On October 21, 1957, a train from Washington, DC carrying Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip left the CNJ main at Cranford, NJ and took the Staten Island Railroad to the Staten Island Ferry where the Queen then boarded a ship to take her to Manhattan.

I have found several news articles and photos of the royals once in Manhattan, but I can find no photos nor other information about this train - locomotives, cars used, etc. Can anyone point me to any reference material that can add more details about this special train?

Hi
I did find some information dealing with the train consist, from Trains Magazine, but no photos.

Thanks. As a result of that added information, I was able to find out that there are 30+ unpublished photos of this train taken by a photographer for Look Magazine. They are in the Library of Congress archive, which I have contacted to get a copy of the photo contact sheet.

Looking at the TRAINS clipping - did the LV have a junction with SIRT at Cranford? CNJ did, but I don't recall the LV having one. If they did it may predate my time in the area.

Maps show a junction just east of the station, the right of way leads all the way to the bridge that connected the SIRT with the outside world.

Yes - the "end of the line was the connection with the CNJ, which was called Cranford Jct. About 1/2 miles east there was an interchange with the LV which was called Staten Island Jct.

In the years after Chessie sold the Staten Island RR to the NYS&W/Delaware Otsego all of the interchange was done via the ex-LV connection.

All of this track is in place, although I don't know if the switches were removed. Current SIRR operations are from a new connection built from the ex-CNJ Chemical Coast Line.

Just curious....did they take the PRR or RDG/B&O through Philly?

It took the B&O/Reading through Philly.

Here is the entire routing:

Both trains departed Washington DC late Sunday night, running non-stop to Camp Kilmer NJ via B&O and Reading Company. Lehigh Valley led both trains, an hour apart, the next morning to Staten Island Junction and the SIRT. Reading and Lehigh Valley pilot crews boarded and alighted from the trains as they slowed to a walk at interchange points.

Tim

The Hays T. Watkins Research Library & Archives of the B&O Railroad Museum has a folder of images of QEII. I'm sure there is a nice write up of the trip in the Employee Magazine as well. This would also be at the museum. Go ahead and contact.

To fill in a few details, in 1957 B&O was still operating passenger service on the Royal Blue Route between Baltimore and Jersey City via B&O-Park Junction (Phila)-RDG-Bound Brook Junction-CNJ.

In this case going to Camp Kilmer NJ took it off the Royal Blue Route just short of the CNJ connection, and onto RDG's Port Reading Branch, which is why it was routed via LV's Amboy Branch the next day to get to SIRT. RDG, LV and PRR all had access to Camp Kilmer.

Camp Kilmer was the staging point for GI's returning from Europe after WWII, RDG moved many GI's from Camp Kilmer to Indiantown Gap PA where they were mustered out and discharged. RDG then could take them to Harrisburg where the RDG station was adjacent to PRR's. PRR had a jumpover loop over their NY Division Main Line at Camp Kilmer to return trains to Jersey City without fouling it with a crossover move.

Phil Mulligan

Thanks - I'll contact them.