The Train Station

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Train Station.jpg
As early as 1837, the Morris & Essex Railroad brought passengers from New York and Newark to South Orange, where they arrived at the South Orange train station. The train station served as more than a rail passenger hub; it was used for communications. Mail trains dropped off bags of mail and rail line ticket sellers used Morse Code to send messages. Before the advent of telephones, whenever someone in town needed a doctor, a white flag was posted at the train station. The railroad line built the first station at ground level, but soon discovered that ground level tracks were a hazard for animals and pedestrians who were occasionally moved down by oncoming trains. Eventually the railroad wanted to streamline the grades along the tracks, so in 1914, yearlong construction began on a train station with elevated tracks. The current Train Station and elevated track were completed in 1915. it was listed on the NJ State and National Historic Registers in 1984.