Bel-Del Discussion Thread - 2009

[NYS&W142Fan]

I've been on the section of this line before where it goes along the Delaware river. There is another section North that is abandoned . It started where it paralleled Rt 46 near Butzville and headed east-west but I'm not sure that this was part of this line. The line I am talking about probably was abandoned in the 1980's but was it part of the Bel Del line?

The Bel Del came up through Belvidere and joined the DL&W Old Main at Manuka Chunk. You can still see parts of the RoW along the right side of Rt46 after passing Belvidere where it hugged the hill. In Butzville there were two lines that paralleled Rt 46. There was the DL&W Old Main, (the higher line) and the L&HR. The DL&W crossed the L&HR and Rt 46 few hundred feet east of where Rt 31 and 46 meet. You can still see the bridges over the L&HR and Pequest River. The line you are talking about is more than likly the L&HR as that was abandoned in the early 80's. There are several threads in this forum about the L&HR. I hope this helps.

[JRWarrick]

The PRR went further north from Belvidere and followed RT 46 to the west poral of the DL&W Manunka Chunk twin tunnels. The DLW then headed north to Columbia where it crossed over to the Pennsy side. The bridge is still over the Delaware River and the power generating station uses it as a leg of a wye, I believe. The line that runs eastward along RT 46 thru Buttzville is the former L&HR. It diverged from the Bel-Del on the south side of Belvidere at G Tower. It is interesting to note that G Tower opened on May 10, 1906. G Tower suffer being stuck by a few trains over the years and I don't know when it was finally razed.

[njmidland]

The PRR went further north from Belvidere and followed RT 46 to the west poral of the DL&W Manunka Chunk twin tunnels. The DLW then headed north to Columbia where it crossed over to the Pennsy side. The bridge is still over the Delaware River and the power generating station uses it as a leg of a wye, I believe.

Just a minor point but the DL&W "Old Road" crosses the Delaware River at the small village of Delaware, NJ, not Columbia which is another 2 or so miles up the river. The original Blairstown Railway (later the NYS&W's Delaware Branch) connected to the DL&W at Delaware. Very little, if anything of this line remain today - in fact the DL&W itself has been pretty much wiped out in Delaware. The track on the Jersey side survived well into the 1980's and ended just east of town. In fact into the late 1970's El/CR would store covered hoppers for ConAgra almost to the end of track.

Columbia did have two railroads - the NYS&W went through town on its way to the Delaware Water Gap and the Lehigh & New England came across town on a bridge from Portland, PA - the piers on each side are still intact and you can still make out where the right of way was on both sides of I-80.

[NYS&W142Fan]

Well the Great Pumpkin Trains are up and running on the BelDel. Every child that rides the Train gets a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. The 142 will be pulling the trains. The Pumpkin Train, Mine Train and the Corn Maze run Satrudays and Sundays through Nov 1st. Tickets are available online at http://WWW.877trainride.com

[chuchubob]

SD9m BDRV 9581 has been working on the Winchester & Western South Jersey Division out of Bridgeton for a year since its rebuilding by WW. It is reportedly being transferred to WW's Virginia operation. 9581 was on NS 39G at Cove Road, Pennsauken, at 9 AM Thursday. 9581 was shut down; the NS GE's were idling. The crew was not on board at 9 AM.

[CJPat]

9581 is a niiiice looking engine!

[chuchubob]

I returned to Cove Road at 11 AM and found 9581 and the 39G power in the sunshine.
northbound River LINE
39G departed at 11:20 while Bob R got some photos.

[tracker]

JRW. Speaking of G tower, I found this in the attic last year. Mark found it in the bushes. Jim.

[limejuice]

That looks like a grade signal marker:

http://www.carrtracks.com/cateh373sf5043.htm

[NYS&W142Fan]

Only two more weekends till the end of the Regular Season on the Bel Del. Any kids riding the train get a free pumpkin from the Pumpkin Patch. And the patch is a real good place to take some pics of the 142. We will then take the next 3 weekends getting ready for the Polar Express train rides. The Polar Express tickets are selling fast, so if you are planning on going or want to check it out, don't wait and order your tickets now at http://www.877trainride.com

[JRWarrick]

JRW. Speaking of G tower, I found this in the attic last year. Mark found it in the bushes. Jim.

Jim, Thank you very much. I wish I had seen that when we were shooting the video for the Bel-Del Program many years ago. It is intersting what one might find hidden in nearby weeds. One day, I located a dozen blue glass lenses that had been burried near an abandoned DLW tower and then washed out by erosion. The top lens was peaking thru the soil so I brushed it off and found more below it, all neatly stacked. They are now in a museum.

[NYS&W142Fan]

This is the Final weekend for Steam on the BelDel. You still have a chance to get some good picturs of the 142 now that the leaves are mostly down now. Then she will go into the shop for maintennance. If you want to get involved, get your hands dirty and learn how to work on a Steam Engine, join up and come learn. We are always ready and willing to teach you.

The next big thing will be the Polar Express Trains running for four weekends starting Thanksgiving weekend.

[NYS&W142Fan]

For those who didn't see it or didn't know,

The Warren County Tourism Award went to “A Day Out with Thomas,” sponsored by Delaware River Railroad Excursions and New York Susquehanna & Western Technical & Historical Society.

This is the second award received since the operation stared in Phillipsburg.

[NYS&W142Fan]

The next big thing on the Bel Del are the Polar Express trains starting Thanksgiving Weekend. Tickets are selling fast. We will be taking the next two weekends getting the train ready. Anyone out there looking to get involved, now is the time. Once the Polar trains are done, the work begins. We will be working on the 142, her tender and the Coaches. So help is always needed.

[Donko142]

Saved from the scrapers torch !!

Last week a small group started at the power plant around 9am, got some clean up done for a day that was suppose to be over by lunch. Once we got going on the track project my team of friends wouldn't stop.

The problem was 42 inches on rail that was torch out years ago land locking my locomotive to an area not acessable by the 100 ton crane do to power lines. It had to be moved to a different area, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS IT SOUNDS !!!!!!! The ties are all in poor shape and if the loco derails it would go down a 3 foot hill and roll into a couple million dollar cooling tower 25 feet to the left of the old track.

But we put the track and safety gauge rods and ties in ourselves, after digging, jacking and truly almost making a mess in my pants, the 1941 GE 45 ton side rod loco slowly powered by the cooling towers in the plant for the last time. After serving JCP&L since new (1941) it was purchased by myself in early 2008. Yes it looks like crap but approx 15K was been spent in the last year rebuilding from the inside out. ( it's solid, rust is from a poor paint job don't let that give you an opinion ) The motors were rebuilt by Cummings years ago for service she never saw. ( 1 has fallen victim to some water damage )

After the insurance and needed paperwork is in order she will be moved to the Bear shop for a rebuilt. By spring she will be on lease to the NYSWTHS and asigned to the Bear shop for switching, plus other work train duties.

It's my hope that this piece of NJ railroad history will continue the serve on the Bel-Del line, just like she was doing since the day she was delivered new to the line, May 28th 1941.

This is another example of team effort on this line, I have had a ton of help from people only charging me for pizza and drinks. I'm involved on a few railroads with alot of great people, most ( like everyone ) are feeling the economy. On the Bel Del I'm glad to see ( not including the Thomas event ) ridership was up again for the 2009 regular season.

Like always looking for more volunteers, ROW clean up, steam loco work, brush cutting, coach work, train service, and Now we can add "fix cool old GE diesels" to the list. It's all here something for everyone. Looking for more track south AGAIN this spring. Every year better and better !

Enjoy the holiday season and like always
Be Safe.

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