Maple Shade Boy Scout rebuilds train platform

MAPLE SHADE – David Smith has had two lifelong loves: trains and the Boy Scouts.

Growing up in town, Smith drove by the Maple Shade Train Station many times and noticed the crumbling asphalt near the tracks of the aging platform.

So when it was time for him to come up with an idea for his Eagle Scout project, it was easy.

“I’ve loved trains my entire life,” he said. “I lived in Maple Shade my entire life. To me, driving down the street, looking at this station. Yeah they did paint it, but to me, it still looked bad because of all the broken up asphalt that was next to the tracks. Doing this, to me, made it look a lot better.”

In order to qualify for his Eagle Scout honor, Smith needed to complete the project before his 18th birthday. That meant rounding up donations of time, money and material and wrapping up the work before July 25.

“It all pulled through. Work started in April of this year,” said Smith, who had the idea more than a year ago. “Since then, we’ve gotten this far. It’s crazy. But it got done with the amount of help we got.”

Work was completed Monday.

Volunteers helped cleared the area, took up the asphalt, dug the holes needed for concrete footings and began building the new wheelchair-accessible platform.

“All the work was done by volunteers and all the money donated — everything,” said Smith, a recent Medford Tech graduate. “The amount of people that have donated, it’s amazing. It kind of warms your heart.”

The Maple Shade Historical Society is housed in the train station, which was built in 1874. The once-bustling station fell into disrepair over the years with cracked windows and graffiti on some exterior walls. It’s been rehabbed over the years.

The station was last used for passenger service in April 1969, although trains still roll by on the tracks.

Historical society member Mike Geden said Smith reached out to the organization months ago concerning the platform project and they were happy to assist. Geden wrote letters to news organizations and others to help spread the word.

Smith tracked down the station’s owner — New Jersey Transit — and got the necessary permissions and paperwork, as well as confirmation from local companies that they’d be willing to help out.

“The whole platform, the whole front part of the station was crumbling because it was asphalt and during time, it broke apart,” said Geden, who said part of the 141-year-old station may see another life as a train museum in the future with another assist from Smith.

Many in Maple Shade and surrounding communities chipped in, according to Smith’s father.

“I’m very proud of him,” said David’s father, also David Smith. “It was very ambitious. He did a really great job. I think it’s awesome. Everyone who drives by says ‘Wow.’ The town’s really happy about it.”

“I think it looks really good,” said Maple Shade resident Robin Webb. “David did a great job. He was really under the gun with everything and it turned out well.”

Dan Gaffney, a former principal at Howard R. Yocum Elementary School, who works at the Inglesby-Givnish Funeral Home on Main Street, was proud to see the project come to fruition.

“Maple Shade is a wonderful community filled with great people,” he said. “The hard work of David and his fellow scouts of Troop 28 exemplifies the qualities of the young people in Maple Shade.”

Next up for Smith, hopefully, is a move up in rank. He’ll find out after a review if he’s earned Eagle Scout honors.

On average, about 7 percent of all Boy Scouts earn the Eagle Scout rank.

Smith’s uncle Bob Jonas was an Eagle Scout and a cousin Brian Jonas recently completed his Eagle Project and has been approved to receive the rank of Eagle.

“It already feels good,” Smith said of completing the project. “People stop, they say ‘Wow it looks great. It’s really nice.’ It started last year, and it’s carried through.”

Celeste E. Whittaker; 856-486-2437; cwhittaker@gannettnj.com