The CNJ took ownership of the Southern Division line in 1879. At its peak the line ran from Red Bank NJ all the way down to Bay Side on the Delaware Bay. The line was used for both freight and passenger service including the infamous "Blue Comet" which carried people from the NYC metro area down to Atlantic City from 1929 to 1941. The line was prosperous well into the 1940's until it started seeing a decline, like many railroads in that time. The last passenger train to run was in 1957, leaving the line to freight use only. Freight trains on the line were known to be long and heavy, carrying all sorts of general freight. One of the main products transported on the line was sand, which was sent north to numerous customers including many in New York City for building projects. As with most railroads in the northeast in the 1970's, CNJ was in decline. The line was reduced to two run through trains a day. In 1976 CNJ was merged with other bankrupt railroads to form Conrail. Two years into Conrail ownership, the line was severed from Woodmansie to Winslow Junction, ending its link of North and South Jersey. This section was taken out service and the rails left in place to be swallowed up by the forest. Today this portion of the line is used as a hiking path in the Wharton State Forest as part of New Jersey's Pine Barrons.
