RAILROAD Books
One of Tri-State's main missions is the education of the public about railroad history. To that end, Tri-State has worked with several local authors over the past half-century to publish and/or distribute meaningful research on railroad topics in New Jersey. Several full-length books have been produced, over the years. We also stock an assortment of other various titles of interest. Purchase information for those that are still available may be found below.
Iron Mine Railroads of Northern New Jersey
by LARRY LOWENTHAL
Originally published 1981
Republished 2016 | hardcover | 146 pages
$40.00 MSRP
Larry Lowenthal's classic 1981 book has been republished! This is the authoritative work on the mining region of northern New Jersey and the railroads that served them. Railroads in this region, like the Lackawanna and Central Railroad of New Jersey and their predecessors, greatly influenced the communities they served. Towns like Chester and Rockaway grew up around the railroads and mines that sustained them, and this book is a record of their combined history and eventual decline.
ROCK-A-BYE BABY RAILROAD
by THOMAS T. TABER III
Originally published 1972
Republished 2019 | hardcover | 76 pages
$20.00 MSRP
Constructed in 1888 between Whitehouse and Morristown, New Jersey, the Rockaway Valley Railroad was poorly conceived, poorly engineered, and poorly funded from the beginning. Steep grades, a wildly fluctuating customer base, and a variety of corporate reorganizations ground the railroad to a halt in 1913, and the rails were lifted in 1917 to support the war effort. Today, much of the RVRR is a popular walking trail amongst the suburban sprawl that has overtaken the area.
This classic book, first published in 1972, covers the entire history of the railroad from its inception through its demise. The original negatives for the photographs in the 1972 edition, all now over a century old, have been scanned from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania's archives and digitally enhanced and retouched for an optimal viewing experience. Additional photos have also been located and added.
If obscure short line railroading is your interest, then this book is for you!
Hoboken Shore RAILROAD
by PETER A. BRILL
Originally published 2022
Softcover | 218pages
$50.00 MSRP
The Hoboken Shore Railroad (earlier known as the Hoboken Manufacturers Railroad) was a small waterfront industrial railroad that operated in Hoboken, New Jersey from 1895 until 1976. The railroad was notable for its connections to the Stevens family, street running trackage, unique motive power, and the major customers it served. This book, a large compendium of information, shares much about the railroad's obscure history.
The Lackawanna Railroad in Northwest New Jersey
by LARRY LOWENTHAL and WILLIAM T. GREENBERG, JR.
Published 1987 | hardcover
OUT OF STOCK
DOWN ALONG THE OLD BEL-DEL
by WARREN F. LEE
Published 1987 | hardcover | 366 pages
OUT OF STOCK
The CNJ Bay Draw Wreck Mystery
by DON DORFLINGER
Published 2002 | softcover | 32 pages
OUT OF STOCK