Freight line in Bloomfield

Today I was in Bloomsfield on Bloomfield Ave where I noticed what appears to be an active freight line crossing the street, but it runs into NJT's Grove Street Station. There's a chainlink gate across the tracks, but it appears that the freight line is active. Does anyone know if the light rail is also used for freight or if there is some sort of interchange there? What the history of that rail line?

Chuck G.

CGRLCDR wrote:Today I was in Bloomsfield on Bloomfield Ave where I noticed what appears to be an active freight line crossing the street, but it runs into NJT's Grove Street Station. There's a chainlink gate across the tracks, but it appears that the freight line is active. Does anyone know if the light rail is also used for freight or if there is some sort of interchange there? What the history of that rail line?

Chuck G.

This was part of the NS H-02 that delivered to Hartz Mountain. It has been inactive for 2 years.
Here are some pictures I took of its last delivery:
http://www.97wwdj.com/Hartz.html

Thanks, john, nice photos. So did NS run on the light rail track?

CGRLCDR wrote:Thanks, john, nice photos. So did NS run on the light rail track?

Yes, go to the link below & click on Anthony Paci. He took lots of pictures of went NS used the light rail lines.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=946367

This is/was the Erie's Orange Branch. It branched off the NY&GL in the Forrest Lake section of Newark and it's western terminus was located in West Orange, NJ.

The last passenger service was in 1955. Freight was big at one time but it dwindled down to just Hartz Mountain which is now leaving to Ohio, I believe.

Here are some shots I took not too long ago:

http://forums.railfan.net/forums.cgi?bo ... 58;start=0

Nice pictures, but that is real sad another old rail line biting the dust. Freight customers in NJ are disappearing fast.

airman00 wrote:Nice pictures, but that is real sad another old rail line biting the dust. Freight customers in NJ are disappearing fast.

Truly sad to see a once busy line. WIth customers like Westinhouse, Hartz Mountain, Chevy or GM, Charms?

Ken -

Your photo tour is excellent. AIR, you and I discussed the route on-line just prior to you undertaking this effort.

Rgretably no pics but would like to add a brief personal story....

I think it was maybe 15-16 years ago Lincoln Park had a Saturday town festival centered around the train depot. Tri-State RHS participated/brought our then newly restored LACKAWANNA Baggage/RPO car #2038 via the Morristown & Erie which also brought the then newly restored/recreated URHS Lehigh Valley F7's, a couple coaches and maybe something else.

After this festival about 5ish the M&E re-assembled the train and off we went with the beautiful F units leading Eastbound down thru Montclair and the old Boonton Line to the Orange Branch spur. You should have seen the looks we got enroute at each grade crossing with this vintage consist !! Now this is where the story gets really cool....

We stopped/parked on the main and the 2 F's plus 1 coach cut off and pulled East of the OB switch. The 2 F's then reversed/pushed the coach ( slowly ) onto the OB and trundled down to just before reaching Bloomfield Ave. where the coach was unhitched and secured for display the next day for some sorta similar local festival. Back came the 2 F's light to the Boonton Line, reversed and re-hitched to the remaining consist on the main. We then continued Eastbound down to West End, took the wye over to the Morristown Line and went West - AT TRACK SPEED - express back to Morristown. We did get 1 brief red signal just East of Millburn to permit an MU revenue set to overtake us. Once we got the clear, those great F7's really cleared their throats hauling up-grade to Summit and beyond !

Now, I wonder if this was the first and only time perhaps that F7 diesels ever set foot on the Orange Branch....let alone ones painted in LV colors !! Again, lotsa folks turning their heads on the OB and later at nearly every Morristown Line station as we raced by doin 50-60 mph !

THAT was a fun day !

Glad you guys enjoyed the tour. I do have some pictures with steam running under the Arlington Avenue Bridge near Westinghouse before Westinghouse was there. I believe it was around 1922 when the land was still farm area.

In addition to that, I do have several pictures of diesel near Lewellan station in West Orange. Many of the pictures come via the series "The Next Station Will be" published by the Railrodians.

The Erie had a photographer, J.G. Bailey take pictures of all the Erie stations between 1909 -1910. They're enjoyable to see.

Ken

Ken,

Yeah, it was great thanks!

I just hope the NS doesn't formally abandon the Orange Branch, and lower Boonton line since there are no longer any customers left!! It would be impossible to bring it back once the rails are lifted!

NJ Vike wrote:Glad you guys enjoyed the tour. I do have some pictures with steam running under the Arlington Avenue Bridge near Westinghouse before Westinghouse was there. I believe it was around 1922 when the land was still farm area.

In addition to that, I do have several pictures of diesel near Lewellan station in West Orange. Many of the pictures come via the series "The Next Station Will be" published by the Railrodians.

The Erie had a photographer, J.G. Bailey take pictures of all the Erie stations between 1909 -1910. They're enjoyable to see.

Ken

Hi Ken, glad to see you back on the forum!

Thanks John.

Any activity on the Newark Branch lately?

blockline4180 wrote:Ken,

Yeah, it was great thanks!

I just hope the NS doesn't formally abandon the Orange Branch, and lower Boonton line since there are no longer any customers left!! It would be impossible to bring it back once the rails are lifted!

Steve,

I'm with you. Once it's gone, it's gone.

Someone says that the Hartz building needs
Lots of work so now I'm concerned that nobody
Is going to move in for rail service.

NJ Vike wrote:Glad you guys enjoyed the tour. I do have some pictures with steam running under the Arlington Avenue Bridge near Westinghouse before Westinghouse was there. I believe it was around 1922 when the land was still farm area.

In addition to that, I do have several pictures of diesel near Lewellan station in West Orange. Many of the pictures come via the series "The Next Station Will be" published by the Railrodians.

The Erie had a photographer, J.G. Bailey take pictures of all the Erie stations between 1909 -1910. They're enjoyable to see.

Ken

James E. Bailey not G. He was the dispatcher at Meadville for trains on the Meadville Division until the 1920s., and soon became official photographer. I have an unconfirmed account that he died between 1922 & 1934.