The Ocean Pier Railway at Atlantic City was an electric narrow gauge railway, which ran over the entire length of the
Ocean Pier in
Atlantic City, about into the ocean.
History
The Ocean Pier at Atlantic City was extended by in 1896/97. At the same time it was widened, and the railway, a fishing platform and several pavilions were built. The gauge of the railway was . At the shore loop the distance between the inner rails was , which necessitated a very sharp curve. The loop at the ocean end was broader and permitted a
curve
In mathematics, a curve (also called a curved line in older texts) is an object similar to a line, but that does not have to be straight.
Intuitively, a curve may be thought of as the trace left by a moving point. This is the definition that ...
with
diameter
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circle. It can also be defined as the longest chord of the circle. Both definitions are also valid fo ...
. The power station was located at the inner end of the pier. Mr Young and Mr McShea were the builders and operated the railway line. The pleasant ride and the fine view of the city made the railroad a favorite with the summer visitors.
[Street Railway Review, Vol 7, 1897, p. 554.](_blank)
Rolling stock
![Denney Axle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Denney_Axle.jpg)
To prevent excessive friction and wear on the wheels Denney's divided axles were used, which permitted the wheels to rotate independently of each other. The coupling was of gun metal, in three pieces, which were riveted together after the brasses were in place. The portion of the coupling shown at the right in the cut was shrunk into that half of the axle. The collar at the extreme end of the coned portion of the
axle was also shrunk on. A long conical bearing with adjustable brasses was provided as shown. The joints of the coupling were tight so that it could be filled with oil. With this axle little trouble was experienced from the sharp curves.
[John H. White]
The American Railroad Passenger Car, Part 2.
JHU Press, 1985. p. 524.
References
Defunct railroads
Transportation in New Jersey
Defunct New Jersey railroads
Buildings and structures in Atlantic City, New Jersey
1897 establishments in New Jersey
Piers in New Jersey
Tourist attractions in Atlantic County, New Jersey
2 ft 9 in gauge railways
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