The Dinky

Dinky at Princeton Junction train station, Dec. 2024. Courtesy of Paul Ligeti.

This is the tale of the Princeton Branch Railroad - a historic rail line linking Princeton and West Windsor, Also known as "Princeton Junction and Back" or the "Dinky," it has been cherished by many generations, ferrying everyone from ordinary folk to President Woodrow Wilson. It's also the shortest passenger rail line in the country. Scroll to learn more!

Historical Overview

Nineteenth Century Roots

Trains have played a significant role in West Windsor's history. The first railroad through town was opened in 1839 by the Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company.[1] It followed the southeastern bank of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.[2] Both rail and canal could efficiently transport people and cargo, and brought much growth to the region. They also fueled the rise of two of West Windsor's historic communities: Port Mercer and Princeton Basin. The train, especially, helped West Windsor and Princeton residents travel between the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan regions. A depot at Princeton Basin (where Alexander Road crosses the canal) was the main train station for Princeton and West Windsor from 1839 to the mid-1860s.

However, in 1863, a new, straighter route was built, to accommodate faster and larger trains.[3] This new alignment was a few miles east of the old one, and is  now (2025) known as the "Northeast Corridor."[4] The Princeton Junction train station opened almost immediately thereafter.[5] This realignment benefitted many residents of West Windsor Township, making it far easier to travel to the train station. It also, most notably, gave rise to the historic West Windsor community of Princeton Junction, which grew around the train station. However, it also meant that - in an era well before automobiles existed - Princeton residents now had to make a significantly longer journey to get to the main railroad.

Inside Dinky car, Dec. 2024. Courtesy of Paul Ligeti.

Thus, also in 1863, the state legislature passed a bill authorizing the construction of the "Princeton Branch Railroad."[6] The Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company opened this short route two years later, on May 29, 1865, as a single track directly connecting the Princeton Junction train station in West Windsor (and thus the present-day Northeast Corridor) to downtown Princeton.[7] In fact, "Princeton Junction" is named after the "junction" (intersection) of the Princeton Branch and the mainline.

The Princeton Branch is also commonly called "Princeton Junction and Back" or the "Dinky."[8] It was originally about 3.2 miles long,[9] and has always used the Princeton Junction train station as its southeastern terminus. However, over many decades, the stations on the "Princeton" end (i.e., the northwestern end) were replaced several times, each time further southeastward. At the time of this writing, the line is about 2.7 miles long, the majority of which runs through West Windsor (our town's northwestern border with Princeton is the Delaware and Raritan Canal). The map below shows how the Dinky line has evolved over time. Because Princeton University's campus has also changed significantly over the generations, this map is especially crucial for understanding the rest of this article.

Looking west at Dinky line at Princeton Junction train station, 1860s. Courtesy of Princeton's Mudd Library.

Dinky Map

The map below shows both current and disappeared points of interest on the Dinky line, in West Windsor and Princeton. Note how the line has shortened over the generations.

Dinky map courtesy of Paul Ligeti, 2025. Click to enlarge.

The Dinky's Early Years

The first station on the Princeton end sat within the campus of the College of New Jersey (renamed "Princeton University" in 1896). This depot was close to the long-gone Halstead Observatory. and Bonner-Marquand Gymnasium (where Joline Hall and Cambpell Hall exist today.[10] Back then, it was in the middle of a large field, since many of the current campus buildings had yet to be constructed.[11] A one-story wood-frame building - reputedly the original Princeton Basin depot, relocated into Princeton University's campus[12] - served as a ticket office and waiting shelter.[13] The Dinky's passengers rode on a small wood-burning steam train called the "Dummy," capable of transporting 30 to 40 people (often college students and professors).[14] Meanwhile, freight cars handled cargo.[15] A one-way trip in those days was about 15 minutes.[16] Its first conductor was Elijah Allen.[17]

In the first few years, the Dummies were  unreliable locomotives that sometimes veered off the tracks at bends in the branch railroad.[18] Moreover, when too many passengers were sitting inside, the trains occasionally couldn't even make it up some modest hills.[19] So, in 1866, the Dummy was briefly taken offline for upgrades.[20] It was temporarily replaced by the "John Bull" - one of the nation's oldest and most famous trains.[21] When the Dummy returned to service, it was far faster (a one-way trip was cut down to the current 8 minutes) and handled grades and curves with ease.[22]

Dinky station in Princeton, ca. 1873. Courtesy of Princeton's Mudd Library.

The Dinky crosses the Stony Brook and Delaware and Raritan Canal, which naturally requires two bridges. The earliest one over the canal was a wood-and-metal trestle with drawbridge to let tall boats pass.[23] It quickly became apparent that the trestle was not tall enough, so it was raised in 1868.[24],[25] There was also a shack to shelter the bridge's operator for some time.[26] In 1905, the current metal bridge was constructed across the canal; see photo near the top of this page.[27] This structure was designed to rotate horizontally - again, to let boats through - but it has not turned in many years; presumably not since the Delaware and Raritan Canal closed permanently in 1933.[28]

According to one account, in late 1876, three students were returning from an evening in Trenton and missed the last Dinky train into Princeton. They appropriated a hand-pump car and used it to travel along the tracks. However, when they came to the drawbridge over the canal, it was open. Although the students narrowly escaped, their vehicle plunged into the canal.[29],[30] 

For much of its existence, the Dinky also had at least one intermediate stop in the historic West Windsor community of "Penns Neck." It opened some time between 1865 and 1875[31] and formally closed in 1971.[32] It consisted of a simple waiting shelter on the southeast side of Route 1, directly where the Dinky crossed that road.[33] Click here to see an image of that stop from 1957.

Canal crossing after raising, ca. 1868. Courtesy of Princeton's Mudd Library.

In 1871, the original wood passenger depot in Princeton was replaced by a stone building, in the same general location[34],[35] (scroll up to see photo from 1873). Meanwhile, the old wooden depot was sold, relocated to "Railroad avenue" (present-day University Place), and converted into a real estate and insurance office.[36] That same year, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company took over the Dinky line, as lessee of the United New Jersey Railroad & Canal Company.[37]

The new stone station lasted for over 25 years. However, in 1896, as Princeton University celebrated its 150th anniversary, it spearheaded significant improvements to its buildings and grounds. The sharp curve of the track opposite the long-gone Brokaw Field was straightened and the original freight station and engine house were replaced with one on "Canal Street" (now called Alexander Street).[38] However, more notable was the construction of Blair Hall, opened in 1897.[39] This required the Dinky's passenger depot in Princeton to move southeastward for a second time, by about 100 feet or so, to an empty lot off of University Place.[40] A new, paved drive connected that street to the southwest side of a new masonry passenger depot.[41] Meanwhile, the imposing Blair Hall towered over the new station's northeastern side, connected to the depot by a granite walk.[42] Freshmen students entering campus for the first time via the Dinky now had quite a first impression upon disembarking the train!

Dinky station at foot of Blair Hall, ca. 1910. Courtesy of Princeton's Mudd Library.

Dinky station, 1901. Courtesy of Princeton's Mudd Library.

Twentieth Century Growth

One of the Dinky's most popular early uses was for football games. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, matches between Princeton and rival "Ivy League" universities were well-attended.[43],[44],[45] This was also when Princeton University was expanding significantly, including constructing many new buildings. Thus, the Pennsylvania Railroad added a second track along the length of the branch railroad.[46] Also through the first few decades of the 1900s, it constructed several train "yards," where dozens of tracks could hold extra passenger and freight trains.[47],[48],[49]

Although the passenger depot's positioning at the foot of Blair Hall made for a grand first impression, students living in Blair Hall suffered from regular smoke and noise. So, in 1918, the passenger station was moved to its fourth - and longest-serving - location. This building still stands near the bend of University Place across from McCarter Theater, although it's now the "Dinky Bar & Kitchen." Next to it stands the old baggage and express depot, also constructed in 1918, and now serving as the "Roots Ocean Prime" restaurant. Both structures, pictured adjacent, feature Princeton's traditional "Collegiate Gothic" architecture style.[50],[51]

Fourth Dinky station, ca. 1918. Courtesy of Princeton's Mudd Library.

The Dinky also crosses over Route 1 in West Windsor. At first, this was an at-grade crossing. However, automobile traffic grew as the decades passed. So, an elevated railroad bridge (pictured adjacent) was built between 1928 and 1930.[52],[53] This bridge was replaced in 1994 when Route 1 was widened from four lanes to six.[54]

In 1933, the mainline (present-day Northeast Corridor) was electrified,[55] and three years later the Dinky branch - which had previously employed gasoline-powered locomotives - followed suit.[56],[57] In the 1950s, the line was single-tracked and in the 1960s, the Pennsylvania Railroad began to remove its train yards on the southeast end of campus.[58],[59]

The Pennsylvania Railroad merged with several other railroad companies in 1968, forming the Pennsylvania Central Transportation Company (commonly called "Penn Central").[60] This conglomerate managed the Dinky line until 1976, when Penn Central spun off much of its assets to the Consolidated Rail Corporation ("Conrail").[61] Finally, in 1983, the Dinky passed to its present owner: the New Jersey Transit Corporation ("NJ Transit"), a state-owned public transportation system that had formed four years prior.[62],[63]

Looking south along Route 1, 1962. Photo by Howard E. Schrader.

Dinky rail yard in Princeton, looking southeast, 1930s or later. Courtesy of Princeton's Mudd Library.

Twenty-First Century Developments

In 1984, Princeton University purchased the Dinky station along University Drive.[64] This allowed it greater control over the future of the line and its impacts on the university and its surroundings. This positioning became especially relevant in the 2010s, when the long-discussed possibility of creating an arts complex on University Place - anchored by McCarter Theater and other institutions such as the Lewis Arts Center and Effron Music Building - became a reality. In 2013, a temporary wooden station, about 300 feet southeast of the current Theater Drive parking garage, opened, replacing the old Dinky passenger and baggage depots that had served for the prior 95 years.[65],[66] And, in 2014, the current Dinky  waiting room opened off of Alexander Street, roughly equidistant between the 1918 passenger depot and the temporary 2013 waiting shelter.[67]

The current passenger depot features a sleek contemporary style reminiscent of the metal locomotives that serve passengers today. The waiting shelter is bookended by the Lewis Arts Center to the northwest, the Theater Drive parking garage to the northeast, and a Wawa convenience store to the southeast.

Dinky waiting room, Princeton, Dec. 2024. From Paul Ligeti.

Over the decades, the Dinky's future has been a frequent topic of discussion. Its viability as a passenger rail system has been scrutinized since as far back as the 1970s,[68] if not earlier. This is largely because the dinky has, for many years, been a money-losing venture for the state. However, its importance on the West Windsor and Princeton communities - historical, cultural, accessibility between the towns, and more - cannot be overstated.

Most recently, NJ transit has been looking at converting the Dinky route into a mixed-used system of pedestrian and bicycle paths, bus lane(s), and light rail. At the time of this writing (January 2025), the concept is still in development, and various stakeholders have different visions for the Dinky's future. Some groups, such as the all-volunteer West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance, focus their advocacy on pedestrian and cyclist improvements, whether the Dinky be kept or not. Others, such as the Friends of the Dinky Corridor, want to "fast track" upgrades to the route. Another nonprofit advocacy group, "Save the Dinky," campaigns for the preservation of this historic train link. ​The future of the Dinky is up in the air, but its significance to West Windsor and Princeton's history is well-established.

Dinky at Princeton station, Dec. 2024. From Paul Ligeti.

Dinky crosses the Delaware and Raritan Canal, Dec. 2024. Courtesy of Paul Ligeti.

Notable People & Events

The Dinky has long hosted passengers familiar to many of this article's readers. While he was President of Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson - later President of the United States - used the Dinky to travel to the Princeton Junction train station.[69] Other Presidential candidates used the Dinky as well,[70] as did Nobel and Abel Prize laureate John Forbes Nash[71] - himself a resident of the historic West Windsor community of Berrien City.[70] Others, such as actor Christopher Reeve, starred in productions put on by McCarter Theater's "Princeton Junction and Back" stage troupe[72] - so named because many of its members regularly used the Dinky.

Princeton University alumni also often reminisce about the "Great Train Robbery" of May 1963, wherein a driverless convertible parked on the tracks forced the Dinky to stop. As the engineers got out to inspect, four masked horsemen wielding six-shooters galloped up to the train, shooting their guns into the air and yelling at everyone to stay in their seats. They snatched four women and rode off into the woods. It was later discovered that this was a lighthearted prank orchestrated by the women and their "captors." This "robbery" remains a University legend.[73] Click here to learn more and watch a video of the event.

Dinky passengers, ca. 1900. Courtesy of Princeton's Mudd Library.

Return to Transportation

---

Bibliography

1. "A New York paper says that the Rail Road to Philadelphia, via Jersey City, New Brunswick, and Trenton, is completed." Staunton Spectator and General Advertiser (Staunton, V.A.). January 3, 1839.
2. Lake, D J, and S N Beers. Map of the Vicinity of Philadelphia and Trenton from Actual Surveys By D.J. Lake and S. N. Beers. Assisted by F. Beers, L. B. Lake and D. G. Beers. Philadelphia, PA: C.K. Stone and A. Pomeroy, 1860. Shows the original Camden and Amboy Railroad following the southeastern bank of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.
3. "Camden and Amboy Railroad/Delaware and Raritan Canal Companies Minutes of the Joint Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, 1831 - 1872,” n.d. Located at the New Jersey State Archive’s Manuscripts Room. Accessed February 28, 2022.
4. "West Windsor Township.” Map. 1875 Historical Atlas of Mercer County, New Jersey - Map of West Windsor. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Stuart, 1875. https://www.loc.gov/item/2010587333/. Shows the orientation of the train line in 1875 – i.e., the present-day Northeast Corridor in 2025.
5. “Princeton Items.” Newark Daily Advertiser. September 17, 1864.
6. “Assembly.” Daily State Gazette and Republican (Trenton). March 20, 1863.
7. “The Princeton Branch Rail Road.” Princeton Standard. June 2, 1865.
8. Wilmot, John R. “‘The Princeton.’” Trains, June 1987.
9. Ibid.
10. Dinky Station, between 1865 and 1871. Photograph. Princeton University Digital Library. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University. Princeton, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2025. https://dpul.princeton.edu/pudl0038/catalog/pc289j59c. Located in Box MP74, Item 2967 of the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library.
11. Dinky Station, 1874. Photograph. Princeton University Digital Library. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University. Princeton, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2025. https://dpul.princeton.edu/pudl0038/catalog/ww72bc03m. Located in Box MP74, Item 2979 of the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library.
12. "We understand that the old railroad depot is to be taken down, and the material brought to town, to be used in the construction of the new depot." Princeton Standard. July 22, 1865.
13. “A depot is in course of erection at the branch railroad, at Princeton. It is to be a frame building, 75 feet in length, and 23 feet in width.” Princeton Standard. August 11, 1865.
14. “The Princeton Branch Rail Road.” Princeton Standard. June 2, 1865.
15. “Our merchants will be glad to learn that their freight is now brought to Princeton over the branch railroad; thereby avoiding the necessity of having it carried in a freight wagon for three miles.” Princeton Standard. October 20, 1865.
16. “The Princeton Branch Rail Road.” Princeton Standard. June 2, 1865.
17. “The Dummy is doing a fine business.” Princeton Standard. June 9, 1865.
18. “The Dummy Off Track.” Princeton Standard. July 14, 1865.
19. “The Dummy is running more than full in the convenient morning and evening lines.” Princeton Standard. January 11, 1866.
20. “The ‘Dummy’ has been sent to the Company’s works, at Bordentown, for repairs.” Princeton Standard. May 25, 1866.
21. Ibid.
22. “We are glad to see one of the new and smaller size locomotives now running on our Branch road.” Princeton Standard. March 29, 1867.
23. Pennsylvania Railroad: Bridge. 1868. Photograph. Photographed by John Moran. Princeton University Digital Library. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University. Princeton, New Jersey. Photographed by John Moran. Accessed January 1, 2025. https://dpul.princeton.edu/pudl0038/catalog/v405s990v. Located in Box MP74, Item 2975 of the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library.
24. Dinky Station: Two Views, approx. 1865-1870. Photograph. Princeton University Digital Library. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University. Princeton, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2025. https://dpul.princeton.edu/pudl0038/catalog/ms35t911m. Located in Box AD06, Item 8731 of the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library.
25. “Reporter’s Column.” Princeton Standard. July 10, 1868.
26. Ibid.
27. “Changes in Railroad Line to the Junction Completed.” Daily Princetonian. November 27, 1905.
28. "Will Seek to Compel Operation of Delaware and Raritan Canal." The Jersey Journal (Jersey City, N.J.). April 19, 1933.
    
29. “Reporter.” Daily Princetonian. November 2, 1876.
30. Wilmot, John R. “‘The Princeton.’” Trains, June 1987.
31. "West Windsor Township.” Map. 1875 Historical Atlas of Mercer County, New Jersey - Map of West Windsor. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Stuart, 1875. https://www.loc.gov/item/2010587333/. Shows the Penns Neck station.
32. Baer, Christopher T. (April 2015). "A General Chronology of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Its Predecessors and Successors and Its Historical Context: 1971" (PDF). Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society. p. 5. Retrieved October 6, 2016. Jan. 30, 1971 – Last day of passenger service at Penns Neck station on Princeton Branch.
33. Sprague, J. L.; Cunningham, J. J. (2013). "A Frank Sprague Triumph: The Electrification of Grand Central Terminal [History]". IEEE Power and Energy Magazine. 11 (1): 58–76.
34. “Railroad Depot.” The Princetonian. July 27, 1871.
35. Dinky Station, 1874. Photograph. Princeton University Digital Library. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University. Princeton, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2025. https://dpul.princeton.edu/pudl0038/catalog/ww72bc03m. Located in Box MP74, Item 2979 of the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library.
36. “Messrs. Mount & Cook have purchased the old Ticket Office at the Railroad Station, and have had it moved and placed on the corner of the lot opposite the depot next to Railroad avenue.” The Princetonian. December 2, 1871.
37. “We have upon our table for free distribution a few copies of the argument of A, Browning, Esq., in the lease of the United Companies to the Pennsylvania Central Rail Road.” The Princetonian. October 26, 1871.
38. “Campus Improvements.” The Alumni Princetonian. April 23, 1896.
39. “The New Dormitory.” The Alumni Princetonian. January 21, 1897.
40. “Improvements During the Summer.” The Alumni Princetonian. October 1, 1896.
41. “Campus Improvements.” The Alumni Princetonian. April 23, 1896.
42. “Improvements at the Station.” Daily Princetonian. December 17, 1897.
43. “Improvements in Railroad Yard.” Daily Princetonian. October 24, 1902.
44. “Building Improvements.” Daily Princetonian. September 20, 1905.
45. Wilmot, John R. “‘The Princeton.’” Trains, June 1987.
46. “Building Improvements.” Daily Princetonian. September 20, 1905.
47. Wilmot, John R. “‘The Princeton.’” Trains, June 1987.
48. “Details of Railroad Improvements.” Daily Princetonian. October 6, 1905.
49. “P.R.R. Official Urges Passengers’ Cooperation.” Daily Princetonian. October 29, 1914.
50. “New Railroad Station To Be Completed This Year.” Daily Princetonian. January 24, 1918.
51. “New Railroad Station To Be Completed In A Month.” Daily Princetonian. June 11, 1918.
52. “Penns Neck Grade Crossing at Pike to be Eliminated.” Princeton Herald. June 6, 1928.
53. “A Misplaced Underpass.” Princeton Herald. October 17, 1930.
54. “U.S. 1 History: Dinky Bridge.” U. S. !. December 7, 1994.
55. “Electric Trains Will Run on Pennsylvania Railroad.” Daily Princetonian. February 1, 1933.
56. “Vast Projects of Pennsylvania Railroad Include Electrifying Princeton Branch.” Daily Princetonian. October 17, 1934.
57. Wilmot, John R. “‘The Princeton.’” Trains, June 1987.
58. “Princeton Aerial Photography Composite Map, 1963.” Map. Historical Society of West Windsor - Map Archives. West Windsor, NJ, 1963.
59. “Princeton Aerial Photography Composite Map, 1963.” Map. Historical Society of West Windsor - Map Archives. West Windsor, NJ, 1969.
60. “New York Central Merges With Pennsylvania Railroad.” Charlestone Evening Post. February 1, 1968.
61. “ConRail aims for silk purse from sow’s ear.” Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey). April 2, 1976.
62. “How It All Began.” NJ TRANSIT. Accessed January 1, 2025. https://www.njtransit.com/first-run/how-it-all-began.
63. Wilmot, John R. “‘The Princeton.’” Trains, June 1987.
64. “University Purchases Dinky Property from NJ Transit.” Daily Princetonian. November 9, 1984.
65. “Princeton Aerial Photography Composite Map, 2013.” Map. Historical Society of West Windsor - Map Archives. West Windsor, NJ, 2013.
66. “Six Locals File Lawsuits Against Construction Project.” Daily Princetonian. September 12, 2013.
67. “All Aboard At The New Dinky.” U.S. 1. November 19, 2014.
68. “Regional Rallying Cry: ‘Save the Dinky!’.” Town Topics. December 19, 1974.
69. “Engineer of ‘P.J.&B.’ Railroad Recalls Wilson as Telling ‘Pretty Slick Jokes.’” Daily Princetonian. March 15, 1933.
70. “Willkie Apologizes For Missing Ovation.” Daily Princetonian. October 8, 1940.
71. “Filming Due Here in March on Movie with Russell Crowe.” Town Topics. December 13, 2000.
72. “Where’s Princeton Junction and Back?” Daily Princetonian. December 2, 1983.
73. Princetoniana Committee. “The Great Train Robbery.” Princetoniana Museum. Accessed January 1, 2025. https://www.princetonianamuseum.org/artifact/f457dbef-3d48-44b1-88d7-b1314870dc98.