Submitted by Shaul Picker, who says:
I have a Flickr and save these images from eBay listings and elsewhere. This is from the NJ DOT, now NJ Transit. This map is from the 1970s, as indicated by the presence of the Bayonne Branch.
Transit Maps says:
This is a great find, Shaul – thanks for sharing!
The best I can do to date this is that it’s after 1971 (the formation of Amtrak), but before 1976, when commuter rail services in New Jersey were divested to Conrail until 1983. The Bayonne Branch, a shuttle service known affectionately as the “Bayonne Scoot”, ran from 1969 to 1978, so its presence here doesn’t give any more information. Interestingly the map shows the western end of the line as Roselle Park, when I believe that it actually ran through to Cranford. Some of old alignment at the eastern end of the Bayonne Branch is now part of the Hudson-Bergen light rail line.
As for the map itself, it’s a bit of a glorious mess with routes and labels heading off in all directions, but it’s still quite legible and usable despite that. It certainly has a very 1970s vibe to it! The main interchanges are very clearly denoted, and I must give full credit for including PATH (operated by the Port Authority, not the New Jersey DOT) on the map. There’s absolutely no correlation between the colours of the route lines on this map to those on the current NJ Transit rail map. Note also the absence of Seacaucus Junction (which didn’t open until 2003) and the original name of Pavonia Avenue for the Newport PATH station.
Regarding Bayonne Scoot – Cameron, you are correct that the Scoot operated to/from Cranford. The trains, however, operated to/from the Raritan Yard in revenue service on first of morning and last of evening trips. Westbound in the evening, all stops west of Cranford were discharge only.
Dating this map —
There’s an insane amount of local history/trivia at these sites :
https://www.lhry.org/phillipsburg-transportation-chronology
https://www.friendsnjthc.org/station
The short answer:
On 1967 Jersey Central cut back service from Philipsburg to High Bridge. (I think still connected to Jersey City and Hoboken at that time, not yet connected as the Raritan Line).
Some service restored to P’burg in ’74 as a result of the gas crisis.
Cut back to High Bridge for the last time at the end of 1983.
So this map can be dated as 1974 or later.