West side of Newark Branch

[SemperFidelis]

Here we go. I trimmed down the quote considerably. It is in New Jersey Railfan under the topic about a BR&W subsidiary taking over the Morris County owned lines if anyone wants toread the full quote.

Another LLC owned by that joint organization is working with NS to lease the Washington Secondary, the Totowa Industrial, and I believe the Newark Industrial. They will service freight customers on the NJT lines, including those on the Peapack / Gladstone. However once east of Dover there are few, if any freight customers on the NJT lines. To the best of my knowledge, Morristown & Erie will continue to interchange at Lake Junction with NS or the new operator of NS'

[/quote]

[SecaucusJunction]

The more branch lines they spin off the better. The MNJ seems to be doing a much better job up in Campbell Hall than NS did. At least it would give the line a chance.

[chuxter26]

As someone who worked on the Campbell Hall jobs for both Conrail and NS I'm wondering what the "it's working much better" comment means....NS didn't like keeping engines there plus sending extra people up from Croxton to cover 2 jobs was costly.I never heard any complaints about service.

[SecaucusJunction]

I'm just saying that the short lines usually have more motivation to market thge services and gain new customers than the big guys who are more focused on long haul. MNJ has gained several new customers since taking over the service.

[bk77]

To be honest I haven't had much hope for business coming back to the branch, I'm not even sure what a short line can do with it as there doesn't seem to be much industry that would generate the volume to ship by rail (although I'd gladly accept to be proven wrong on that). But I was kinda surprised to see tenants being allowed to encroach on the right of way around Verona Ave. and even cover the "main line" with dirt for parking. I guess NS has officially given up on the lower end of the branch. Sad.

[blockline4180]

Maybe not the Newark Branch, but the Chemical plant on the Gladstone branch in Berkeley Heights AFAIK is still there... Its not Reheis, but another company(General chemical? )... I'm sure if they wanted to they could market that customer... I don't know if they would be interested in rail service though...

[Sir Ray]

Maybe not the Newark Branch, but the Chemical plant on the Gladstone branch in Berkeley Heights AFAIK is still there... Its not Reheis, but another company(General chemical? )... I'm sure if they wanted to they could market that customer... I don't know if they would be interested in rail service though...

Chemtrade brought out General Chemical a number of years back. The plant on Synder Ave. has Chemtrade signs. What production or distribution is done at that facility I have no knowledge of.

[SecaucusJunction]

You'd think access to a rail spur would be valuable to a chemical company. Not sure if weight restrictions over NJT are an issue or if it just boils down to $$ charged by the railroads.

[blockline4180]

You'd think access to a rail spur would be valuable to a chemical company. Not sure if weight restrictions over NJT are an issue or if it just boils down to $$ charged by the railroads.

Probably both weight restrictions and $$ if they can't or won't get it by rail

[Joseph DeLuisi]

Until NS files for abandonment with the Surface Transportation Board the Newark Branch is still considered active. If I remember correctly when they redid the branch several years ago Rock Tenn (formerly known as Schiffenhaus, a former shipper) requested that their switch not be removed and they also asked to have some trees removed by their siding. And that company called Q-Pak on McCarter Hwy just south of Mill St. in Newark, which also was a former shipper, told me that in the future they might start using the rails again. So don't be discouraged. All it takes is one customer and the branch can become alive again.

[Joseph DeLuisi]

Please forgive my ignorance but who is MNJ?

[snavely]

Middletown & NJ RR

[Joseph DeLuisi]

The company that is on the tracks between Grafton and Verona Aves is leasing the land from NS under the stipulation that service can resume at any time. They supply pallets to WestRock (formerly Rock Tenn and Schiffenhaus, a former shipper). That's the reason why the tracks were buried under dirt instead of being ripped out. I also spoke to the owner of Q-PAK on McCarter Hwy just south of Mill St, also a former shipper, he told me that resuming rail service is not out of the question and may try next year. So the Newark Branch Industrial Track is not officially dead.

[Joseph DeLuisi]

Thanks Snavely, what area does MNJ operate in?

[pumpers]

Thanks Snavely, what area does MNJ operate in?

It's a short line that operates in the Middletown, NY area (ex Erie and ex NY Ontario and Western tracks and also an old line (whose name I forget) related to the ancient NJ Midland, from Middletown south the NJ state line), and also the Campbell Hall area (mostly ex Erie and I think a stub of an NYC line - Walkill Valley Branch - and perhaps (not sure) some stubs leftover from the big Maybrook yard). They do mostly local switching, with cars coming in and out from NS or NYSW. I think they may own some of their own tracks in the Middletown area but also operate a lot on trackage rights from NS