The Pascack Valley Line Thread

[bk77]

That is good news. How many customers are left in Carlstadt?

I recently noticed Diamond Chemical at the beginning of the PVL at Union Ave is getting cars again... one track had covered hoppers and the second siding nearest the building had a blue tank car. Its been years since I've seen anything spotted there, the switch was even out for a while during the track reconfiguring NJT did for the meadowlands. I remember there also being a customer in the same area on the "east" side of the PVL that got tank cars I believe... their siding is kinda hidden from public roads, but from this satellite image of their siding you can see what looks like a rusty white tank car spotted outside the shed where i believe they unload the tank cars...

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Murray+H ... 07073&z=18" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Then in Wood-Ridge there is the old Seamans Lead, a recent visit found only one covered hopper spotted at Omega Plastics, nothing at Atlantic Plywood (although the rails for the siding looked like something was there recently), and President Container's siding you can't really see from public roadway... not even sure if they're still an active customer. Reddy Raw (off the PVL in Wood-Ridge where the Seamans Lead branches off) looks like they still get reefer's.

All that and whats in Teterboro are the only active customers on the PVL that I personally know of. Btw, I would LOVE to see a list of Pascack freight customers from the E-L days if anyone has one willing to post here. I found one for the Newark branch during the early 70's and WOW, there were customers everywhere...

[R36 Combine Coach]

All that and whats in Teterboro are the only active customers on the PVL that I personally know of. Btw, I would LOVE to see a list of Pascack freight customers from the E-L days if anyone has one willing to post here. I found one for the Newark branch during the early 70's and WOW, there were customers everywhere...

There were some customers up in Spring Valley at least until the 1960s/70s and perhaps traffic there might have lasted into the early NJT era.

[airman00]

I remember reading from this site that there was one remaining customer in spring valley area until 1991? (a lumber company?) Anyway going from Westwood station northward towards Spring valley how many old sidings are still left?

[R36 Combine Coach]

I remember reading from this site that there was one remaining customer in spring valley area until 1991? (a lumber company?) Anyway going from Westwood station northward towards Spring valley how many old sidings are still left?

Sounds like Beckerle Lumber, located at the old Erie RR freight station (west of the MNCR passenger station). Only lumber company in the area.

[pdtrains]

BK77 wrote:

. Btw, I would LOVE to see a list of Pascack freight customers from the E-L days if anyone has one willing to post here. I found one for the Newark branch during the early 70's and WOW, there were customers everywhere...

[/quote]

Ask and ye shall receive.....

Here's the list of the Lower Hack Job (NJNY below Hackensack) customers in 1966

Starting just east of Union Ave....
HS Printing Ink
Borg Warner
Buckley Dunton
Berlin Jones
Dubois
Alcon
Continental Box
Becton Dickinson
Admiral
General Tire
General Foam
Pitt. Plate Glass
Carlstadt (?) station switch
Univeral Oil Products #1, #2, #3, & #4
Matheson
Ark Invincible
Famous Brands
Lancaster
Beer Depot
American Alky
Fries International Chemical
Woodridge Chemical
Bergen Iron

Seemans Lead (MP 9.63)
Pinewood Sandpost
Lee Patten
Heller and Usdan
Standard bag
(24 car runaround on the lead)
Mid East
Elco
Universal (not really legible)
Rhane Paper
Graphic
Central Port whse (holds 14 cars inside building)

Back to tracks off the main...
Julius Blum
Woodridge team track
Dorchester
Trader Horn
Stanbe and Venpar
VA barrel
BKTT
Bendix (we are up by Hasbrouck Heights/teterboro now)

Ford lead (comes off main)
...Between Green street and Hollister road...
Abbott Labs
Behr Manning
Julius Wile
Ford (east and west tracks)
Broderick Bascombe
...Between Hollister road and Huyler Street....
Rober Gair
Reynolds Offset
Cutter
Premium
Charles Bruning
Harnischfeger
US Plywood
No. Hudson Grocery
Merck
Parke Davis
Addressograph
Sylvania
...East of Huyler st... (track now ends before Huyler st)
Buitoni (2 tracks)
Stop and Save
Bakelite

St. Joe's Lead .. (entire lead now gone)
Berton Plastics
NY Cutting and Gumming
Stranahans
Tension Envelope
Autographic

Back to tracks off the main....
Wolfe Press
Holcombe
NY Silicate
(this takes us up to Lodi street (Hackensack?)

This list of companies with rail service on the Northern Branch was just as long, too.
Now there's next to nothing left. "What a country"

[bk77]

BK77 wrote:

. Btw, I would LOVE to see a list of Pascack freight customers from the E-L days if anyone has one willing to post here. I found one for the Newark branch during the early 70's and WOW, there were customers everywhere...

Ask and ye shall receive.....

[/quote]

Thanks!! Really is mind blowing (and sad) what was on the PVL at one time. No doubt they needed at least a couple jobs in a 24 period to cover that area. The Northern Branch I can believe was even busier as you mentioned.

[pdtrains]

2 or 3 locals, 6 days a week on the NJNY...Upper hack job, Lower hack job, and relief crew for the lower hack job as needed.

3 locals 6 days a week on the northern...1st, 2nd and 3rd Northern. 3rd Northern was relief crew for the 2nd Northern M-F, and worked the lower end on sundays.

[airman00]

I saw an interesting consist today. At 12:35 pm going thru westwood towards hoboken, (train did not stop) were 5 comet V cars followed by a njt PL42 (didn't catch the number), and Metro-north F40 4914. The F40 must've been pushing as it had it's red marker lights on. Anyone know what this was?

[25Hz]

I saw an interesting consist today. At 12:35 pm going thru westwood towards hoboken, (train did not stop) were 5 comet V cars followed by a njt PL42 (didn't catch the number), and Metro-north F40 4914. The F40 must've been pushing as it had it's red marker lights on. Anyone know what this was?

I've seen stranger lashups... P40 and GP40FH on a RVL train, FH leading. Usually they do that when one just came out of the shop, or one has a known issue and the other one does not have that same issue, including running low on fuel.

[mainetrain]

Caught 5610 and 5665 shoving 5 or so boxcars south ducking under the Moonachie overpass this afternoon

[airman00]

At around 1pm today I caught another interesting movement. Metro-North #4900 (GP40FH-2) and NJT #4300 (GP40-2) coupled together running light thru Westwood station headed towards Spring Valley. The #4900 was leading with #4300 trailing. They flew right thru the station like an express. Anybody know what this was? Seems strange for a revenue engine to be leading a work engine on a light power move headed AWAY from Hoboken.

[JPG76]

Most likely they needed an engine up in Spring Valley and also had coached sitting up there that needed to go to the MMC.

[Train2009]

Most likely they needed an engine up in Spring Valley and also had coached sitting up there that needed to go to the MMC.

#4300 towed out ALP45 #4515 to MMC, I saw 2 pictures of it on Facebook.

[airman00]

Ah... so the 4900 was the replacement for the broken down Alp45dp.

[Steve F45]

I know its more of a freight thing, but it looks like NS took up the huyler street crossing. Maybe temporary as there is track equipment still on the rails on the east side of the crossing not connected to the rest of the lead.