NJT one-day rail trip

Fellow Railfans, I wanted to know, What good trips can can I go on for one day that involves riding NJT rails, buses, and the light rail systems (NCS, HBLR, or River Line)?

Discussion of buses is usually excluded from here; and there's a separate forum for light rail.

BTW, I personally suggest the Weekend Pass, as it's called now, still called by its old name "Special Excursion Pass". Some details are on the Fare Options page on NJT's web site. For one day, you can have unlimited travel all over NJT's commuter rail system, excluding the Metro-North segment (but you can go up to Suffern). Costs a lot more than Metra's weekend pass (Chicago) unfortunately; the Metra ticket is far more reasonable at circa $5.

Two lines (Montclair/Boonton & Pascack Valley) do not run on weekends. All others run on weekends.

Riding the a train to Gladstone might be cool. On weekends, all the trains are in the yard. Have fun deciding!

Try making Gladstone the last part of your trip. While you're there, make sure you capture the atmosphere and visit the 'family-restaurant' / bar 5 minutes down the street. It's a moment to remember after a good dinner, and when you're ready to take the 8:56p or so train back home with five people. Well of course the train fills up as it goes east.

BTW, the Gladstone is probably the only line where the conductor can give the two to go while the train is still moving because no one is on the platform and he knows where the five passengers are going.

Happy railfanning!

F40 wrote:Try making Gladstone the last part of your trip. While you're there, make sure you capture the atmosphere and visit the 'family-restaurant' / bar 5 minutes down the street. It's a moment to remember after a good dinner, and when you're ready to take the 8:56p or so train back home with five people. Well of course the train fills up as it goes east.

BTW, the Gladstone is probably the only line where the conductor can give the two to go while the train is still moving because no one is on the platform and he knows where the five passengers are going.

Happy railfanning!

Yeah I've seen that. It happens usually out west but can happen on eastbound trains early in the morning as well. Pretty funny.

Oh yeah, one great place that I love to go to on the Gladstone is the Millington High Bridge. It is a about a 10 minute walk from the station- but it might take a little longer as I am a quick walker. I have yet to get a good photo there unfortunately though as in all of my shots, the train comes out a little bit blurry due to the speed. I need to get a camera with a zoom function. Anyway, it is a great spot. DO NOT though try trudging through the Great Swamp to get a shot of the train in the swamp. I tried to do that tonight at Gillette Station. It would have been a hell of a lot easier to walk along the tracks- but that is not may way. Sooooo, I leaped off the road into the bushes that lie below and jumped over many a stream and through many a brush. It is quite breathtaking to behold but unless you bring your portable foorbridge and boat and waist high boots, you're not going to get nearly close enough to the railroad as you want. After doging through many streams and green gunk and muddied swamps, I was seperated from the clearing where the RR tracks are by one big little river lake swamp thing. The only thing I got was a few measly far away shots as well as many scratches from those prickly bushes and muddied up pants and soaked shoes. But it was fun. Just thought I'd warn you if you are as crazy as me. :D The only thing I didn't get was poison ivy- at least I hope I didn't get poison Ivy.

If the trainman works the same train for a long time on any line, he will know where people are going in his cars. I can still, on 2 of my trains, which I have been on on and off for almost three years, know where the people are going and often times I check their monthlies once a month, because I know them, their names and their destination!!!!

But gladstone is a line like nothing else!

Jtgshu wrote:But gladstone is a line like nothing else!

Yep, it sure is. I remember you telling me that you worked on the Hoboken side for one week Jt. Did that include the Gladstone Branch?

yea, I was out there for a couple of days - I had to keep checking the side of the train that the platform was on!!!!!

I also sat in Millington for almost an hour counting the wildlife on a layover, and backed my first train up into Gladstone (HappyRock) from the yard - under the watchful eye of a mentor of course!!!!

Jtgshu wrote:yea, I was out there for a couple of days - I had to keep checking the side of the train that the platform was on!!!!!

I also sat in Millington for almost an hour counting the wildlife on a layover, and backed my first train up into Gladstone (HappyRock) from the yard - under the watchful eye of a mentor of course!!!!

The great thing about rush hour is it doesn't matter which side the platform is! They leave the doors open and people get off on both sides. Not a practice people approve of but something that does happen sometimes on some trains. Ahh good old Millington. Counting the wildlife. Damn, you must have been bored. I've been stuck there for a few hours waiting for a train back to Berkeley Heights during rush hour and I know how boring it can get! But it is a great area. With a little luck, I'll be there tommorow morn before work to catch the early morning traffic. Hoping to catch cab 5031 tommorw. (6:30- UGH!)

Nick,

Speaking of Millington, do you know if they installed the concrete ties there yet?? I remember a few months back they were waiting to be installed....

Steve

njt4172 wrote:Nick,

Speaking of Millington, do you know if they installed the concrete ties there yet?? I remember a few months back they were waiting to be installed....

Steve

No, they're still there. They've been there for quite a while. The same thing is true at Gillete. They've had the ties there since at least February and was there last night and they still haven't been done.