RAHWAY RIVER BRANCH

The first stretch of the Rahway River Branch was constructed as a westward extension of the mainline, between the later switch connection with the main and N. 19th Street (0.36 mile), by contractor Frank H. Bailey in Winter 1898-9. The railroad’s own forces, under the direction of Superintendent Horatio F. Dankel, extended track another 0.67 mile further west (called the “Rahway River Extension”) to reach the newly constructed Palmer Leather Works, on the banks of the Rahway River, in Fall 1900. 

When the New Orange Four Junction and Rahway Valley railroads consolidated on March 1, 1905, this 1.032 mile stretch of track thereafter became known as the Rahway River Branch in official documents. However, unofficially, the branch was alternatively referred to as the Kenilworth Branch, the West Kenilworth Branch, the Can Branch, the Laundry Branch, and the Monsanto Branch, with the latter three a reference to the customer located at the end of the branch.

On November 30, 1989, Gering Plastics Division of Monsanto Corporation, located at the end of the branch and the railroad’s largest customer at that time, ceased operations. The last train over the Rahway River Branch operated on April 13, 1990. In Fall 1990, the Southward Salvage Co. of Rockaway, New Jersey dismantled the branch line.