Embedded Files
The mainline crossed Liberty Ave. at MP 3.47. Previously, the roadway was called Springfield Road. This section of Union was farmland when the railroad was built. Upon construction, the RV acquired the former Miller farmhouse and rented it out for several years. A small depot called Katemiller, and later renamed Arion, was constructed at Liberty Ave. for the benefit of the local residents. The depot was never well patronized and became a flagstop within a few years.
Later on, the Battle Hill Golf Club was constructed on the west side of Liberty Ave. and flanked the mainline on either side. Farcher's Grove, a local watering hole known for its Oktoberfests and sporting events, was constructed between Springfield Road and the mainline. Industries sprang up in this area in the 1950s and 1960s, including Western Electric, Breeze Corp., Harry Rich Affiliates, and Rosen Redwood (later Simpson Timber and Selrite Millwork).
A view of the Battle Hill Golf Club from the curve where Springfield Road turns into Liberty Ave. A freight train is seen between the golf greens. (William S. Young Photo)
No. 13 leads a short train through the Battle Hill Golf Club on Liberty Ave., c.1950. (John Krause Photo)
No. 14 leads a westbound train through Battle Hill Golf Club on March 6, 1950. (John Krause Photo)
No. 15 passes through Battle Hill Golf Club on January 31, 1952. (Gene Collora Collection)
An eastbound train passes through Battle Hill Golf Club, as viewed from Liberty Ave. (William S. Young Photo)
No. 14 approaches Liberty Ave., c.1940s. (Richard J. King Collection)
No. 15 is about to cross Liberty Ave. The old Miller farmhouse at 701 Liberty Ave. is seen ot the left. (William S. Young Photo)
Aerial view, 1961. Western Electric is the facility with the full parking lot and the adjacent softball field. Opposite from tracks from Western Electric is Breeze Corp. (Union Township Historical Society)
No. 16 is headed westbound and is about to cross Liberty Ave. Conductor John Valaitis is riding the pilot. The facility at the left is at 685 Liberty Ave., and occupies the former site of the Miller farmhouse. (Richard J. King Collection)
The UCTC Limited approaches Liberty Ave. on June 14, 1980. (Ralph Curcio Photo)
The UCTC Limited has crossed Liberty Ave. and passes the Western Electric facility on June 14, 1980. (Ralph Curcio Photo)
Page Contents
Page Contents
Facilities:
Katemiller depot
Farmhouse
Industrial Sidings
Grade Crossings:
Liberty Ave.
Industries:
Union Concrete Pipe Corp.
Albert Rosen Lumber Sales / Rosen Redwood Co.
Simpson Building Supply Co. division of Simpson Timber Co.
Selrite Millwork Building Supply Corp.
Harry Rich Floors, Inc. / Harry Rich Affiliates, Inc.
Western Electric Co. / New Jersey Bell Telephone Co.
Katemiller depot
Katemiller depot
The Katemiller depot was constructed at MP 3.47 in 1905. Its design was similar to a CNJ W93 type watch box. The structure measured 10’ 4” x 12’ 2” x 8’ to the eaves and 9’ 6” to the peak. It was sheathed with clapboards and had a tar paper roof. The railroad had purchased the land on the eastside of Liberty Ave. from Ms. Kate Miller, hence the name of the depot. It was renamed Arion in 1907. The stop was removed from the passenger schedules in 1914. The depot was relocated to Unionbury where it was repurposed as a freight house; it was torn down in 1929.
Farmhouse
Farmhouse
The nearly two-acre parcel the railroad acquired from Miss Mary Catharine "Kate" Miller was the last remnant of the 62-acre Amos Miller (1813-1875) farm, which had been mostly sold off to the John Fischer family by the time the railroad was built. Contained on the parcel was the old Miller farmhouse, located at 701 Liberty Ave., and several outbuildings. In 1908, the railroad was renting the farmhouse to one of its employees. The frame dwelling was valued at $1,500. The railroad owned the dwelling through at least 1922; it likely sold the property in the years after. From the late-1920s through the early-1950s, at least, John Henry Conover (1885-1962) and his family resided in the house. Conover paid $35 a month in rent. The house was demolished sometime between 1958 and 1961. The site is occupied by a parking lot, formerly for Bed Bath & Beyond, in 2025.
1923 aerial via of the Miller Farmhouse. (Union Township Historical Society)
Industrial Sidings
Industrial Sidings
No. 16 switches the siding belonging to Union Concrete Products. (William S. Young Photo)
MP 3.30 - This siding could accommodate five forty foot cars. The company could only unload the rearmost two cars. The three cars closest to the switch would be left hanging. The crew would have to drill the siding and respot cars for further unloading. The track was almost always full. Simpson unloaded cars from the ground with forklifts. The company had a small forklift and a big forklift. They’d open the car and clear the doorway with the big forklift. Afterward, the big forklift would lift the small forklift into the car. Once inside, the small forklift would feed the large forklift with material to unload. When fifty footers started coming in, it crippled Simpson. If the siding had a 40’ and 50’ car in the unloading area, they could only barely reach the doorway of the second car. If there were two fifty footers, the company could only unload one fifty footer because the doorway of the second car wouldn’t clear the neighboring building. The train crew would have to arrange forty and fifty foot cars in such a way that Simpson could unload two at a time. This siding was for these industries: Union Concrete Products, Rosen Redwood, Simpson Timber, Selrite Millwork.
Siding at MP 3.30 for Selrite Millwork, 1989. (John Nolan Photo)
Siding at MP 3.34 for Harry Rich Affiliates, 1989. (John Nolan Photo)
MP 3.34 - This siding was constructed in August 1963. It had a length of 275 feet. The siding could accommodate five cars but there were only two car spots with unloading doors. The first door was the one usually used. The second door would only be used if a second car came in. This siding was for these industries: Harry Rich Affiliates, Inc.
Looking east along the mainline, 1989. The former Simpson Timber facility is seen on the left. (John Nolan Photo)
Looking west along the mainline towards the Liberty Ave. crossing. The Western Electric water tower is seen in the distance. 1989. (John Nolan Photo)
MP 3.68 - This siding was constructed sometime between 1952 and 1956 by the contractor building the Breeze Corporation, Inc. plant, which moved to Union from Newark. The company was an aircraft and automotive parts and accessories manufacturer. The company never utilized the rail service offered and, as such, the siding was never connected to the mainline.
MP 3.69 - This siding was constructed between March 12 and September 14, 1953. It had a length of 538 feet and six inches. The switch stand was a Ramapo #17C with a target and connecting rod. Western Electric had three car spots. They usually wanted their car spotted at the second spot. If there were two cars, they’d be spotted at the first and second spots. The third spot was most always left open. Occasionally, they’d get three or four cars at a time. Western Electric was very picky. They didn’t want a car placed behind the second spot. If one was placed there, there was a little driveway that had to be kept clear. A car couldn’t be left hanging off the first spot because it would partially block the main driveway. Nothing could be left outside the gate because it wasn’t secure. The siding was about seven car lengths in total. This siding was for these industries: Western Electric Co.
Former Western Electric siding at MP 3.69, 2005. (Donald A. Maxton Photo)
Former Western Electric siding at MP 3.69, 2005. (Donald A. Maxton Photo)
Liberty Ave.
Liberty Ave.
An eastbound train crosses Liberty Ave., December 1950. (William S. Young Photo)
Liberty Ave. (MP 3.47). One track (main), plank crossing, asphalt macadam road, vehicular traffic medium, 2 P. U. signs (description from 1944). The roadway was originally called Springfield Road.
No. 17 crosses Liberty Ave. (Rich Carl Photo)
Looking westbound from Liberty Ave. In 2025, the right-of-way has been filled in and immediately to the right is the entrance to the Autumn Ridge 55+ Community. (Jeff Jargosch Photo)
Industries
Industries
Union Concrete Pipe Corp. (c.1956)
581 Rahway Ave., Union.
Manufacturer of concrete products; inbound cement.
Albert Rosen Lumber Sales / Rosen Redwood Co. (1960-1965)
Simpson Building Supply Co. div. of Simpson Timber Co. (1965-1970)
581 Rahway Ave., Union.
Distribution warehouse, lumber; inbound lumber.
Rosen Redwood Co., also known as Albert Rosen Lumber Sales, built a new distribution warehouse on Rahway Ave. in 1960. The company was a wholesale lumber supplier. The facility was taken over by Simpson Timber Co.’s Simpson Building Supply Co. in 1965, or thereabouts. Simpson was a major lumber producer in the Pacific Northwest and began its building supply division as a means to sell its products. Their siding could only unload two cars at a time in their yard but they gave the railroad a very large volume of business. They would bring in five to ten carloads of lumber in a week, sometimes as many as three to four cars a day would arrive on the railroad. There could be five to six cars sitting in a string on their siding, with two on spot and the rest off spot. The RV would have to drill the siding frequently as Simpson unloaded cars and needed fresh carloads to offload at their location. The cars would be full of dimensional lumber and plywood. Simpson quickly outgrew the Rahway Ave. facility and moved to a larger location in East Brunswick, New Jersey, on the Penn Central railroad, in 1969. Simpson sold their former facility to Selrite Millwork in 1970.
Selrite Millwork Building Supply Corp. (1970-2001)
581 Rahway Ave., Union.
Manufacturer of custom windows and doors; inbound moulding, sash & frames.
Selrite Millwork Building Supply Corp. was founded in 1955 and was originally located in Roselle Park. The company moved to Union in 1970. The company manufactured custom windows, doors, and frames. The company would receive a carload inbound load of moulding, sash, and frames in boxcars each week or so. The company went out of business in 2001 or thereabouts. Cars moved for Selrite Millwork via CNJ, Aldene: 1968 – 1 carload out, 163 carloads in; 1969 – 86 carloads in; 1970 – 7 carloads in; 1971 – 10 carloads in.
Harry Rich Floors, Inc. / Harry Rich Affiliates, Inc. (1964-1992)
565 Rahway Ave., Union.
Ceiling, floor and drain tile; inbound iron or steel studding, packages of gypsum ceiling panels.
Harry Rich Affiliates, Inc. was owned by Harry and Ruth Rich. The company was a contractor that installed commercial floor and ceiling coverings and also did acoustical contracting. The company was originally located at 2234 Morris Ave. in Union before moving to Rahway Ave. in 1964, or thereabouts. The company would receive one to two cars every month or so. They would get in 50-foot Frisco or Missouri Pacific boxcars loaded with gypsum ceiling panels. They would also, occasionally, receive a carload of iron or steel studding used to hang the gypsum ceiling panels. The property was sold to Fowler Machinery Co., Inc. in May 1992. Cars moved for Harry Rich via CNJ, Aldene: 1968 – 43 carloads in, 1969 – 22 carloads in, 1970 – 12 carloads in, 1971 – 7 carloads in.
Western Electric Co. / New Jersey Bell Telephone Co. (1952-1984)
650 Liberty Ave., Union.
Telephone equipment; outbound scrap metal, inbound telephone pole cross arms, heavy cable.
Western Electric Co. was an electrical engineering and manufacturing company that served as the primary hardware supplier to AT&T, and the local Bell operating companies, from 1881 to 1996. The company acquired a portion of the Battle Hill Golf Club property on Liberty Ave. and broke ground on a new distribution warehouse in August 1952. The 318,750 square foot building was built at a cost of $1.5 million ($38.7 million in 2019 dollars). A siding to the plant was constructed in 1953. The company also maintained a satellite warehouse, also rail served, on Rahway Ave. (see [3-M-UU-9]). Western Electric brought in carloads of scrap electronic equipment in bins and also reels of heavy copper cable. These loads usually arrived in 50-foot 299-class Baltimore & Ohio boxcars or captive service Milwaukee Road rib side boxcars. They also shipped outbound loads of various scrap metals, mostly phone parts and wire, to Nassau Smelting & Refining Co. in Tottenville, New York on Staten Island. There were three car spots for loading and unloading cars. The first was on a curve, the second and third straightened out. Western Electric always wanted cars at the first and second spots. The siding was behind a locked fence that the crew was required to open and close each time the plant required a drill. If there were more than two cars, the RV couldn’t leave cars between the fence and driveway as they would foul the driveway. They also couldn’t be left between the fence and the switch for fear of vandalism. Western Electric would get four or five cars in each week, they usually came in two at a time, and sometimes in threes. About 1966 or 1967, Western Electric put in the second location on Rahway Ave. The company would leave a note with the Kenilworth office with instructions on where to place cars as they came in. Three cars could come in on a Monday but Western Electric would only want to take two, which would leave one car hanging someplace because they wouldn’t utilize their third door. So, they might not work the two cars fully until Wednesday and then the RV would drill them again. By that time, another car may have come in for them. The crew might only drill Western Electric two or three days a week but would receive four or five cars. The plant was closed in June 1984. The building was later occupied by Comcast and Bed Bath & Beyond. The campus is presently (2025) unoccupied after the bankruptcy of Bed Bath & Beyond.
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