Faulty Crossing in Newfoundland?

Hey everyone, just thought I might relate something strange about the grade crossing on Green Pond Rd (just south of the Newfoundland "station"). I was driving this past sunday towards the crossing when I came up to 5-6 cars that were stopped for the closed gates. After about a minute, the gates went up without any train coming. Just as I was about to cross the tracks, the gates went down and stayed down for about 1 minute, when they went up again. I looked both ways when I was crossing and didn't see a train in either direction. Anyone know what may have caused this? A faulty circuit, or something less serious?

i noticed the samething about a month ago. Didn't have time to stop and report it.

I will tell you from my first hand experience that some strange things happen up in NewFoundland. I was watching trains there one day and my scanner went crazy. I have never had it go crazy for any other reason except by the crossing their on Green Pond Road. There may have been a fatality there a long time ago. I don't know...

Speaking of Newfoundland, "The Station Agent" was broadcast last night on the IFC network. Terrific movie - I love the train chasing scene (trailing unit 4004 is now a P&W unit, I think) and the foamer's babbling commentary about the Canadian steam fan trip (wasn't he too young to have shot that '60s footage?).

Anyway...here's a question: where is the bridge where Fin watches the M&E local cross? Is that anywhere near Newfoundland? Also, where is the abandoned through truss bridge that the Joe, Fin, and Olivia cross when "walking the right of way?"

Please report any such incidents to NYSW dispatch if possible. The number should be available on the offical NYSW website.
You could also contact local police, since this is a traffic related thing.
Occasionally vandals with a little know-how have been known to trigger RR crossings.

johnpbarlow wrote:Speaking of Newfoundland, "The Station Agent" was broadcast last night on the IFC network. Terrific movie - I love the train chasing scene (trailing unit 4004 is now a P&W unit, I think) and the foamer's babbling commentary about the Canadian steam fan trip (wasn't he too young to have shot that '60s footage?).

Anyway...here's a question: where is the bridge where Fin watches the M&E local cross? Is that anywhere near Newfoundland? Also, where is the abandoned through truss bridge that the Joe, Fin, and Olivia cross when "walking the right of way?"

That would be the Rockaway River bridge on the old W&N, now M&E's D&R branch. The abandonded truss Bridge I believe is the old DL&W main that crosses the Delaware river.

i 've seen the one of the crossings here in homer stay down a while after the train had came and gone

johnpbarlow wrote: Also, where is the abandoned through truss bridge that the Joe, Fin, and Olivia cross when "walking the right of way?"

I believe the abandoned bridge you are talking about is the "Old Main" bridge of the DL&W that crosses the Delaware River at Delaware, New Jersey.That bridge is occasionally used to back up trains from the Portland power plant in Portland Pa.

The house is currently a private residence. I happened to be there when someone was there, and they were nice enough to let me poke around.

-otto-

The Rockaway River bridge is in Rockaway Borough, not to be confused with Rockaway Township which is just little bit further up the track.
The bridge is on the CNJ's Hibernia Mine Railroad, not the Dover and Rockaway, though Conrail and the M&E call it that.
The D&R was built to connect the CNJ to the HMRR from the station (and DL&W interchange) on Franklin Ave, west to Mt. Hope Jct. in Wharton.

CF