Murray Hill - (New Jersey Transit Gladstone Branch)

Murray Hill is the location of the easternmost passing siding on the two-track Gladstone Branch. The main line with a low-level side platform is the southern track and this low-level platform can accommodate ten cars. In the middle of the low-level platform is a small yellow wooden-board at track level that is about ten feet long; this is how trains that are taking the siding do their station work. The station platform begins at the grade crossing of Foley Place and runs west. The Murray Hill East interlocking is just beyond this grade crossing. The siding though continues west a bit and trains waiting on the siding normally wait here a bit before the station to avoid unnecessarily blocking the grade crossing that would occur if there were direct meets in the station. Having trains meet west of the station also avoids a possibly dangerous safety issue with passengers trying to board a train on the siding while a train is about to enter on the main line track.

For passengers at the Foley Place end of the platform is a small and historic Queen Anne 1890 to 1891 station house. This building is painted green with a red trim and white eves holding the roof up. Inside is a nice, small waiting room with white walls, red trim and a couple of red benches. There is also the clear remains of where the ticket window once was. For hours the station house seems to be open most of the day. No hours are posted but the doors were at unlocked when I've visited between 4 and 5pm on weekdays. Outside of the station house are the final two amenities, two white-domed bus shelters. One is for waiting and has a built-in bench, the other contains the stations two TVMs. The station house is at the eastern end of the station's 175-space parking lot that is long and narrow with Southgate Road at its southern edge. The parking lot rises to be at a level above the platform. Towards the western end of the platform a decaying concrete staircase leads up to it.
Photos 1-9: 4 November, 2013, 10-40: 21 November, 2013

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Evening sets in: Looking across the siding and at the little station

The TVMs provide some light

The ticket office and doors into the station house

The 1890 well-lit station house

The boarding board for trains stopping on the siding

Stand Behind Yellow Line

A four car train of Arrow III cars heading to Hoboken#1502 and other cars make their station stop at the siding, the train has arrived a few minutes late meeting a westbound train

The conductors and boarding passengers on the yellow board that leads out to the tracks

The doors are closed and a Hoboken-bound train of four cars can leave and continue its trip

Arrow-III #1307 brings up the rear of a Hoboken-bound train switching off the siding and onto the main line

The decrepit staircase up to the parking lot from the platform

The parking lot

The station house between the parking lot and the platform

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