The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-09
VALLEY BELT LINE
TO CONNECT WITH NEW
SWITCHBACk.
Franchises will Be Asked of Orange
Common Council by Mountain
Traction Company.

Announcement Is made OF a plan for a
belt trolley line to travel through several
streets in the Valley section of Orange,
to connect with the switchback trolley
road now in course Of construction up
the West Orange mountainside, near the
old cable road, and which was told Of in
the EVENING STAR yesterday. The
swftchback road, which IS being con-
structed by the Orange Mountain Traction
Company, which operates the old cable
road, will reach down the mountainside
from the end OF the switchback arrange
ment to the line Of the South orange
end Maplewood Traction Company at West
Christopher street. Franchises will be
sought for a belt line to run through West
Christopher street to Jefferson street.
the through Jefferson street to Freeman
street, where the Highland avenue station
of the Lackawanna Railroad is, and along,
side Of which railroad the Orange AMI
Passaic Valley Railway Company,s trolley
line runs. The route viii then De down
Freeman street TO Valley road; thence
along Valley road to West Christopher
street. where the mountain line meets with
the level country again.
From the foot Of the mountain the
s~witchback road will extend up the noun
tainside using a section of the old gable
road line md a course through the Free
man property. The road viii go up a good
grade then switch. at right angles TO a
point where the four legs of the switch,
arrangement begins. These legs Will
zig gag across country until the SUNNY
OF the mountain is reached. One leg VIII
tap the Essex County Country Club golf
and Gable Lake and the Nofthfield
road will also be touched by the spurs;
The provisions to prevent any accidents
of n kind similar to the one on the Old
cable road where a car ran away are
elaborate. There will be five deraillng
along the route up the mountain.
Three of the five switches Will be at the
ends of the lengths of the zig-zag
courses or lengths and when a car travels
the incline, which The engineer has
the exception of the lower straight course
at the foos of the mountain. the motorman
must stop at each switch and close the
derail permitting the car to pass to the
end of the spur Mt a slow rate of speed.
Should tho vehicle run away on one OF
these short lengths and the car crew would
be unable to close the derail the vehicle
would run off the spur n wind up IN
an earth embankment to stop the further
progress of the car II the cinder patch
does mot do the work. On the curves
toward the foot of the mountain derails
would be ditched at these points also
should they be beyond the control of the
The road has a uniform . per
cent. grade above a point opposite Orange
Heights avenue.
There will be two trolley cars operated
on the line. These will be single truck
affairs and built specially for the road.
engineer in charge said today 1t was
expected the line would be finished by
/.
The Orange Mountain Traction Company
Is headed by former Judge Alfred F. Skin
ner, and Frank Brewer is the agent and
representative for. the company. Freeman
Brothers, Of Orange, are also identified
the concern.