BASF Chemical plant to close??

[blockline4180]

I was just talking to a local at the Washington Diner the other day and he mentioned to me that the BASF plant in Washington, NJ along the old DL&W Old Main will be closing their plant in the next few years. Currently the NS serves this plant at least 5 days a week by a local out of Allentown. Usually, on average they receive between 5-10 tank cars per day. Now, my question is, will the H65/H74 still come out of Washington to interchange cars with the Dover based H02 if this plant closes??? The NS H02 still serves a handful of customers east of Dover and you would think it would be a lot quicker if they got this traffic via the eastern end terminals at either Croxton or Oak Island. I realize that NS has just replaced many ties along the WASS, however it is still only 10 miles per hour running along the Secondary... Also, you would think it would be a lot faster to travel over NJT as a local from say the Center Street Branch in Kearny and traveling to a Dover interchange point.. I was also told that Allentown yard would be closing their hump and all local interchange points would be moved to either Enola or Conway.

At any rate, it will be very interesting to see in the coming years if the NS locals will still come out of Allentown or if it will change yards to swap cars for the M&E and H02 traffic left on NJT!

[SecaucusJunction]

I'm still surprised they bother to maintain the secondary to begin with. For the small amounts of local traffic in the area, it would seem that they could run it out of Croxton or Oak Island there in some way to have NJT pay for track maintenance. Passenger interference wouldn't be so bad if they ran at night. I know NJT has restrictions, but I think they could negotiate that.

Just remember though, just because NS fixes track up, doesn't mean they're going to use it any more. Just ask the poor folks along the Newark branch.

[kamerad47]

Maybe the will sell off some of these lines???

[blockline4180]

Maybe the will sell off some of these lines???

Well, M&E ran a inspection train a few years ago with a NS/M&E locomotive and a few PV cars from Morristown up to Washington, but nothing seemed to come of it! I had thought M&E was interested in at least serving most of the customers on NJT and part of the WASS, but who knows now what will happen!

[PVRX1]

Allentown was closed once a few years back. Didnt work out too well.
Probably just a rumor.

[IRN750]

I don't know where you are getting your info on Allentown but its wrong. Allentown yard was never closed at any time and NS just spent millions to robo the hump(Maybe you were thinking about Enola which CR tried to close down) They are also doing other improvements to the yard. As for the Washington Secy NS would drop it like a hot potato if BASF shuts down. They were talking to the M&E about taking over the work that the Dover job does but that seems to have died down for now.

[SecaucusJunction]

I also think that if NJT had not moved out of the lower Boonton Line, traffic would probably be coming out of Croxton instead of Allentown... especially if BASF wasn't there. The rest of the line west of the customers would probably be abandoned. NS is probably paying a lot of taxes and maintenance on a line they wouldn't have to.

[blockline4180]

I also think that if NJT had not moved out of the lower Boonton Line, traffic would probably be coming out of Croxton instead of Allentown... especially if BASF wasn't there. The rest of the line west of the customers would probably be abandoned. NS is probably paying a lot of taxes and maintenance on a line they wouldn't have to.

Yeah, maybe, especially if BASF was no longer in business!! AFAIK there are no active customers between Lopatcong and Washington on the Secondary.

[IRN750]

The Dover traffic hasn't moved out of Croxton in over 25yrs other than an a few high cars that couldn't get under the bridge at P-burg and Transit has its clearance problems also. Lets hope BASF remains in business and all will be well

[dreese_us]

Nope, I believe BASF is pretty much done. It was announced last year that they would be closing, think by December of this year. I know they have been winding down operations.

[bk77]

I'm still surprised they bother to maintain the secondary to begin with. For the small amounts of local traffic in the area, it would seem that they could run it out of Croxton or Oak Island there in some way to have NJT pay for track maintenance. Passenger interference wouldn't be so bad if they ran at night. I know NJT has restrictions, but I think they could negotiate that.

NJT has a lot of clearance restrictions with high level station platforms and over head catenary in certain spots. Morristown & Erie for example is limited over the types of cars (regarding size) they can interchange with CSX at Center St., which is why most of their traffic comes from NS via Lake Junction from Allentown as it avoids all locations with clearance issues. The only time I heard of a clearance issue via NS was a high & wide that I believe was unloaded somewhere on the WASS and trucked to the sub station in Roseland that would've otherwise gone down the M&E...

[pumpers]

Any other traffic in Washington? Where is the next customer north of there? It is already 10 or 11 miles from Lopatcong to Washington. JS

[SecaucusJunction]

High level platform clearance should be no problem for 99.9% of the traffic that is destined for anywhere on the ex-DLW track. NS runs plenty of freight right past high level platforms on other lines... at high speeds. And all platforms are hinged in case the occasional wide load needs to be moved. I don't believe clearances east of Dover are any worse than those that are currently west of there. It would make a lot of sense, even more if they could ever use the lower Boonton Line.

[blockline4180]

Any other traffic in Washington? Where is the next customer north of there? It is already 10 or 11 miles from Lopatcong to Washington. JS

NYK logistics and Nova are the only steady customers east of Washington and West of Hackettstown....Nothing else left anymore

[blockline4180]

As for the Washington Secy NS would drop it like a hot potato if BASF shuts down.

I do agree with this statement, but the only other way to get traffic to the M&E or the H02 remaining customers would be via the East end out of Croxton or Oak Island.