history

HISTORY

The story of the WVRR began in the early 1990's when several railfans in the north Jersey area were interested in starting a steam-powered tourist railroad. They were able to obtain the abandoned Erie Lackawanna Greenwood Lake Branch roadbed from Wanaque north to the state line at Ringwood. Not long after this acquisition, the former Greenwood Lake Branch yard/shop site in Wanaque became available, complete with elementary school building. This site was purchased as well and would become the base of operations for the new railroad. A small steam engine was obtained along with several retired Erie Lackawanna streamlined passenger cars. Track was laid from Wanaque north to Ringwood in early 1995. Operation began in the spring of 1995 but problems with the steam locomotive ended the steam trains by mid-summer.
During this time the WVRR was approached by several Ringwood businesses as well as by local government officials from Ringwood who inquired if freight service could be made available to the industrial park located near the state line. This would help to remove some of the truck traffic on local roads. Trackage was completed into the park and up to the Erie Lackawanna mainline in Sloatsburg, NY during the summer of 1995 and operation began with leased locomotives from the Erie Lackawanna.
With a northern source of traffic and interchange established, the company then looked for a southern connection. The only option available was for the company to purchase the Greenwood Lake Branch roadbed south from Wanaque to the New York, Susquehanna and Western connection at Pompton Jct. in Pompton Lakes. Starting service on the southern half of the railroad was not as easy as it was for the northern half. There was quite a bit of work to do on the southern end including the replacement of the bridge over the Wanaque River in Wanaque, the laying of new spurs into the industrial section of Haskell to service several businesses, and the complete rehabilitation of the Greenwood Lake Branch south of Riverdale to the connection with New Jersey Transit at Mountain View.
Soon after service began in 1995, the WVRR was purchased by the Erie Lackawanna and the railroad was renamed the Wanaque Valley Branch of the Erie Lackawanna RR. The leased locomotives were permanently assigned to the branch and both freight and passenger operations are operating profitably.