The town is in fact Aldene which is nestled between Cranford (Staten Island Junction) and Roselle Park. This junction is known as the Aldene Connection and it is where the Central RR of NJ crosses the Lehigh Valley which the Reading had trackage rights to the passenger terminal in Jersey City. Today this section of the railroad is abandoned with the current Shared Assets Lehigh Line (NS & CSX) turning north onto the NJT Raritan Valley Line. This photo is of the late morning/early afternoon departure of the Crusader from North Jersey heading towards Philly.
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The town is actually Aldene which is nestled between Cranford and Roselle Park. Reading passenger trains (as well as the B&O pre-1958) had trackage rights to serve the terminal in Jersey City on the CNJ. The Aldene Connection is the name given to the junction where the Lehigh Valley main crossed the CNJ and had a connector track on the west side of the bridge. The Rahway Valley came in to the Lehigh Valley (to the right of the bridge) and needed a way to interchange with the other railroads. To the south is Staten Island Junction where the Staten Island Railway crossed the Lehigh Valley and had a junction with the CNJ(B&O). The SIRY was a subsidiary of the B&O. Today this portion of trackage is abandoned. The bridge is currently used by NS & CSX trains to continue west on the Shared Assets Lehigh Line from the NJT Raritan Valley Line which takes the connector track to head west on the CNJ. This photo shows the late morning/early afternoon departure of the Crusader out of North Jersey on its way to Philly.
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Aldene is not a town in the sense that it is governed as a community. It is a section of the town of Roselle Park, NJ. The western end of Roselle Park is called the Aldene section. Growning up in Roselle Park I often walked the tracks of the Lehigh Vally to the Aldene section of town to the point where the NJ Central ran under the Lehigh Vally tracks. As crazy kids we loved it when a steam engine ran under the LVRR bridge while we were on top. Yes were stupid crazy kids. Thanks for the memories John.
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