Freight on the Pascack Valley Line

Just moved to New Jersey and am starting to feel my way around. In an earlier, now lost thread, there was info which stated the only freight customer on the Pascack line was Oradell Lumber, which is served on Saturdays. This morning (Thursday the 16th.) at about 10:30 I was at the Teterboro station site when a South bound freight came along. It was being shoved and was led by NJT caboose 905, with about 20 boxcars, pushed by what appeared to be a Conrail GP-15. The boxcars appear mostly to be in probable newsprint service, with a couple of auto parts cars. What gives?

Bill Root

There are a number of freight customers in the Hackensack area, including a Ford parts warehouse. The busiest customer west of Hackensack is Kuiken Brothers Lumber in Emerson. Beckerle Lumber in Spring Valley seems to get one or two cars a year.

The busiest customer west of Hackensack is Kuiken Brothers Lumber in Emerson.

As a Kuiken employee from what I know we get at least one to two cars a week sent to the Emerson location.....Since the Emerson yead is small and freight service is limited to certain times due to NJT they get the least amount of service out the the 3 yards that have rail sidings (Emerson, Midland Park, Warwick)......Midland Park (supplied by NYSW) is the busiest location for freight service b/c we get at least 2 freight cars every other day year round.......Warwick (supplied by NS) also gets a decent amount of freight cars but I'm not certain an exact amount since I never head up to that location.

I live in Rutherford, right next to the base of the Pascack and every now and then I'm down the Stappels along Rt. 17 waiting to bring my girlfriend home from work and I see small freights in both directions on all days. Sometimes on my way to school I meet up with one chugging its way north along Rt. 17.

The pascack has no heavy through-freight, but it is definatly a very active line for local freight.

That's true, but again, with the exception of the Emerson lumber customer, all this activity is below North Hack.

I was wondering the same thing. I returned from Ridgefield Park on several occasions and both times I've seen either A NS or Conrail unit sleeping there.

Ken

NJ Vike wrote:I was wondering the same thing. I returned from Ridgefield Park on several occasions and both times I've seen either A NS or Conrail unit sleeping there.

Ken

Ridgefeild Park is not on the Pascack Valley Line. RFP is on the CSX River Line. The units are sleeping by the NYSW intermodal yard. They are usually waiting to pull in or take out a train from the NYSW yard. (At least that what i've noticed from sitting there at the station).

sullivan1985 wrote:

NJ Vike wrote:I was wondering the same thing. I returned from Ridgefield Park on several occasions and both times I've seen either A NS or Conrail unit sleeping there.

Ken

Ridgefeild Park is not on the Pascack Valley Line. RFP is on the CSX River Line. The units are sleeping by the NYSW intermodal yard. They are usually waiting to pull in or take out a train from the NYSW yard. (At least that what i've noticed from sitting there at the station).

Sorry, I should've specified that after leaving Ridgefield park, I would stop by PV line and would see either a Conrail or NS engine parked there.

Ken

NJ Vike wrote:

sullivan1985 wrote:

NJ Vike wrote:I was wondering the same thing. I returned from Ridgefield Park on several occasions and both times I've seen either A NS or Conrail unit sleeping there.

Ken

Ridgefeild Park is not on the Pascack Valley Line. RFP is on the CSX River Line. The units are sleeping by the NYSW intermodal yard. They are usually waiting to pull in or take out a train from the NYSW yard. (At least that what i've noticed from sitting there at the station).

Sorry, I should've specified that after leaving Ridgefield park, I would stop by PV line and would see either a Conrail or NS engine parked there.

Ken

Are you talking about right after you get off Rt. 46 in Teterboro and there is one sitting on an old siding? Because I have seen an NS GP38 sitting there many times...

sullivan1985 wrote:

NJ Vike wrote:

sullivan1985 wrote:

NJ Vike wrote:I was wondering the same thing. I returned from Ridgefield Park on several occasions and both times I've seen either A NS or Conrail unit sleeping there.

Ken

Ridgefeild Park is not on the Pascack Valley Line. RFP is on the CSX River Line. The units are sleeping by the NYSW intermodal yard. They are usually waiting to pull in or take out a train from the NYSW yard. (At least that what I've noticed from sitting there at the station).

Sorry, I could've specified that after leaving Ridgefield park, I would stop by PV line and would see either a Conrail or NS engine parked there.

Ken

Are you talking about right after you get off Rt. 46 in Teterboro and there is one sitting on an old siding? Because I have seen an NS GP38 sitting there many times...

Yuppers. That's the place. I have yet to seen one leave from there. Usually, it's just parked without the engine running or completely shut down.

NJ Vike wrote:

sullivan1985 wrote:

NJ Vike wrote:

sullivan1985 wrote:

NJ Vike wrote:I was wondering the same thing. I returned from Ridgefield Park on several occasions and both times I've seen either A NS or Conrail unit sleeping there.

Ken

Ridgefeild Park is not on the Pascack Valley Line. RFP is on the CSX River Line. The units are sleeping by the NYSW intermodal yard. They are usually waiting to pull in or take out a train from the NYSW yard. (At least that what I've noticed from sitting there at the station).

Sorry, I could've specified that after leaving Ridgefield park, I would stop by PV line and would see either a Conrail or NS engine parked there.

Ken

Are you talking about right after you get off Rt. 46 in Teterboro and there is one sitting on an old siding? Because I have seen an NS GP38 sitting there many times...

Yuppers. That's the place. I have yet to seen one leave from there. Usually, it's just parked without the engine running or completely shut down.

-----------------------------

Back in Conrail days, that was a two tricks daily assignment. A morning crew would taxi out, work all day, and clock off in the late afternoon. A second crew would come out several days a week, finish up, haul the job down to Oak Island (I believe) and return the loco and fresh cars to the siding by I-80 for the morning crew.