A Jersey Central “Trainmaster” has a short commuter train in tow as it crosses a bucolic stream on the Dover Branch. Set in the mid 1950’s in rural New Jersey, this easy-to-build model railroad plan is a great project for any model railroader.


The Dover Branch


Every model railroad by its very design tells a story based on location, era and scenery. The Dover Branch project layout is no exception. When choosing the prototype to follow the decision was made to model some of the operations of the Central Railroad of New Jersey (“Jersey Central” or CNJ) during the line’s declining years in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The general public impression of New Jersey is of rusting infrastructure, massive chemical plants and mid-century factories in disrepair. While this is certainly true for the areas near the large cities, the west central and north west portions of the state host fields, forests and farms punctuated by picturesque towns whose origins harkened back to the colonial era. This is the region that the Dover Branch represents in model form. The Jersey Central was not a large railroad in terms of


mileage; however, its size belied its importance. The rail- road was an integral part of the network of independent railroad companies that interchanged traffic from Chicago to New England. This group was commonly known as the “Alphabet Route” for the number of con- necting railroads involved. The railroad was also key in transporting anthracite coal from the mines of eastern Pennsylvania. On line traffic was generated by the many on line industries and agricultural facilities as well as that obtained from its branch lines and railroad interchanges.


The CNJ did have a branch that left the Jersey City to Phillipsburg mainline and ran north to the area around Dover, New Jersey. Along with freight generated by the local industries, this branch also hosted a robust commuter service that terminated in Jersey City where ferries traversed the Hudson River carrying the railroad’s passengers to New York City. The Dover Branch layout aims to capture the look and


feel of the era and region in the limited space of a model railroad. By incorporating two passing sidings in the plan two trains can be operated over the mainline. The addi-


S6 2013 TRAIN SET GAZETTE • SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN MAGAZINE


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