Metuchen Yard Operations and Vicinity

3 units my mistake. The side street where Amtrak parks track equipment so looking up the bank it looked like 2.

A nice little neighborhood on that side of the tracks but your right, between the flat spots and the joints of the turnout its hard to belive your on the corridor.

I hear ya...honestly at points,the NJCL is way more a cadillac like ride..lol

TBRED wrote:I hear ya...honestly at points,the NJCL is way more a cadillac like ride..lol

Amen to that!!!

Jtgshu wrote:

TBRED wrote:I hear ya...honestly at points,the NJCL is way more a cadillac like ride..lol

Amen to that!!!

Huh, the corridor seems smooth from where I'm running from

LOL..Thats cause the rat ride gets the rat track in our case!....

So, to resurrect a thread about something that needs resurrecting, Metuchen is pretty light these days. I have seen the (one?) remaining NEC local (ME2?) randomly in the past through the past few months hauling relatively few cars back and forth usually with the caboose. As best as I can tell, the Delco is totally dead at County... and the Millstone Branch has no more Herrmann warehouse service at either end of the branch. Not sure about the others....

Saw last Monday a westbound freight movement on the NEC.... seemed like it was going to Deans.

Anyone hear anything else about Metuchen?

nick11a wrote: ......Anyone hear anything else about Metuchen?

Its a nice place to live

wolfboy8171981 wrote:

nick11a wrote: ......Anyone hear anything else about Metuchen?

Its a nice place to live

Har har. Yup, that it is. Well, I scoped around today, from the best I can tell, there is only one customer left on the Millstone Branch; Colgage Paper Recycling (on an industrial spur off of the Millstone.) That seems to be the only customer left at County.

A far cry from a few years ago.

nick11a wrote:

wolfboy8171981 wrote:

nick11a wrote: ......Anyone hear anything else about Metuchen?

Its a nice place to live

Har har. Yup, that it is. Well, I scoped around today, from the best I can tell, there is only one customer left on the Millstone Branch; Colgage Paper Recycling (on an industrial spur off of the Millstone.) That seems to be the only customer left at County.

A far cry from a few years ago.

A far cry and sad indeed. I believe ME-2 is the only train left myself, as its the only one I ever hear on my scanner or see go by. Not sure if National Can is still served but, General Tire is still served, and I don't know what industries are served down at County (or at Deans), but I also believe the Delco is dead, so I'll take your word for it Nick (not that I wouldn't to begin with!).

Usually see them head south through Highland Park anywhere between 4 and 8 in the afternoon every weekday, with usually about 3 to 5 covered hoppers, and 1 or 2 (what I assume are) woodchip type hoppers, and always the caboose, and returning to Metuchen I believe usually later at night. Is the Exxon plant in the Receiving Yard still served?

I am thankful that there is still at least the ME-2 freight, I remember the days of PIME (not sure if this is the right symbol, I've also heard it referred to as 14G though IIRC it was terminated before the CR split), which was a LONG auto train through Highland Park every weekday morning around 5AM. Hopefully Metuchen Yard will still be around for awhile, but for anyone looking to document it, I would get your shots sooner then later just to be safe.

Here is a video I took in February 2011:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-2jShmXR9M

Of course, my post is all railfan conjecture, if anyone thats in the position to do so could shed some light on the current situation at Metuchen Yard, it would be greatly appreciated.

That's consistent with what I have seen TAMR. It is weird that they go down in the afternoon when things pick up with passenger rail on the NEC. But they seem to squeeze them in fine.

Do you know which track you've seen them going down west on TAMR?

nick11a wrote:...Do you know which track you've seen them going down west on TAMR?

In the times that I've seen the train myself their always on Track 4, as they are leaving "General Tire lined and locked normal, and on the move west".

TAMR213 wrote:

nick11a wrote:...Do you know which track you've seen them going down west on TAMR?

In the times that I've seen the train myself their always on Track 4, as they are leaving "General Tire lined and locked normal, and on the move west".

OK, well, that makes sense. Take care of them then head west to County.

Heard ME-2 head south(west) around 4:30 this afternoon. Just heard CETC-8 give them permission up to the signal at County, to then wait for 2 to get by, and then start thier journey back to Metuchen Yard.

TAMR213 wrote:Heard ME-2 head south(west) around 4:30 this afternoon. Just heard CETC-8 give them permission up to the signal at County, to then wait for 2 to get by, and then start thier journey back to Metuchen Yard.

Coming back from Deans? Or coming up onto CETC-8's portion of the Millstone and waiting for the signal?

Oh, and it seems that they are letting ME-2 through County while Jersey Avenue Trains are arriving now that the freight is smaller. In the old days, once it hit around 6:00 PM, ME-2 would tie up for the night on their portion of the Millstone or on the Delco. Doesn't seem to be true anymore.

nick11a wrote:

TAMR213 wrote:Heard ME-2 head south(west) around 4:30 this afternoon. Just heard CETC-8 give them permission up to the signal at County, to then wait for 2 to get by, and then start thier journey back to Metuchen Yard.

Coming back from Deans? Or coming up onto CETC-8's portion of the Millstone and waiting for the signal?

Oh, and it seems that they are letting ME-2 through County while Jersey Avenue Trains are arriving now that the freight is smaller. In the old days, once it hit around 6:00 PM, ME-2 would tie up for the night on their portion of the Millstone or on the Delco. Doesn't seem to be true anymore.

Sorry, coming up to CETC-8's signal on the Millstone Branch.