Tucked into the farm country of Salem County, New Jersey, the Woodstown Central Railroad has quickly become one of the region’s most talked-about excursion lines. Operated by SMS Rail Lines, a short line best known for its vintage Baldwin diesels, the railroad offers leisurely trips across the historic Salem Branch while preserving a slice of South Jersey’s rail heritage. Passenger service only began in 2022, yet the line already feels timeless thanks to its classic motive power and carefully restored 1930s-era equipment.
A Historic Line Reborn
The route used by Woodstown Central traces its roots to 19th-century predecessors of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. The Salem Branch was originally constructed to link inland farming communities with river ports and larger main lines, providing a vital outlet for agricultural products and manufactured goods.
Over time, the line passed into Conrail and then local short line operators before being acquired by Salem County. In the 1990s SMS Rail Lines, headquartered at the Pureland Industrial Park in Bridgeport, New Jersey, built a reputation for handling freight with an eclectic fleet of vintage Baldwin diesels. When the county sought a new operator for the Salem Branch, SMS stepped in and later launched a dedicated excursion brand: the Woodstown Central Railroad.
The first public excursions rolled out of Woodstown in November 2022. Early trips used a vividly painted Baldwin S-12 diesel and a restored Reading caboose, giving riders a classic short-line experience through fields, woodlots, and small towns…