LOWER TOWNSHIP – Weathered railroad tracks appeared on Sunset Beach in Lower Township this week, exposed by shifting sands.
Sunset Beach was the landing place for visitors to Cape Island in the 1800’s, according to a report on CapeMay.com. Railroad transportation was created along the beach there in the late 1800s.
The railroad gave thousands of visitors easy access to the shore as well as giving farmers an avenue to sell their crops outside the area in big city markets like Philadelphia and New York. At Sunset Beach, the tracks could transport lots of people coming off the steamship landing to Cape Island.
Three railroad companies serviced the area, including Delaware Bay, Cape May, and Sewell’s Point Railroad companies.
Tracks ran from Sunset Beach around the Point to South Cape May, now known as South Meadows, into Cape May City, out to Sewell’s Point, now the Coast Guard Training Center, back around to Schellenger’s Landing where visitors could then connect to Philadelphia-bound trains.
The railroad tracks were also heavily used by the Cape May Sand Company, which began in 1905, and then later became Harbison-Walker Magnesite Plant in 1942, located on Sunset Boulevard near the beach.
The tracks were used well into the 20th century, before being replaced by cars and concrete roads in the 1920’s.
The best time to view the exposed tracks now is at low tide.
Do you or someone you know recall hearing about these tracks when they were in operation? Share your story in the comments section below.
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