Union Transportation Train Turntable Traditional Cache

When you arrive, don't become accustomed to the gravel parking lot. It quickly turns into grass and then NJ woodland. 

The goal of this cache is to take you back to the 19th and 20th centuries. Explore the area surrounding the cache and imagine the bustle of the railroad, and all of the happy travelers who came to spend their summers around the Oakford Lake. 

You are now standing at a turn table for the trains that came to New Egypt through the Union Transportation Company. A spur railroad was to be built to connect Pemberton and Hightstown. The Oakford Land Company purchased from Governor Fort, the land on either side of the railroad. Ground was broken for the Pemberton-Hightstown Railroad early in 1867. Many spectators lined the streets to see the last spike driven, when the crews of workmen from Pemberton and Hightstown met at the railroad bridge spanning Crosswicks Creek. A grand excursion train from Philadelphia celebrated the occasion on February 5, 1868.

The railroad officially started business on February 10, 1868, giving its customers a daily communication with Philadelphia, New York, and places in between. It took two hours to get to Philadelphia and three hours to New York. The entire new portion of the railroad cost over half a million dollars. The cost was carried by the people that lived near the route without any outside financial aid. $160,000 was borrowed and the remainder was subscribed. Altogether, ten trains ran and reran between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. By its connection with the Camden and Burlington County Railroad, the railroad formed a through route from Philadelphia to Amboy or Jersey City, and across by ferry to New York City.

The route was often used for transportation between the great cities. Oakford or New Egypt was the central point of the trail.

Directly accross from the parking lot is the Laurel house which was a very popular bar and restaurant. Standing near the geocache and looking NW lies the remains of the turntable. Trains would be pulled on to the turntable and then could be turned 360 degrees; however, most of the valuable parts have been removed and now it simply looks like a very large hole, full of trash. PYNE has attempted to remove some of this trash on a clean up outting, please continue to pay it forward and take one thing as you leave and dispose of it properly. If you look to the NE you will see a fallen building possibly used for train repairs at one time, there is another fallen building to the west. Beyond the NE building are train track remains.