For example, here’s the current view north along the tracks from the Pennington station up to the gentle curve at the N. Main bridge. And the view from the N. Main bridge looking further north straight along the tracks (to the area once used for switching and sidings.
Finally, here’s the opposite view today, looking straight down the tracks south from the Pennington station, with the coal and lumber yard buildings to the left.
So does anyone have old photos of Pennington that they can share, especially with these kinds of scenes around the train station – and especially the underpass?
More on Hopewell Railroads
Two railroads were built in the 1870s to connect Philadelphia and New York by travelling up from the Delaware River, through Pennington and Hopewell, and then north towards New York. The Mercer and Somerset opened in 1874, but was shut down in 1880. The Delaware and Bound Brook opened in 1876, and is the predecessor of the line that still runs through the area.
Hopewell Valley Railroad Lines
- Post – The Railroads of the Frog War – Hopewell Valley Railroads
- Post – Hopewell Reading Line Railroad Timetable Collection – Local train service
- Post – Hopewell Railroad Research – Mercer & Somerset in Hopewell Boro
- Post – Railroad Trains and Flooded Bridges
- Post – Hopewell Valley Railroad Artifacts
- Post – The “Frog War” in Hopewell – with references
- History Brief – Hopewell Valley Railroad Lines (PDF)
Hopewell Valley Train Stations
- Post – The Hopewell and Pennington Train Stations (1876)
- Post – Railroad Stations in the National Register of Historic Places – Documents
- Post – Hopewell Railroad Sidings
- Post – Pennington Train Station Underpass
- History Brief – The Hopewell and Pennington Train Stations (PDF)
Hopewell Railroad Presentations
- Presentation / Video – Industrial Hopewell: Railroad Place – References
- Presentation / Video – Life in 1900s Hopewell With the Arrival of the Railroad – References
- Presentation / Video – Hopewell Train Stations: History and Art – References
Train Stations in Photos
- Post – Train Station Photos by Harry Abendroth
- Post – Ralph Curcio Hopewell Railroad Photos
- Post – Hopewell Train Station in 1881
- Post – Hopewell Train Station Photos – 1914 & c1940
- Post – Hopewell Trains and Stations – 1955
- Post – Images of the HOPE Switch Tower – 1950s
- Post – Hopewell & Pennington Train Stations and Buildings – 1973
Railroad Collections
- Pamphlets – Railroad Timetable Collection
Media – Railroads in Image Gallery
- Artwork Gallery – Hopewell Train Station Art Gallery
- Gallery – All Hopewell Train Images and Hopewell Train Station Images (HwRR)
- Gallery – All Pennington Train Images and Pennington Train Station Images (PnRR)
Media – Railroad Artwork
- Post – Hopewell Train Station Art Gallery
- Post – More Intriguing Hopewell Train Station Art
- Post – Hopewell Train Station Art by Jerry Cable
- Post – Hopewell Train Station Painting with Steam Engine 602
Media – Railroad Video
- Video – 1940s videos of people boarding trains at the Hopewell Train station (YouTube)
[…] stations, but also show now-gone station buildings including the passenger sheds and sidings, the Pennington underpass, the Hopewell station from 1881 (only five years after the station was built), and other buildings […]