Born: March 22, 1864, Pennsylvania
Died: May 1919
Dates of Service: 1913-1919
James Spencer "Spence" Caldwell was hired by the Rahway Valley Railroad in July 1913, to take over as Secretary & General Manager from Horatio F. Dankel, who had died the previous month.
Caldwell was born on March 22, 1864 to James R. Caldwell and Jane G. Finney. He graduated from Lafayette Collage in 1886 with a degree in Civil Engineering, and entered railroad service the same year. He was rodman on construction on the Suburban Rapid Transit Co. from 1886 to October 1887.
Afterwards, he worked as a draftsman for the Lehigh Valley Railroad from October 1887 to April 1890, as a transitman on construction for the Norfolk & Western from April 1890 to January 1891, as assistant engineer on location and construction on the Adirondack & St. Lawrence Railroad from May 1891 to September 1892, as roadway engineer and assistant general roadmaster on the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad from September 1892 to January 1, 1899, as roadmaster on the Wilmington & Northern Railroad from February to August 1899. He thereafter worked as division engineer for the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad at Philadelphia.
Caldwell married Gertrude E. Van Buskirk on November 19, 1896. They had three sons: James Spencer Jr., Alvan V. B., and Robert M. Caldwell was a resident of Trenton, New Jersey, and primarily engaged in the macadamizing of roadways when he was hired by the RV.
Caldwell's tenure as Secretary & General Manager was beset by difficulties. When hired, the RV only owned locomotive No. 7 which was unsuited to freight work as it frequently derailed on tightly curved industrial sidings due to its long wheelbase. He pleaded with the Board of Directors for more than two years before it was replaced. Caldwell also oversaw the construction of the three-mile Newark Heights Branch between 1914 and 1916.
Most notable, during Caldwell's tenure, was the rush brought on by World War I. The RV was overwhelmed by wartime freight shipments and employed two freights each day, as well as special passenger trains for munitions workers. The RV leased locomotives from other railroads to supplant its inadequate roster. The RV also operated numerous excursion trains during the war.
After war's end, the RV was left in a rundown and precarious financial position. Freight service was seriously curtailed and passenger service ended altogether. The company's work force was significantly reduced. An inability to meet payroll led to a walkout of the remaining employees in January 1919.
Caldwell was dismissed by the RV; thereafter, he took a position with the Philadelphia & Reading Railway but died in May 1919.