WESTVILLE

WESTVILLE

Westville’s nickname was the “Gateway to South Jersey” because a lot of highway bridges (and the PRSL) came together there to get over Timber Creek. From there the roads (and trains) fanned out in multiple directions to serve southern N.J. The other side of Timber Creek led to Camden and the Delaware River ferries (before construction of the Walt Whitman Bridge to Philadelphia).

When the PRSL downsized from 3 tracks to 2, they removed the center track but put an extended crossover between them around the Texaco refinery. All the sidings in town were trailing point so there was no need for a local cross-over. Most southbound pickup could be dropped up the road in the Woodbury yard for pickup by a northbound train. In the 1950s the Texaco refinery was very busy (talk of it closing down now after being sold several times). I assume the lengthened crossover would allow the northbound loaded tankers to be on their way to Philly much quicker without being transferred in Woodbury. I often saw strings of tank cars on it while driving up Gateway Blvd.

Westville also had a cement plant called Buzby Brothers. I have seen photos of about 6 covered hoppers being set-out there. A brakeman would stop traffic on the heavily trafficed road. Always an annoyance!  The power plant had been closed as long as I can remember, but its remaining siding seemed to function as a team track for the town’s other business customers. Another spur went to Barry Brothers Fuel Company. (The “Reading Modeler’s” website contains the 1954 PRSL freight shippers list.) I was always fascinated by hoppers being unloaded on its elevated trestle. When the mass conversion from coal to oil for home heating took place the business dwindled. Apartments now stand at that location.

Just past Olive Street in South Westville there were 3 sidings (the last one was probably considered North Woodbury). The first 2 were lumber companies and the last was another coal & oil supplier. The first spur changed hands later to a food distributer with Del Monte logos on the building. I will replace the lumber companies with that industry (since I will model a lumber company in North Woodbury). The second fuel dealership will be replaced by the same steel fabricator that eventually succeeded it.

Here’s the early construction photos of the Westville portion:

For roads I used a Woodland Scenics road system. I was unhappy with the results since I couldn’t get the roads leveled and unpitted. This may be because the “kit” was sitting in my basement unused for a decade. The Asphalt paint was totally solidified. I will use a concrete color since that is what the roads in town were constructed from. The elevated coal trestle will be modeled in the cutout portion of the plywood. The 2 tracks past the power house will elevate so that the timber creek bridge can clear small boat traffic.

The elevated road portion is where the northbound road rose and passed over the southbound lanes. A Rix 1950 overpass should closely resembles the existing highway bridge.