Official Black River Railroad Historic Trust Thread

MShea wrote:Clearing of brush south of Ringoes is continuing at a slow but steady pace. Overall, we are pleasantly surprised with the condition of the track underneath all the brush.

More news coming later this year...

Once you are past Boss Rd, no more grade crossings to Rte 29, no? (although there are 3? bridges along that stretch..)
I wonder why PRR (or whoever actually built the line) spent the $$ to put in bridges in such a rural area, as opposed to grade crossings...
I doubt there was ever much traffic on that line.
JS

Steve F45 wrote:What happened to 436 that it's not operable anymore?

Direct that question to its previous lease holder.........

NYS&W142Fan wrote:I see you are putting a lot of work cutting brush going South which is good, however, I would think you might put some effort going North out of Ringoes first. I was on a trip to Three Bridges a few weeks back and the branches were trying to get in the car with us. Just a thought.

Its noted, however for the amount of time we (BRRHT) run between Flemington and Three Bridges, its not something we're going to put our resources into when its not our responsibility to maintain that section of track.

wolfboy8171981 wrote:

NYS&W142Fan wrote:I see you are putting a lot of work cutting brush going South which is good, however, I would think you might put some effort going North out of Ringoes first. I was on a trip to Three Bridges a few weeks back and the branches were trying to get in the car with us. Just a thought.

Its noted, however for the amount of time we (BRRHT) run between Flemington and Three Bridges, its not something we're going to put our resources into when its not our responsibility to maintain that section of track.

But you do run passenger and caboose hops. Who is responsible if someone gets hurt on one of your excursions, it would be the operator. I would think a little brush cutting would be cheaper than someone getting hurt. Just a thought.

NYS&W142Fan wrote:

wolfboy8171981 wrote:

NYS&W142Fan wrote:I see you are putting a lot of work cutting brush going South which is good, however, I would think you might put some effort going North out of Ringoes first. I was on a trip to Three Bridges a few weeks back and the branches were trying to get in the car with us. Just a thought.

Its noted, however for the amount of time we (BRRHT) run between Flemington and Three Bridges, its not something we're going to put our resources into when its not our responsibility to maintain that section of track.

But you do run passenger and caboose hops. Who is responsible if someone gets hurt on one of your excursions, it would be the operator. I would think a little brush cutting would be cheaper than someone getting hurt. Just a thought.

Its noted, if you want to continue the argument send me a PM. We're aware of the conditions.

MShea wrote:The Erie switcher #436 was found to be in worse condition than originally thought by the URHS and BRRHT. For this reason it will be returned to URHS in the near future in its current (inoperable) condition.

The BRRHT will instead be taking ownership of former URHS #438, which is in transit to us as we speak. This is the unit that was on lease to SMS.

For those of you unfamiliar with these locomotives, they are both SW9's and you can find additional information here: http://urhs.org/blog/urhs-equipment-roster/#erie436

BTW, any of you looking for the full scoop on the Alexauken Division, consider joining the Trust and attending our November 1 membership meeting (8:30 AM at Ringoes Station)!

Thank you for the update on the Erie switcher. That is unfortunate. Personally, I like the simple paint scheme and would've loved to see it running.

NYS&W142Fan wrote:

wolfboy8171981 wrote:

NYS&W142Fan wrote:I see you are putting a lot of work cutting brush going South which is good, however, I would think you might put some effort going North out of Ringoes first. I was on a trip to Three Bridges a few weeks back and the branches were trying to get in the car with us. Just a thought.

Its noted, however for the amount of time we (BRRHT) run between Flemington and Three Bridges, its not something we're going to put our resources into when its not our responsibility to maintain that section of track.

But you do run passenger and caboose hops. Who is responsible if someone gets hurt on one of your excursions, it would be the operator. I would think a little brush cutting would be cheaper than someone getting hurt. Just a thought.

If you keep your head, camera, and body on the inside of the car, the brush is not an issue. Just follow the rules.

Both the railroad and the BRRHT have traditionally cut brush to the north. The BRRHT has sent a work train or party north many times over the past few years and yes there are branches and brush that need scaling back on the north end. The freight crew also removes pesky branches that try to join you in the cab from time to time as we go.

So, while I am a proponent of getting back to Lambertville, I did not want to steam both feet forward into the project. Why? Because there are a lot of things that need to be done on the revenue generating core segment. There is a lot that needs to be done (or completed) to coaches, facilities, and row of the groups main core operation. So while some focus should be spent on the south end, focus cannot be lost on the main part of the operation.

When all said and done we have volunteers who like to work trains, volunteers who like to work restoration, volunteers who have various skills, and arm chair internet users. But we have a small dedicated group of individuals who come out and get dirty to get things done, and we are greatful for them. We need to expand our manpower resources to get all the work done so.....
The BRRHT could always use more volunteers and help to complete its endeavors. Please come out and join us. Meetings are the 1st Saturday of every month, as previously mentioned

On a positive note for the BRRHT, the post-Thanksgiving steam-powered North Pole Express trains (2:00 & 4:30) are all sold out. My parents had asked about tickets to take my daughter but I had to tell them the news. So that is great for the BRRHT.

The North Pole Express is completely sold out for 2014. A decent number of tickets remain available for all Candy Cane Limited departures, but they're selling fast. Although we advertised the Candy Cane Limited and Black Friday North Pole Express trains as diesel powered, this week we decided to run ALL our 2014 Christmas trains with steam! That means BR&W will be running steam all the way through the last weekend prior to Christmas - a great opportunity to come see steam in the cold / snow. If you've never seen steam in the snow, let me tell you, it's a sight to behold. Don't miss it!

Alexauken Division update - it is true that a few weeks ago we repaired the first bridge south of Ringoes Yard, enabling our MoW crew to cross Bowne Station Road. Our work on the AD has progressed better than we could have anticipated this year. We've cleared just about 2 miles of railroad and even installed some new ties and regulated a bit. On top of that, we're forging partnerships with community organizations and making friends with our "new" neighbors. We will be releasing more details, formal announcements, press releases, etc during January 2015, and I promise you will be extremely surprised (and pleased) with our plans for this exciting project. Mark down the evening of Friday, May 22, 2015 on your calendar and save the date.

For now, please resist the urge to feed the rumor mill. Misinformation that finds its way to the wrong people leaves the BRRHT (and specifically, ME) in the position of having to explain it away when we meet with officials and neighbors. The current BRRHT President, Vice President and I should be considered your ONLY reliable source of information on this project.

In the high resolution topo maps at http://mapper.acme.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
the section between Ringoes and Flemington is labelled as "Erie Lackawanna," strangely enough. ( I don't know the date of the map, but from Flemington to Somerville it is labelled Central RR of NJ (as expected) and from Ringoes to Lambertville it is labeled Black River & Western. )
Is that a map error or was there a funny quirk in history of the line and its transition from PRR to the current era.
JS

At long last, the BRRHT is officially announcing our project to rehabilitate the Alexauken Division. A press release will be distributed within the next couple days, and you can now visit our website http://www.blackriverrailroad.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and find information, photos, and more about the project.

This project is very near and dear to my heart, as I've been orchestrating it behind the scenes for a few years now - I'm excited to finally be able to share this with you. I hope you will consider joining the BRRHT to participate in this work, or donate to the cause through our website.

And did I mention - 2015 will mark BR&W's 50th anniversary!

So here's what's happening!
1) BRRHT's newly formed MoW Crew has been working since May 2014 with the goal of clearing the two miles of railroad from Ringoes to Bowne Station. Mission accomplished.
2) In November we repaired the railroad bridge crossing Bowne Station Road.
3) On December 21 our MoW crew (with LV SW-1 #112) became the first train movement across Bowne Station Road since 2003.
4) We are now raising funds and support, with the goal of operating our first trains over this portion of the railroad during our 2016 season. Visit our website to donate now!
5) This initial 2 mile segment will be used to extend the length of our normal "Summer Excursion" trains, add features to other special events, offer new charter packages, and offer new special trains in partnership with local neighbors / businesses (very exciting stuff in the works here).
6) Our ultimate goal is to rehabilitate the entire line, however, we already have a railroad to run, and so we are breaking this project up into reasonable chunks that will allow us to move it forward without over-burdening our limited resources. Do not ask us when you can expect to see #60 charging across Route 29. We don't know (but it will be awesome one day).
7) We will not only be fixing track. We will be improving the overall appearance of the AD property, including fixing / painting mileposts, and even reconstructing authentic PRR branchline shelters that used to exist along the line! (No, I don't know how many or where they'll be yet). Once we get this right, expect to see more of this type of activity on the rest of the BR&W.

A couple items that are NOT happening:
1) Freight south of Ringoes anytime in the foreseeable future.
2) Phasing out of any Flemington - Ringoes operations. This year was a banner year for our Flemington - Ringoes operation and we will continue devoting the majority of our efforts, time, and resources towards maintaining and growing this operation. It's not going away.

Let me just head off some of the obvious questions...
1) Yes, the AD track is in rough shape. However, there are substantial stretches of track that are in very good condition and actually just about meet Class I as-is.
2) We tentatively plan to rehabilitate to FRA Class II standards. Do not interpret that statement as being tied to expected track speeds in any way. This is all subject to change.
3) We have already begun installing ties. Over 50 went in this summer, and we have many more stacked on our flatcar waiting to be installed. More are on the way.
4) We have already contacted many key people and begun building substantial community and political support. It's going well.
5) While contractors will be called in to perform some key tasks on this project, the vast majority of work will be completed by our volunteer MoW Crew.
6) This project does not in any way detract from work to improve track conditions on the in-service BR&W. The BR&W has many irons in the fire right now working on their track. The Alexauken Division will be different, as the BRRHT has the full responsibility for track work...along with additional financial autonomy when we begin using the track.

So how's that for a nice way to end the year?! This year our crew cleared 2 miles of track all whilst we kept the steam engine running (and offered up New Jersey's only steam-powered Christmas trains), painted Ringoes Station, continued work on CNJ coach #1009 (to debut in Spring 2015), acquired our first locomotive, introduced new special events, and much more.

Visit our website for lots more pictures and to donate now! http://www.blackriverrailroad.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's great news guys !!!!! Good luck, what you guys have done so far looks great and I know how much work that was. I hi railed the whole line with Rod in 2003 or 4, real nice down there. Keep up the great work in 2015 !

Be safe.
DC

Yes, great news on your progress. As well as the successful Santa trains (Candy Cane Limited and the North Pole Express). I rode the train on December 6th and we got a lot of rain that day. The weather didn't damper anyone's spirits.

Here are a couple of photos from that day.

1. The engine running around the coaches: http://octrainguy.rrpicturearchives.net ... id=4078959
2. The North Pole Express leaving Flemington: http://octrainguy.rrpicturearchives.net ... id=4078961
3. The Erie caboose festively decorated: http://octrainguy.rrpicturearchives.net ... id=4078964

Have a Happy New Year!

I was wondering with the former bemis plant being sold if the new owners are going to be shipping by rail. It would be great to see more freight on the line. Been going on passenger trips since the late eighties and can remember visiting my grandfather at work at neice lumber and you guys bringing in cars. This year my son got his first train ride on the pumpkin junction train and again on the candy cane train. Looking forward to the upcoming season.keep up the good work.