Belmar's Railroads, Past and Present: Historian to Speak on Town's History with Trains

Photo: Train ticket stub, from the Belmar Historical Society’s collection

Railroads have been a part of Belmar since the founding of our community, with the first train arriving with crowds of tourists to the beach in 1875. Now, 139 years later, beach-goers are still coming by railroad, and local commuters rely on the train transit system to get to NYC for their jobs. In that time, only the trains have changed, transitioning from steam to diesel and now to dual-powered diesel/electric, which last summer offered for the first time one-seat/no-transfer trips to New York City’s Penn Station.

Find out about Belmar’s fascinating railroad past with a look to the future with historian Gary Crawford on Thursday, October 23rd. He will be giving a free presentation, sponsored by the Belmar Historical Society in the Community Room at Borough Hall, located at 601 Main Street from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Mr. Crawford will also be displaying his collection of railroad memorabilia at the event. This is a must-see for anyone interested in local history!