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  • Road Power Used on Perth Amboy NJ Branch

  • Discussion related to the Lehigh Valley Railroad and predecessors for the period 1846-1976. Originally incorporated as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad Company.
Discussion related to the Lehigh Valley Railroad and predecessors for the period 1846-1976. Originally incorporated as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad Company.

Moderator: scottychaos

 #1454846  by David Hutchinson
 
Does anyone have info regarding F units, RS's, etc., being used on freights on the PA Branch? I used to watch the freights from Perth Amboy to South Plainfield during the early 1960's and, even though they were quite long, I only witnessed single EMD and Alco switchers being used. I did see an RS3 at Perth Amboy in the mid-60's, but never saw them on the road. There were two symbol freights right at the end of steam.... just wondering if road power was ever used.
 #1454979  by TB Diamond
 
A friend who worked for the LVRR and who resides in NJ related the following:

During the 1960s into the 1970s EMD switch locos were utilized on the Perth Amboy branch, notably SW9 and NW2 units. Most jobs used single units but on occasion two units were mu'ed for the 8:00 A.M. Raritan River Br. and 9:00 P.M. PR-1 jobs.

During the period 1973-1975 an occasional Alco RS2/3 was assigned to the Raritan River Br. 8:00 A.M. or to the PR-1 9:00 P.M. to S. Plainfield-west. Tonnage on the PR-1 job sometimes required the 3:00 P.M. crew as helpers on the head end as far as Raritan Jct.
 #1455018  by David Hutchinson
 
thanks for the useful information...... I am wondering about the symbol freight that came out of Pennsylvania....... what kind of power did it have..... I will go to find the employee timetable that shows it so I can post the train number....do you have any info on movements into and out of Camp Kilmer?
 #1455113  by TB Diamond
 
From the late 1960s until 1972 a occasional unit train operated with any available road power Lehighton-S. Plainfield down the Amboy Br. This train consisted of Union Carbide containers, 2 per piggyback-type flat cars, loaded with plastic pellets for delivery to the UC distribution center in Perth Amboy. This unit train operated only when the ship "Carbide Texas City" was laid up for repairs as the containers were normally delivered by this vessel. The crew for this train were assigned to Lehighton.

After 1972, when the ship was o/s, container cars came in small blocks which were handled by local PR-1 (east as RP-2).
 #1455159  by David Hutchinson
 
I cannot find my 1950's LV ETT..... there was a train originating out of PA (I think Lehighton) that went to Perth Amboy and returned. I am wondering what power would have been used. Did not know about the Carbide trains.... thanks a million. Did you know that a B&O passenger train with Queen Elizabeth aboard, came out of Camp Kilmer at VALLEY Tower in Metuchen and went to Cranford? Two E-Units...........
 #1455279  by TB Diamond
 
Reference Camp Kilmer LVRR rail service: The camp was primarily served by the PRR. The LVRR came in on a spur line. It is doubtful that there was much, if any, traffic after the base closed with the end of WWII. When it was reactivated during the Korean War there may have been some traffic. After he Korean War the base served as a U.S. Army Reserve HQ and a Nike/Hercules missile support facility until it was closed and sold at auction in 1963.

LVRR ETT No. 15 dated Sept. 25, 1949 shows symbol freight KY-2 departing Packerton at 11:45 P.M. and arriving Perth Amboy at 7:00 A.M. The westward train, YK-1 is shown departing Perth Amboy at 7:00 P.M. and arriving Packerton at 2:00 A.M. These trains operated daily except Sunday.

The September 28, 1952 ETT still shows the same schedule.

The April 26, 1953 ETT no longer shows a schedule for the KY-2/YK-1 but does show a schedule for PM-1 Perth Amboy-Manchester and BP-2 Buffalo-Perth Amboy, both trains being daily.

LVRR ETT No. 3 dated September 26, 1954 no longer shows a scheduled freight train originating or departing Perth Amboy.

Have no info about what power would have been assigned to these trains.