Historical groups celebrate railway’s 180th anniversary
By Amy Batista, Special Writer
The Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society and the Camden & Amboy Railroad Historical Group sponsored the 180th anniversary of the railroad connecting Bordentown with Hightstown in 1832 at the Hightstown High School on Oct. 27.
According to Bob Patten, president of the Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society, the Camden & Amboy Railroad connected Camden with South Amboy, then a few years later, the John Bull steam locomotive engine traveled on the rail system with a stop at Hightstown Junction.
”Last autumn, Kathy and I attended Bordentown’s 180th anniversary of the initial operation of the John Bull steam locomotive engine over a short length of rail,” Mr. Patten said.
”I have always been interested in the importance of the railroad’s influence on the development of the Hightstown area,” Mr. Patten said. “What better way to understand where the railroad began than going to the source, Bordentown.”
There, according to Mr. Patten, he met John Kilbride, a historian of railroads and an active member of the Camden & Amboy Railroad Historical Group, and they decided to form a joint committee to plan the town’s celebration.
”John’s leadership, enthusiasm and railroad knowledge brought this celebration to another high point in our community,” Mr. Patten said. “I commend the committee members for achieving the society’s goals of promoting and preserving our town’s history.”
The event was a fundraiser to benefit the Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society and the Camden & Amboy Railroad Historical Group, Mr. Kilbride said.
”The money is still being counted, and several outstanding bills have not yet been paid, but sufficient to say, the sponsoring organizations were able to add to their respective treasuries,” he wrote in an email Oct. 29.
The event included model train displays, historical photos, artifact displays, various collections, vendors, children’s activities, art activities, Thomas the Tank Engine Center and sale, a concert by Perry L. Drew students, food and refreshments and visiting the original sleeper stone site.
”It’s looking good,” Mr. Kilbride said. “It looks like a lot of people are interested in railroad stuff so we got a good turnout.
”We’re delighted that the music teacher in town wrote a song about John Bull,” he added.
”This is the first of what we hope is going to be an annual to commemorate the Camden & Amboy’s arrival into town,” Mr. Kilbride said. “Next year, we are going to highlight the John Bull locomotive . . . You will have this railroad show with the operating layouts, which is designed for kids of all ages.”
”This morning we had our three presentations of historical nature, and that was well attended,” Mr. Kilbride said.
He said there were great reviews from those who attended the historical presentations, which included a visit to the “sleeper” site in Hightstown.
According to Mr. Kilbride, the railroad starting building from Bordentown in 1832 and arrived in Hightstown in August 1832. Bordentown was the railroad’s headquarters at the time.
Linda Behrens, music teacher at the Perry L. Drew School, brought her third-grade chorus students to the high school to participate in the celebration and sing train theme songs for the train enthusiasts.
”I am so pleased that 50 third-graders and their families volunteered their time to come out and sing on a Saturday,” she wrote in an email Oct. 29. “They did a terrific job. I also love when children are able to participate in special community events. It makes their connection to the town so much more tangible, plus these are the things that they will remember for years to come.”
Ms. Behrens also wrote a special train song, which the students sang for the audience to commemorate the occasion of the John Bull train.
”I composed the John Bull song one afternoon this summer,” she said.
Kathy Patten, a member of the Hightstown Historic Society, had sent Ms. Behrens many pages of information about the train and its impact on Hightstown.
”From that, I chose the information that I thought would be most interesting to the children, then set to work writing the lyrics,” she recalled. “Most of the lyrics are factual, but I did put a few lines in the bridge about imagining how it would feel to be riding on a train that totally changed the course of transportation.
”After the lyrics were complete, I wrote the melody and piano accompaniment, which is meant to mimic the sound of a train,” she said.
Nicholas Seminerio, 8, of East Windsor, is an avid train collector.
”It’s awesome,” Nicholas said.
”Its humongous, who could do that?” asked Nicholas as he pointed to a huge display of trains put together in the center of the gym floor.
”I think its fantastic,” said his mom, Christine Seminerio, of East Windsor. “I don’t think the model train world and how intricate it is, is widely known. I think it’s fantastic when they have days like this when kids can see how much work goes into these model sets like the building of it, I mean that’s a lot of work.”
Bob Hoffmann, vice president of the South Eastern Pennsylvania Garden Railroad Society, was one of the vendors who had set up a model train display at the event. His group had a Halloween theme train running that drew spectators.
”It is a 6- by 10-foot (display),” he said. “It’s modular. Right now, we are doing a Halloween theme.”
According to Mr. Hoffman, they do different size displays and will be returning to Hightstown again in a few weeks to do a Christmas themed-display.
”With these trains, you can put them outdoors,” Mr. Hoffmann said.
He has been involved with trains since he was a small boy, but actively involved in the club in the last five years, he said.
”It’s relaxing; it’s fun,” Mr. Hoffmann said. “I enjoy building more than I do running (the trains).”
”The caboose was mine,” Mr. Hoffmann said.
Everybody usually brings something to run, he said.
The men usually set up the basic layout, and the women do all the scenery, Mr. Hoffmann said. Typically, the group has three women that participate in setting up. There are 180 members right now in the club, Mr. Hoffamn said.
According to Mr. Hoffmann, it took about an hour and a half to set up the Halloween theme display for that day, and their typical modular display can take three to four hours.
”A great, multigenerational time for people of all ages to have fun together,” said Heather Sargent, of East Windsor, whose son, Cameron, 2, of East Windsor, was dressed in his train engineer outfit.
Cameron pointed out he liked the Ferris wheel display inside the area of the carnival on the large train display as his favorite part of the model train displays.