Covanta Warren

One of the more interesting experiments in power generating technology has been the implementation of garbage fired power stations. Rather than using a high efficiency fuel source like coal or natural gas, these plants run on municipal waste instead. The premise is the same; the trash is burned and the resulting heat is applied to water in the boilers. This creates steam, which is used to spin a turbine generator. One of the largest providers of Waste to Energy power in the country, Covanta, built one such plant in Oxford in the late 1980's. 

Covanta Warren opened in July 1988. At the time there wasn't much any development around the property. The adjascent landfill was still being cleared, it didn't open for another two years. 

At its peak the facility was handling 550 tons of waste a day. That translated to between 13 and 14 megawatts of power production. That may not sound like very much compared to the output of the average coal plant, but it was still enough to power over 10,000 homes.  

The econonics of Waste-to-Energy facilities are complex, and are largely affected by federal regulations. These pressures eventually began to outweigh the fiscal benefits of keeping the plant open, so Covanta announced in 2019 they were closing the facility. 

The complex only sat idle for a few years. I visited once during that time, regrettably without my camera. It was not the most impressive plant, and Oxford is a fairly inconvenient place to get out to from where I live.

 I found out from my brother one day in March of 2024 that it was in the process of being demolished. I can't say I'm too sad to see it go. I think the area will look a lot better without the obtrusive industrial facility sticking out from the trees. It goes on to join a long list of retired and eventually demolished power plants in the state. 

The Oxford/ Van Nest Gap Tunnel

The Oxford Tunnel was a key part of the Warren Railroad, which allowed the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad to run all the way up to Hampden, NJ via the Central NJ railroad. To this day I'm not sure why they decided this would be a worthwhile endeavor, considering the abundant mountains and valleys of Warren County. However, the history of the American Railroad network has proved to be full of arrogance and determination. The Warren Railroad would be no exception. James Archibald and McAllister & Wiestling were the engineers tasked with figuring out just where this new branch of John Blair's Railroad was to go. 

Source

As the planned line made its way to Oxford in 1853 the engineers discovered the most efficient path would involve blasting a tunnel through Oxford Mountain to reach the Van Nest Gap. A lack of resources and time required that a temporary track be installed to get things rolling while they worked on blasting out the tube.  While the nearby Manunka Chunk Tunnels along the same line were finished in two years, the Oxford tube took nearly nine. Trains finally started using the passage in the autumn of 1862.

As the line aged towards the new century, traincars were getting larger and larger. This presented a problem for the tunnel; the existing tracks didnt allow enough clearance for the bigger cars. Instead of spending any more time and money to expand the tunnel, the company chose to replace the double track with a gauntlet track instead. This allowed at least a single train to make it through the tunnel. The portals were also reinforced with concrete at the same time.

The gauntlet was only a temporary solution. Shortly after it was installed the DL&W Railroad began work on the Lackawanna Cutoff. The new line would allow trains to bypass the backup that was caused by the reduction in traffic at Oxford and shaved eleven miles off the journey.

The former right of way through Warren County began to be referred to as the Lackawanna "Old Road". It was mainly used for freight traffic, occasionally seeing use as a backup when the Lackawanna was delayed or impassable. Trains stopped using the Oxford Tunnel sometime in the 1970's or 1980's. The old road changed hands and saw a few partial revivals which makes nailing down an exact date tricky. I'm sure an area railfan will have an answer in the comments before long. Without regular maintenance the ancient drainage systems that once kept the tunnel manageably damp had become blocked, leading to flooding throughout the passage. By 1984 the marble dedication plaque was precariously exposed and in danger of falling. A team of men consisting of local enthusiasts volunteered to retrieve it, and after doing so it was re-installed at the historic Shippen Manor. 

Source

The first major collapse inside the tunnel is reported to have happened in 2007. That's according to premier New Jersey hiker and historian Mike Helbing. Mike grew up in the area, and is as credible a source as any. The man has hiked and bushwacked his way through more disused former rail bed than anyone I know. A second collapse in 2018 left the tunnel in precarious shape. Route 31 goes directly over the west portal, meaning any further deterioration posed a serious risk to anyone traveling over it. Helbing tried to raise the alarms, but local officials seemingly quashed his concerns. A shoddy fence was installed on the east portal in an attempt to keep people out, but the state owned west portal remained unobstructed for months until they also installed an equally shoddy fence. 

There have been no updates on the status of the tunnel in the last few years. Considering Oxford Mountain is pockmarked with collapsed and flooded abandoned mineshafts, it stands to reason the township and DOT will continue to ignore the problem until they can't anymore. I can only hope nobody is traveling on the roadway above when the next collapse occurs.