In the heart of Boonton, New Jersey, the legacy of railroads that once crisscrossed the region is being carefully preserved for future generations. The Tri-State Railway Historical Society has recently established its first dedicated archive at 408 Main Street, offering a rare glimpse into the expansive and often-overlooked history of the Northeast’s rail network. The archive, though not yet open to the public, is already a treasure trove of photographs, artifacts, and documents that trace the evolution of rail travel across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
A Rich History in the Making
The archive’s creation is a significant milestone for the Tri-State Railway Historical Society, which has long worked to preserve the history of railroads in the region. The Society’s mission is as broad as it is ambitious—capturing the essence of a once-thriving rail industry that played an integral role in shaping the local economy and communities. Inside the new archive, visitors will find shelves lined with boxes filled with rare colored-glass negatives, photographs, and memorabilia that tell the story of the railroads that once connected major cities and small towns alike.
One of the archive’s most intriguing items is a piece of the famed red carpet from the 20th Century Limited, a luxury train that epitomized high-end travel in the early 20th century. The 20th Century Limited ran from New York’s Grand Central Terminal to Chicago, and its passengers included some of the most famous personalities of the era, like Walt Disney and Lucille Ball. The train was famous for its elegance, with a red carpet that stretched the entire length of the train, setting a standard of luxury travel that would later be echoed on Hollywood’s red carpets. Today, the Tri-State Railway Historical Society holds a rolled-up section of that very red carpet—a symbol of the region’s rich rail history.
A Herculean Effort to Preserve the Past
While the archive is not yet open to the public, the Tri-State Railway Historical Society has already begun the monumental task of cataloging and digitizing the vast collection. The National Railway Historical Society recently awarded the Society a grant to digitize over 200,000 images, and so far, approximately 10,000 of these have been scanned. Richard King, president of the Society, described the process as a “huge undertaking” but emphasized its importance in making these historical resources available to the public.
“It would be a shame to have the collection locked away and not make it available to the public,” King explained. The collection continues to grow as the Society regularly receives donations of materials, many of which come from rail industry entities like NJ Transit. For example, when Kingsland Station in Lyndhurst closed, the station’s sign was gifted to the Society, where it now hangs proudly on the exposed brick wall of the archive.
An Expanding Collection of Memories
Among the treasures housed in the archive are items like a black-and-white photograph from 1988, featuring an Erie Railroad train emblazoned with the iconic “E.” The crispness of the photograph is remarkable, and the back of the image bears a personal signature from Mike Del Vecchio, the former founding president of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society and a retired trainmaster. Del Vecchio, who passed away in 2023, played a crucial role in the Society’s growth, leaving behind a legacy that King is committed to continuing.
Richard King’s own connection to railroad history runs deep. As a child, King became fascinated with the remnants of the Rahway Valley Railway, which once traveled through his hometown. That interest grew into a lifelong passion, leading him to write a book about the Rahway Valley Railway in 2015. At just 21 years old, King authored Just a Short Line, a history of the line that ceased operation in 1992. Today, at 31, King’s youthful energy and enthusiasm have injected new life into the Tri-State Railway Historical Society, helping it to grow into a vital institution in New Jersey’s cultural landscape.
Boonton: The Ideal Location for Rail History
Boonton is a perfect home for the Tri-State Railway Historical Society’s archive, not just because of its central location in the state but also because of its historical significance. The archive is situated just a stone’s throw from the old Boonton Yard, once a busy hub for rail activity. The proximity to this iconic location is no coincidence; the area was a key point for freight and passenger trains traveling through New Jersey in the mid-20th century.
King and his team have big plans for the archive’s future. While the project is still in its early stages, there are hopes to open it to the public once the cataloging and digitization process is complete. “This is just the beginning,” King said. “We’re excited about what this archive can become and the history we’re preserving for the future.”
Reviving New Jersey’s Rail Legacy
Although many of the once-bustling rail lines are no longer in operation, there is a renewed interest in the region’s railroad past. King has seen this firsthand, particularly with the growing popularity of rail trails, which repurpose abandoned rail corridors for recreational use. New Jersey has already seen successes with rail trail projects like the Pompton Valley Rail Trail and the Essex-Hudson Greenway, which broke ground recently.
While some rail enthusiasts may lament the loss of traditional rail service, King sees the rail trail movement as a way of preserving vital infrastructure for the future. “I see it as preserving the corridor,” he explained. “If in ten years we need rail transportation again, the corridor is still there.”
Indeed, the preservation of these historic rail corridors, even in their transformed state as rail trails, allows future generations to connect with the past. At the same time, ongoing efforts to restore historic rail lines, like the potential return of service between New York Penn Station and Scranton, show that the story of railroads in the region is far from over.
A Growing Alliance: Tri-State and the United Railroad Historical Society
Another exciting aspect of the Tri-State Railway Historical Society’s archive is its collaboration with the United Railroad Historical Society, which is headquartered just down the road in the former Lackawanna Freight House. The two organizations often work together to preserve the rich history of the region’s railroads, and there have even been discussions about combining the two entities to create a more comprehensive resource for rail enthusiasts and historians alike.
As the efforts to catalog and digitize the vast collection continue, the community around the archive is steadily growing. The Tri-State Railway Historical Society’s mission has always been to preserve the region’s railroad heritage, and with the creation of this archive, that goal is becoming a reality.
For those interested in New Jersey’s rich history of transportation and infrastructure, the Boonton archive is poised to become a must-visit destination once it opens its doors. As the archive continues to expand and evolve, it will offer an unparalleled look into the past and the enduring legacy of the railroads that once shaped the region.
For more details about planning a visit to this unique historical archive and exploring the rich history of rail travel in New Jersey, check out Explore New Jersey
