Closter northern branch observations...

Come to think of it, all these old stories reminds me that I know someone who used to run the closter feed store, and he got rail service. So I asked one of my uncles about it, and he told me that as a teenager, he would go and help unload the rail cars, and that the inside of those boxcars were like... well over 100 degrees, almost like 125 degrees. He remembers really sweating up a storm helping to unload those cars during the hot summer.

I was in demerast working today, and heard the nothern branch local, going up to cove distributers today. Heard the horns around 1:45 pm and heard them again about 3 pm. So they must've made a quick delivery and then it was back down the line. Thought they might come down earlier, but I guess they service the oil place in the morning since they get service 5 days a week.

figures im on vacation and they go thru demarest.

airman00 wrote:Come to think of it, all these old stories reminds me that I know someone who used to run the closter feed store, and he got rail service. So I asked one of my uncles about it, and he told me that as a teenager, he would go and help unload the rail cars, and that the inside of those boxcars were like... well over 100 degrees, almost like 125 degrees. He remembers really sweating up a storm helping to unload those cars during the hot summer.

Small world. I worked for Mr Walsh at Closter feed in the 1960's. We unloaded 40' box cars of feed, and peat moss on to his truck
at the closter team track. I was young and the heat didn;t bother me. I was having too much fun working on a train car.

And thanks to both of you for the memories... I might have been at Patsy's Barber Shop watching you both... but a bit too young to be working beside you...

Rich

Neat!!

I grew up in Cresskill. I'll see if I can dig up some early Conrail pictures I took in the late 70's.

Heres one taken from the CHS bleachers

Great picture...thanks!

airman00 wrote:I happened to pass along the northern branch today, in northvale, during my travels while at work. Anyhow, looked down the rails as we passed over a crossing, and saw one boxcar on a siding. (the ace hardware siding?) If not ace hardware then some other business. And a thought occured to me, that thank goodness for that one last customer up north here, or say from englewood up to the new york border the northern branch line would be "dead". I've seen a string of tanker cars around englewood, and I know there is an oil company that get's service.

Anyhow just a thought. especially thinking about the fact that the northern branch light rail idea seems to be stuck in neutral, right now the north end of line's whole fate rests on one customer who incidentally only gets like one boxcar every 2-3 weeks.

Anybody else with any thoughts on this?

I believe that Admiration Foods is in that area, and still receives cars, and I believe those tankers are food oils.

airman00 wrote:I was in demerast working today, and heard the nothern branch local, going up to cove distributers today. Heard the horns around 1:45 pm and heard them again about 3 pm. So they must've made a quick delivery and then it was back down the line. Thought they might come down earlier, but I guess they service the oil place in the morning since they get service 5 days a week.

The local still goes under the old school designation as "Five-One", as in its old call NB51, but as far as CSX goes, it has an official designation as C777.

been very very tricky to get this train? i heard c777 last week and scanner but could not find it. Off for 2 more days and hopefully i'll get it one of these days.

Almost had the 777 today. They were shuffling out empty tanks and putting in new tankers for the oil company. I dind't see any other cars other then tankers. Plus they were using a SD40-2. Haven't seen one of those on the line in a long time. Been mostly gp38's. I believe the number was 8444.

chatter on the scanner indicates they may....may go beyond englewood tomorrow.

About what time? I might be in closter tomorrow, maybe in my work travels I might see the train.

airman00 wrote:About what time? I might be in closter tomorrow, maybe in my work travels I might see the train.

I wouldn't count on them going to Closter tomorrow. If they were to go to Closter, most likely it would be on a Tuesday. They usually get to Englewood between 8:30 and 9:00 AM. I didn't see them today, but yesterday they had the 8447.