Hillside/Irvington industrial branch

[myfavscr]

Finally got to photograph the local on this branch. NS 5608(GP38-2)
was switching tank cars at Oasis foods yesterday afternoon.
I followed the train as it headed south down the branch cars foward,
on its way back to the Lehigh Valley mainline.

Here is the 1st of 5 tank cars entering the Hillside Ave. crossing
with the conductor along for the ride. The cars carry vegetable oil.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=337860

Here is the loco shoving the cars long hood foward.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=337861

here is the train crossing Liberty Ave. near the Rt 22 overpass.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=337863

The train sits right off Rt.22 on a siding along the LV mainline.
Its waiting for clearance on to the main where it will then head
East to the small yard near NK tower. You can see this yard
from the corner of Frelinghuysen Ave. and E. Peddie St. in Newark
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=337862

[Eric Kreszl]

Great Photos. I refer to this siding as the Bristol Meyers Industrial track personally because believe it or not Bristol Meyers in Hillside NJ was a major customer on the track. It was so important that their private crossing has gates. Its the only crossing on the entire industrial track to have gates. Bristol Meyers in Hillside is now gone and the building is not occupied according to my father Robert Kreszl who is the fire Chief of the Hillside fire department. The customer who is at the end of the track near I 78 is Oasis Trading company who manufactuers salad oil. But once again GREAT PHOTOS.

[njt4172]

I remember when Conrail used B23-7 in the late 80's and early 1990's on this local job.....My uncle owns Conant Street auto Service and I have family that lives off of Salem Street so I spent a lot of my childhood in Hillside..


Steve

[myfavscr]

I believe there are 2 other companies on that branchline that receive
car loads. Both companies receive hopper cars of plastic pellets.
I'm not sure if they are still there though.

[njt4172]

I believe there are 2 other companies on that branchline that receive
car loads. Both companies receive hopper cars of plastic pellets.
I'm not sure if they are still there though.

Yeah they use to be very sporadic at best... I don't know if they still get a few carloadings per year...

Steve

[myfavscr]

I caught the train a couple of hrs. ago coming up the branch after
it just finished switching Oasis Foods. The consist had 2 Hopper cars
on the end but i'm not sure who they were for.
These picks are at the Chestnut Ave. crossing:

http://waspics.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... ?id=388583
http://waspics.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... ?id=388584
http://waspics.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... ?id=388581

This shot is of the train crossing the Route 78 trestle:
http://waspics.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... ?id=388582

[Eric Kreszl]

Great Photos. Typical decision of CSAO and NS to use an ex Conrail unit switching on the industrial track. I'm not surprised they would do that


Eric

[Erie Limited]

I can provide a little more info on this train for those that are interested.

The symbol of this job is OI-10 and it makes a daily weekday appearance in Hillside/Irvington. Since I work in the area, I see the train nearly every day. The largest customer on the line is Oasis Foods which receives cuts of veg oil tank cars; as many as 6-7 per day. Empties are sometimes left on the siding at Hillside along Rt. 22 when the crew is trying to make it back to Parkview Yard on short time. Parkview is on the north side of the Lehigh Line at CP NK and is essentially the "base" for OI-10.

A new customer siding was recently built between Oasis Foods and Hillside Ave. I have been told that this is also for Oasis Foods, but I am not sure what it's purpose is yet (it may just be another place to store Oasis loads).

In addition to Oasis, there is a small transload terminal on the current end of the line in Irvington that receives and stores plastic pellet covered hoppers. There is typically a handful of cars on-site. One other customer in this area (I am not aware of the name) receives an occasional box car. As an interesting side note, about a year or two ago there was a customer loading logs onto stake-sided flat cars in Irvington. These were apparently clear-cut trees from a construction project in Essex County. I believe the cars were lettered for the Shamokin Valley RR in PA (SVRR).

Power for OI-10 tends to be whatever is available in Oak Island for CSAO service. The crew prefers "good pullers" (any units that are not worn out...not easy to find these days) due to the grade up to Hillside Avenue. Usually when they get a good unit they try to keep it as long as possible. Today's train had 9 cars led by the GP38-2 shown in the above photos. It sounded great climbing the grade.

Over the past few months OI-10 has been led by various NS and CSX GP38-2s and GP40-2s, with an occasional GP15-1 filling in. A few weeks ago a former Reading SW-1001 was used for one day only. I'm not sure how many cars it was able to handle.

For what it's worth, OI-10 also handles customers along Frelinghuysen Ave in Newark near the DMV (accessed via Parkview Yard) as well as a scrap dealer at Southside; basically the south side of the Lehigh Line near Parkview and the Rt. 78 overpass.

Rob

[Erie Limited]

I just realized that I left off one additional customer. There is one other customer who receives plastic pellet cars. They are located along Long Ave between Liberty St and Central Ave in Hillside. There are usually 2-4 cars on hand on the two short customer sidings at this location.

[grink]

I saw at around 4:20pm today OI-10 with 1 tank led by an NS engine by Oasis Foods for what it is worth.

[umtrr-author]

Last trip back to "Joisey" I finally saw something on the Route 78 bridge as I was crossing under it... this must have been the train. This was after many years of driving in the area and at least a few trips per year after moving away.

Thanks for sharing, great shots! Will have to check your Chemical Coast pics sometime as well.

[CAR_FLOATER]

A couple of things.......Don't know if you guys ever knew it or not, but the LV offered passenger service on the line, for about a year, around 1917 or so.

Also, does anyone know if the freight station and coal tressle in Irvington still stnads? I doubt it, but I thought I'd ask.....I recently bought a photo of the coal tressle, and might go seek it out if it still stands.

CF

[KFC Jones]

Additional FYI and a few questions for those interested in this branch...

When I worked OI-10 (about 6-7 years ago), there was a customer at the end of the line near Nye Avenue that took hoppers of plastic pellets. I can't say who is there now, if anyone, but my old maps say Industrial Poly Mfg. Corp.

One change I have noticed recently is that the power is no longer kept at Parkside yard overnight, as was the SOP at one time. My guess is that without NK towerman keeping an eye out, the loco would be more susceptible to "foul play." I suppose it- and the crew- start and end the day at Oak Island.

The Long Ave plastic customer mentioned in a previous post takes cars on what is left of Bristol Meyers sidings if my memory is right. (Can anyone confirm?)

Also according to my maps which I realize were out of date even when they were issued, there was a switch between Liberty and Hillside Avenues. This would be facing point as you go uphill away from the Lehigh main. this switch lead to a few industries on the north side of 78, including Eastern Railcar Services. I believe you can see an old passenger coach on ERS property if you look fast passing by on 78. I'd like to know if the track is still intact, or if the right of way is walkable. I also wonder if Tuscan Dairy ever got rail service. Finally, if anyone can confirm this, which I heard from either the engineer or conductor of OI-10 when I worked it: that this spur continued as far as Montclair prior to the GSP being built.

[CAR_FLOATER]

KFC -

I have friends who worked for the LV that I can ask regarding your questions, but as far as the track going to Montclair, might you be thinking of the RVRR a liitle further west? It did n't go to Montclair either (only the Erie and DL&W did), but it did go to Maplewood Heights. The LV Irvington Branch ended at Clinton Ave.

CF

[myfavscr]

This might help:

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... highlight=