Freight operations on NEC

How often is NEC's section between Trenton and Deans used for freight operations? I know that trains serve a couple of customers in Deans and go north/eastbound thru New Brunswick. Being a few miles away from NEC and Princeton Junction, I sometimes hear the horns of Amtrak and NJ Transit trains approaching Princeton Junction, and as a frequent train rider, I can usually distinguish NJT and AMT horn sounds.

What confuses me, and the reason I am starting this thread, is the louder (diesel engines?) and longer and different horn sounds I have occasionally been hearing at night, usually around 11 pm. My guesses would be either Amtrak's GP38s that go between Adams Yard in North Brunswick and Morrisville PA or some freight operations that I am unaware of. The only other active tracks are in Dayton, and I know that the customers are served during the day, and it's a little too far for me to hear horns from there.

I know that there aren't freight customers in NJ south of Deans, so are there freight trains passing using NEC tracks to pass through? I remember seeing non-passenger cars when I was driving under the NEC on Nottingham Way in the late evening back in 2020 (here: https://goo.gl/maps/FsoLGtJiVrAUuj9D9), but I couldn't pay too much attention, so I am not sure if it was a freight train or Amtrak hopper cars.

The only freight you'd see on the NEC at night is the Oak Island Metuchen job. A CR local may work at night if the day crew outlaws and needs a recrew. There's AMTK & NJT deadhead extra moves that run on the NEC at night. AMTK's doing a lot of night track work for high speed projects. Those cars at Trenton I see all the time. They're stone cars for these projects.

Does anything from Conrail at Morrisville yard make it up as far as Monmouth Junction? Similarly are there any transfers on the NEC from Morrisville to Oak Island or vice versa? I doubt it but thought I would ask.
JS

No

Once in a blue moon, Conrail will run the Browns transfer to Monmouth Junction or NS/CSX will divert a train that way. Such trains are extremely rare and only run if absolutely necessary.

In the early 2000s NS ran an intermodal test train along the NEC from North Jersey to Atlanta. Not sure why they stopped doing that.

I asked a similar question at this thread which provides some additional information. monmouth-junction-question-t173397.html
BTW did you guys hear that the old caboose on ME-2 was repainted in Conrail blue!

That's right the caboose is being repainted. Last I'd heard, the group's trying to get some CR stencils for it.

Back to the NEC freight, I hadn't run out their since before the split but there’s a freight that comes out of Morrisville to work in Trenton. I think there may be a job that occasionally works nights to get onto the light rail but I'll have to ask my south Jersey guys.

CR stencils are already on the caboose...
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/832262/
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/832331/

Good to see they got them. I've not work an ME job lately to see it completed.

planespotting wrote: ↑Thu May 25, 2023 8:50 am CR stencils are already on the caboose...
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/832262/
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/832331/

Wow that looks sharp!

Some of my pictures

A very enthusiastic railfan was also hitching a ride LMAO

That really looks sharp! I’m glad they kept it blue instead of red like the bay window that was repainted after the CR split years ago. Nice pictures.

The red caboose was painted red for the santa claus train back when we were still running it. It was CR then painted for CSX then red. They were gonna use it fir the ballast loading at OI that's been going on but it required an extra move sooo it's still sitting where it's been sitting.

The red caboose was used on the 2023 Santa train.

What was the deal with those trains NS was testing out on the corridor back in the day between Newark and Atlanta? I’d post a video but damn phone is giving me hell again.

What NS trains are you talking about? The auto train? The NS used to run an auto train from OI stopping in Linden and Metuchen. They'd continued down the corridor to around Philly then headed West off the corridor.