THSSH recently acquired a bridge spike that was part of the Rockaway Valley Railroad. The spike was donated by Peapack and Gladstone and was found in the borough. It measures 10.25” in length and was used to fasten wooden ties to the wood structure of railroad bridges. Bridge spikes are typically longer than the spikes used fasten the steel rails to the ties.
The Rockaway Valley Railroad began at the Central Railroad in Whitehouse Station, NJ, and ran northeast to Pottersville, eventully reaching Peapack by April 1890. The Erie Lackawana reached Peapack six months later, but there was never any connection between the two lines.
Initially three trains ran daily on the Rockaway Valley carrying passengers, peaches, and other cargo. The line was plagued by poor construction. The rails were made of light-weight steel and the ties were laid at 30” intervals rather than the normal 19”. This poor construction caused the rail cars to sway back and forth earning the line the nickname “Rockabye Baby.”
A peach blight in the 1890s led to a downturn in business and the last train ran in 1914. The rails were sold for scrap in 1917. Luckily for us, they left a spike behind.
See a second spike at: https://somersethills.catalogaccess.com/objects/181
See more Rockaway Valley history at: https://somersethillshistoricalsociety.org/2024/04/18/rockaway-valley-railroad/
