Southern Secondary — Lakehurst to Woodmansie

NJ · Lakehurst → Woodmansie

The Jersey Central's line to the shore, left in the pines.

Heads up: The line is private property, and Conrail still owns the inactive track north of Lakehurst. Get permission before riding.

In 1879 the Central Railroad of New Jersey took over a string of local lines running south through the Pine Barrens and made them its Southern Division. The route ran from the New York area down through Lakehurst and Whiting toward Winslow Junction and Atlantic City. Whiting was a busy junction where the Jersey Central crossed the Pennsylvania Railroad's line to the shore.

Passenger trains came off in 1957, and freight dwindled after that. Conrail took over in 1976 and in 1978 cut the line south of Woodmansie. The last revenue train between Winslow and Lakehurst ran that August.

In 1986 Clayton Sand & Gravel bought the Lakehurst–Woodmansie stretch and ran trains on it briefly, until a derailment that June. It's sat out of service ever since. Today the rails still run through the pines past Whiting, with sand roads crossing them here and there.

⚠️ Before you go: every railroad on this map is private property. A line that looks abandoned may still be owned by a railroad, used to store rail cars, or put back into service at any time — sometimes with no warning. Before going near any track, make sure it's truly abandoned (no recent use, rails not polished, no signals or cars stored on it) and that you're allowed to be there. Never assume a track is dead.

📷 Photos & stories from riders

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