Warbasse remembers, was bread, and for this they substituted buckwheat pancakes which made a big hit with the railroaders. Back in the early nineties, the Lackawanna's famous Boston Flyer would roll through Sussex County each evening, its beautiful chime whistle reverberating through the pastoral valleys and wooded hills, its many brightly-lit windows giving forth an enticing glow and the lure of distant horizons. How did this noted train get to Boston from Sussex County? After roaring into Branchville Junction from Hoboken, it then passed over the Franklin Branch into the famous old mining town, then rolled over the Lehigh & Hudson to Maybrook, N.Y., where it was switched to the former Central New England Railroad (now the New Haven). New Jersey Herald - June 6, 1957 issue An Old Landmark. Found Near Warbasses Junction. back toward the depot, when his head came in contact with a passenger car standing on a side track. He fell from the platform of the car to the ground, and when picked up by those who witnessed the accident, he was in an unconscious condition, and bleeding at the nose and ears. He was at once brought to his home in this Town, and an examination of his injuries made by the physician of the company, who discovered that his skull was badly fractured. He died about fifteen minutes after his arrival home. The deceased leaves a wife and one child, both of whom are sick with scarlet fever. He was about twenty-six years of age. New Jersey Herald - January 18, 1882 issue Robbed, and Then Fired. Last week Daniel, of Junction, along the Sussex the swamp, large redwhile Warbasses was walking track of the Railroad near he discovered a leg turtle near the roadbed, which he exhibited in Newton on Saturday. It proved quite a curiosity, and from the inscription on the shell, evidently is an "old timer" in that neighborhood. On the lower shell were cut the letters, D. L. & W. R. R., 1877. The upper shell gave abundance of evidence that its turtleship had many narrow escapes from the gunners who frequent the big meadows between Newton and Warbasses, as the shell bore many marks of shots, and an outer edge had been broken off, leaving half the imprint of the shot. Mr. Daniel says the turtle was steering toward the Susquehanna railroad and was probably on its way to see if the old box car station was still in service. After he has inscribed the date of his find on the shell of the turtle, Mr. Daniel will release it again. If it escapes the prey of "Jimmy" Quackenbush's wild cat, it may again come into the possession of some traveler in that neighborhood. New Jersey Herald - July 5, 1928 issue Death on the Rail William P. Coursen, an employee of the Sussex Railroad, met with an accident at Warbasses (sic) Junction, about four o'clock on Monday afternoon, that resulted in his death one hour later. For a year past the deceased had been employed a portion of the time as extra brakeman. On Monday morning the early mail train arrived at this station [Newton-DR] with one brakeman short, and Coursen, who was at the depot, was ordered on duty by Mr. Arvis. He made several trips over the road, and in the afternoon left Waterloo on the milk train as head brakeman. At Warbasses Junction the train runs past the depot some distance, for the purpose of dropping one of the milk cars in the Y to be taken to Branchville. The train had passed the station, and was running at an average rate of speed, when Coursen applied the brake and stepped to the edge of the rear platform of the forward car, and was looking 4 John The Branchville Junction station of the Lackawanna was totally destroyed by fire on Friday morning of last week [Nov. 24], the estimated loss being about one thousand dollars. The fire was discovered about 6:20 a.m. by William Struble, of Lafayette, agent of the Susquehanna railroad at Warbasse, who was on his way to work. He immediately notified Daniel Plant, the Lackawanna agent. On their arrival at the station the fire was beyond control and it was impossible to save anything. When the fire burned out, it was discovered that the United States Express Company safe had been forced, and it is the belief of the agent that the office was first robbed and then fired. The station was built about ten years ago, [six actually --DR] and was located at the intersection of the tracks from Branchville and from Franklin Furnace. The Sussex County Express was delayed about an hour before it could make a safe dash past the burning building. Sussex Register - November 30, 1911 issue A picture of the first station built at Branchville Junction ( 'Warbasse' (or 'Warbasse's Junction') were used alternatively at this time with Branchville as they were both on the Warbasse farm. It probably wasn't much more than a telegraph shack, and was probably bid good riddance when replaced in 1905 with the larger structure. In this picture, if you follow the tracks on the right hand side into the distance, you can see the shape of what might be an approaching 1000 class locomotive.
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