Everyone knows the E-L went to Newark because the Lackwanna main line stopped at Broad Street. However, the Erie also went to Newark, and, for a few years, there was service on their old Newark Branch. It was a branch of the old Erie Main Line, which became known as the New York Division.

The NEWARK BRANCH crossed the Jersey Meadows between the Greenwood Lake and the Morris and Essex, coming into West Hudson at Harrison and also stopping at a station called Kearny. (Actually, it was very close to the little town of East Newark). Crossing the Passaic River, it stopped at a station called Newark. The tracks then veered sharply north and followed the Passaic River through North Newark, Belleville, Nutley and then headed toward Paterson, where it connected with the line from which it was officially a branch.

I rode that line occasionally from Newark to Belleville or Nutley, saving a couple of train tickets as souvenirs of the unusual railroad trip.

This train ticket (issued by the conductor) clearly is from the New York Division, showing all of the stations from Hoboken to Port Jervis, as well as the alternate Bergen County Line. The last set of stations, from Harrison to So. Paterson, is the NEWARK BRANCH. If you look carefully, you can see that the punches indicate it was from Newark, to Cleve.St.,Belleville, a rail journey of 1.9 miles, and costing 34 cents.