The "Wye" and the Lower Bordentown Station

The "Wye" and the Lower Bordentown Station. . , English Quakers first settled Bordentown in 1682 and during the 18th century, the community became a center of commerce with stagecoach and ferry connections to New York and Philadelphia. The Camden and Amboy (C&A) Railroad began construction in 1831, and, when completed in 1838, its lines connected Camden, Bordentown, Trenton and South Amboy. The Bordentown junction featured busy passenger, freight and maintenance facilities, as well as a constantly evolving layout of railroads and associated structures., During the second half of the 19th century the railroad created land bordering the Delaware River by filling in the shoreline several times to accommodate the expanding yard and westward relocation of the Trenton-bound track. During the early 1900s, siding tracks, which no longer exist, extended from the South Amboy to Bordentown mainline, which was the first section of track laid in New Jersey. One of these sidings terminated at the 1919 Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) "bumper block" that may be viewed in its original location at the south end of this parking lot. In 1863 a "wye" track was installed between the South Amboy mainline and the Bordentown to Trenton track. As an alternative to the traditional "turntable," the "wye" track fulfilled the same function, permitting trains to switch between the two lines or to change direction within the junction site. This "wye" track, that historically crossed the area that is now the station stop parking lot, no longer exists. However, the bridge that carried it over Park Street to its connection with the Trenton-bound line remains adjacent to this platform, and the stone retaining all that bordered the "wye" track still exists at the eastern border of the parking lot. A portion of the original track alignment has been delineated with interpretive railroad cross ties and bordering structural stones salvaged from the site., The Bordentown junction contained an assortment of buildings C&A and later PRR operations. The railroad erected a freight station in 1840 and a car house prior to 1876. In 1851 and 1863, the C&A constructed two large engine houses to accommodate routine locomotive maintenance operations. The foundations of these structures, and possibly a portion of a supporting wall of a unique "sector table" used to guide rail equipment into and out of the northern engine house, were uncovered and later preserved in place during light-rail station stop construction. It is uncertain how many passenger stations existed at Bordentown junction. However, the first was built prior to 1860, and the last, erected in 1901, stood until 1965. (The photographs illustrate the track configuration at Bordentown junction and the appearance of the last passenger station during its prime years.)