Today I went underground in Stewartsville, New Jersey to tour the remains of the circa 1850 turbine that powered Inclined Plane 9 W on the Morris Canal. Photos are at:
http://news.webshots.com/album/558759206frmdro

A description of the site is on page 12 of the PDF file at: files.asme.org/ASMEORG/Communities/History/Landmarks/5599.pdf

so, whats the story with this place, looks cool.

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so, whats the story with this place, looks cool.

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Come over to the Dark Side....... We have Cookies!

so, whats the story with this place, looks cool.

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Come over to the Dark Side....... We have Cookies!

This place is located just outside of Phillipsburg, New Jersey. It was an inclined plane that carried canal boats about 100 vertical feet to different levels of the Morris Canal. Typically, eastbound boats carried anthracite and westbound boats carried iron. Most of the machinery was scrapped in the 1920s, except for the turbine, which was buried. It was excavated by the family that lived next to the inclined plane. They have a small museum attached to their home and open it occasionally for visitors. However, you can drive straight up their driveway, parallel to the incline, and see several displays and interpretive signs. There is also an open air pavilion from which the turbine can be viewed. Steel grates, made from prison doors, have been placed over the openings above the penstock and turbine, allowing visitors to peer down into them.

Mike I went on your photo site On a related note what is the story with those quarry locomotives ? They look very interesting Please tell us more about them

The yellow and orange locomotives were built by Atlas Car & Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio. They were battery powered and came from the two foot gauge line at the Sterling Hill zinc mine in New Jersey. These locomotives are currently being stored at the quarry. The red locomotive is a Whitcomb with a Fordson tractor engine and transmission. It is 33.5 inch gauge and moved slate blocks from the landing to the mills at the quarry until the mid 1970s when trucks took over the job. This locomotive was moved to Ohio last weekend. A second engine remains at the quarry, but will be moved soon to a private collector near Reading, PA. He also owns a third locomotive from the quarry, which was built by Plymouth. A fourth locomotive is preserved at the Blue Mountain Antique Gas and Steam Engine Association in Jacktown (Bangor), PA.

Photos of these locomotives in service are at:
http://news.webshots.com/photo/2050218450095054516IwNaOy

Thanks Mike for the info Very glad they are being preserved

I know that site well, That is one of the few double inclined planes of the Morris canal. The man who restored that particular one was Jim Lee. He is a well know authority on the canal. I had the honor once of meeting him there. I believe he sold that property .
If you want to see another accesible turbine room, check out plane 2 east in Ledgewood. Raceway and turbine room are intact. Turbine itself is on display at Hopatcong State Park.