the McMyler coal dumper

are there videos of it in operation online anywhere? the whole concept still blows my mind and i would be so happy if i could see it in action. if this has been posted before i apologize, i just joined.

chessie jackson wrote:are there videos of it in operation online anywhere?

I don't know, what did your online search turn up?

hey chessiejackson i was at your house saturday night , but if you find a video of it let me know

so far nothing. i checked youtube and searched google videos. i figured there would be something between the two of those.i wouldn't know where else to search.

Try this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLbqnw2bKeI

I just lead a kayak tour over to the McMyler Coal Dumper in Port Reading a few weeks. It is in pretty rough shape, but still very impressive.

oh wow that model is awesome! how long did that take you to build? and now i understand how how trackage going out to the water operates. they're so mangled now that i couldn't figure out how the cars ran off and back after unloading. pretty incredible contraption. thanks for the video! i'm impressed.

Thanks, but I didn't build that model. It is on display at the Liberty Sate Park Interpretative Center. There was another McMyler Coal Dumper located just behind the Statue of Liberty in what is now Liberty State Park. The Port Reading dumper can be seen clearly from a nearby truck park or by kayaking in the area. If you need help finding it or want to go kayaking there please PM me.

I've been to the one in port reading with a friend, but we came from the truck lot and took pictures from there. we wanted to take a boat out there one day though so we could also check out the abandoned boat near the dumper.

Does anyone know the fate of the dumper lately? As with all the clearing and new construction in the area it really sticks out like a sore thumb now, And I am sure with all the new condos going up in now upscale Carteret that it's days are numbered as for them it's an eyesore for sure!!!

Haha "upscale" Carteret. I know this is unrelated, but I always wondered what those developers were thinking when they decided to build expensive new condos next to "Chrome". I drove past it about 2 weeks ago and it was still standing. I wish there was a safe place to stop on Middlesex Ave to get photos of it.

Look for a copy of the video "The Big, Little Railroad", this was a promotional film made by the CNJ in the late 1940's.

You'll see a number of CNJ landmarks in action, including the coal dumpers at Jersey City.
The are a marvel to watch.

Copies of the video turn up on ebay from time to time, I don't know if a DVD version was ever issued.


Ken

peconicstation wrote:Look for a copy of the video "The Big, Little Railroad", this was a promotional film made by the CNJ in the late 1940's.

You'll see a number of CNJ landmarks in action, including the coal dumpers at Jersey City.
The are a marvel to watch.

Copies of the video turn up on ebay from time to time, I don't know if a DVD version was ever issued.


Ken

I have the DVD version. So it had to be available at some point.

Hey now, Carteret used to be my home town, where I used to live within earshot of the Mcmyler Coal Dumper, Slaughterhouse, and would be getting blanketed daily by all the aromas from U.S. Metals, and the Koppers creosote works, what a great town!!! Well maybe not!!! (Except for the dumper)
Speaking of the koppers does anyone have any idea on where I could see some pictures of their rather extensive narrow gage track set there and maybe a archived video of when they did the kickoff for Carterets rebirth on the blasting down of the US Metals smokestack?

Ah, the memories.
I lived in South Amboy in the 50's through the 70's. They had a very large coal yard (car storage) and two McMylers. They belonged to the PRR and the Seaboard Coal Company. Many were the nights that the sounds of the McMylers would put me to sleep. They used a pusher that came up between the rails to push the car to the top, and that car would push the empty out.

Also in the feed track to the McMyler would be a large shed, which would hold 5 or 6 cars in the winter. In their transit from the mines to South Amboy the coal would often freeze. Trying to dump a frozen load was usually a real problem. Either the coal would not come out of the car or it came out in real BIG chunks, clogging the chute. The sheds had steam heaters that thawed the coal load before dumping.

Alas, the South Amboy McMylers are long since turned to scrap. I miss their angular beauty and the sounds of their steam engines huffing and chuffing to raise and lower the cars and the clang of the emptys coupling up after the switchback.

John

I can remember going up and watching these when I was a kid. All scraped and gone to china. You would not even know they were there if you visited the area today.