Power Plant

[ConrailRailfan]

Hi everyone, I have a question, since the Beesley Point Powerplant is switching where they get their fuel from, will coal or oil trains run there anymore?

Thanks

[NJrailfan]

Since it sounds like the conversion will not be completed until 2013, occasional trains may run for one more year, but I am not sure. I don't think very many trains have run to the plant so far this year.

Either way, this is bad news for the Beeselys point secondary and the future of rail traffic into Cape May County. I can't see the the CMSL taking over the BPS south of Winslow, unless they really turn things around with their current situation.

[ConrailRailfan]

Hi, so there is still one more year for the coal trains, is the line from Camden to Winslow busy? And do you think that the CMSL will ever start a regular passenger service. It would also be cool if they ran trains to Ocean City again.

Thanks

[NJrailfan]

I don`t know if there will be one more year of service, thats just speculation bassed upon the article I read in the shore news.

The line between Camden and Winslow sees one daily local Monday through Friday, as well as stone trains to Winslow that drop off cars for the SRNJ. (These make about 2 or 3 round trips a week, usually at night. They tend to pick up in the summer months). However the only use of the line south of Winslow (other than Beesleys point traffic) is a periodic extra freight to exchange cars with CMSL at Tuckahoe for storage, and on very rare occasions the local will go as far south as Folsom to drop a box car on the team track their.

The CMSL periodically runs passenger service between Richland and Tuckahoe, I belive the last time they did so was Santa trains this past winter. However they seem to have a problem getting any kind of regular seasonal service going over the past 5 years.

[Ken W2KB]

Hi, so there is still one more year for the coal trains, is the line from Camden to Winslow busy? And do you think that the CMSL will ever start a regular passenger service. It would also be cool if they ran trains to Ocean City again.

Thanks

Coal stations for the last year or so are rarely dispatched because generation needed above baseload nuclear is much cheaper from natural gas. Oil is more expensive than coal. Whether there will more coal trains depends on the coal inventory at the station and to what extent the station is dispatched. Nationwide coal generation is down substantially and the trend is expected to continue for some years.

[ConrailRailfan]

OK, thanks for the info guys, it's a good thing the line is used frequently from Camden to Winslow. I hope the CMSL starts a regular service soon.

Thanks

[NostalgiaRails]

Hi, so there is still one more year for the coal trains, is the line from Camden to Winslow busy? And do you think that the CMSL will ever start a regular passenger service. It would also be cool if they ran trains to Ocean City again.

Thanks

Doubtful if we will ever see trains to Ocean City or Wildwood again. I believe the ROW inside OC borders is owned by the city which includes all the rails that are still in place from about 36th street out to the Crook Horn Bridge area. They are talking about making it a bike trail and selling off the rail as a way to help to fund the project. Ocean City does not want trains back there again. The ROW would have to be sold or leased to a rail company and the chance of that currently is near zero. The Wildwood ROW is privately owned and currently leased to a utility company (Atlantic City electric? I'm not sure) so also near zero possibility of any trains returning.

[bluedash2]

Since it sounds like the conversion will not be completed until 2013, occasional trains may run for one more year, but I am not sure. I don't think very many trains have run to the plant so far this year.

Either way, this is bad news for the Beeselys point secondary and the future of rail traffic into Cape May County. I can't see the the CMSL taking over the BPS south of Winslow, unless they really turn things around with their current situation.

The last coal train ran last August. It makes money just being available to be on line the next day anyway, but they do get penalized for an unscheduled outage. I wouldn 't go far as to say it's dire news for the line as they still will run 51 and the many stone trains to SRNJ at Winslow Jct. If they ever run light rail to Glassboro, it wouldn't be far fetched for the Millville run to go on the Bees to get to Camden and back but only if the old CNJ Southern gets fixed up as it's in bad need of repair to run at 25mph.

[ConrailRailfan]

Hi, that's good, how many stone trains go to Winslow a week? And it would be cool if they had a light rail, would they extend the RiverLine if they stared the light rail or would it be different?\

Thanks

[NostalgiaRails]

If the BL England power plant switches to natural gas , either cng or lng, couldn't it still be shipped by rail?

[Ken W2KB]

If the BL England power plant switches to natural gas , either cng or lng, couldn't it still be shipped by rail?

It is highly unlikely to be Liquefied Natural Gas or Compressed Natural Gas. Gas pipeline would be built to the station property, and would also be sized to increase the capability for other customers along the route.

[NostalgiaRails]

If the BL England power plant switches to natural gas , either cng or lng, couldn't it still be shipped by rail?

It is highly unlikely to be Liquefied Natural Gas or Compressed Natural Gas. Gas pipeline would be built to the station property, and would also be sized to increase the capability for other customers along the route.

Well, that makes more sense. Thanks!

[ConrailRailfan]

Hi guys, thanks for the info, I hope an industry opens up down there so that the trains come past Winslow, it would be cool if the CMSL got all their RDC's in working order and had a regular passenger service from Camden to Cape May and maybe even to Ocean City or Wildwood. They could intercange with the Riverline and the ACL.

[glennk419]

If the BL England power plant switches to natural gas , either cng or lng, couldn't it still be shipped by rail?

It is highly unlikely to be Liquefied Natural Gas or Compressed Natural Gas. Gas pipeline would be built to the station property, and would also be sized to increase the capability for other customers along the route.

The time and cost to build a natural gas pipeline to the plant will not be insignificant, considering the amount of water, wetlands and eminent domain involved. I don't know how much excess capacity exists in the mains currently running to Ocean City but I doubt it's enough to fuel the plant. There are currently three units at the plant, one of which burns coal only and will be fully retired. At least one of the oil burning units has scrubbers which are currently compliant. Given all of that, we could very possibly still see some tank trains and I wouldn't categorically rule out CNG or LNG in the future, especially given the seasonal nature of the plant. CSAO has improved the line in the last couple of years including new grade crossing equipment, a new turnout on the Milmay siding and a good bit of rail welding. It would be nice to see them recoup some of that investment.

[ConrailRailfan]

Hi thanks, what is CNG and LNG?