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  • Long Ago Cab Ride on the CNJ

  • Discussion of the CNJ (aka the Jersey Central) and predecessors Elizabethtown and Somerville, and Somerville and Easton, for the period 1831 to its inclusion in ConRail in 1976. The historical society site is here: http://www.jcrhs.org/
Discussion of the CNJ (aka the Jersey Central) and predecessors Elizabethtown and Somerville, and Somerville and Easton, for the period 1831 to its inclusion in ConRail in 1976. The historical society site is here: http://www.jcrhs.org/

Moderator: CAR_FLOATER

 #380436  by JBnWaverly
 
I am still exploring the forum as I have only recently discovered it. I am a definite fallen flag devotee growing up in northern NJ. About 1964 or 65, my parents owned the Long Valley Inn in Long Valley, NJ and I remember spending a lot of time there at the restaurant/tavern while they worked away. A frequent customer was a Mr Adderly (sp)? who happened to be an engineer on the CNJ. He took a liking to me and my brother and sure enough we got the invite to ride along one of his runs. I cannot recall where we boarded, but I believe we rolled past Pictanny Aresenal/Hercules? at one point and ended up at Green Pond Junction where we were picked up by my dad. We only took a few photos, which are now gone , but I remember the units as dark (black) in color cab units. Funny what we recall as children, but to this day I can picture in my mind the heat and noise as we were walked behind to second unit during the ride. I regret not having photos to record the experience.

 #380828  by CAR_FLOATER
 
At this time in High Bridge Branch ops, the engines would have still been the Baldwin Babyface units, but more than likely painted in a dingy and dark dip green paint job by then, that could have easily been mistaken as black. The N&W F units that were black didn't show up until the 70's.
All in all, what a great ride that would have been, and yes, you would have passed close to Hurcules Powder in Kenvil (you wouldn't have seen it unless your train switched it), and gone right up the middle of Piccatinny Arsenal.

CF

 #383708  by pdman
 
I'd like to add my cab ride. Back in 1956 (I was 12 at the time) I sent a letter to the President of the CNJ asking if I could ride a cab. I received a letter saying yes. The only requirements were that my parents had to sign a release and I had to buy a passenger ticket.

I chose March 9, 1957 Plainfield to Allentown (depart 1:51pm) and return. My father came along. J.B. Van Netta was the road forman of engines for the trip. The engine was a FM Trainmaster. We ate in Allentown, saw the LV Black Diamond and returned to Plainfield. Every March 9 triggers thoughts of this trip.

Railroads sure make nice memories that linger.

 #384236  by Don31
 
pdman wrote:I'd like to add my cab ride. Back in 1956 (I was 12 at the time) I sent a letter to the President of the CNJ asking if I could ride a cab. I received a letter saying yes. The only requirements were that my parents had to sign a release and I had to buy a passenger ticket.

I chose March 9, 1957 Plainfield to Allentown (depart 1:51pm) and return. My father came along. J.B. Van Netta was the road forman of engines for the trip. The engine was a FM Trainmaster. We ate in Allentown, saw the LV Black Diamond and returned to Plainfield. Every March 9 triggers thoughts of this trip.

Railroads sure make nice memories that linger.
What a great story. Too bad that could never happen today!

 #384682  by Ken W2KB
 
No cab ride, but at around age 13 or so in 1963, the engineer of a F3 waiting for a signal to go west in the siding at Bayonne West 8th invited me up into the cab for a few minutes until he got the signal.

About 2 years later, when a ship collided with the Bay Draw, I received written permission from the railroad to photograph the damage and walked out to the draw portion from Bayonne. When I was finished and jsut starting to walk back, an employee operating a speeder said he was going back to the yard in Bayonne so I got a ride back to West 8th - sort of a cab ride.

Finally, in 1967 for the last train to Bayonne East 33rd before the Aldene Plan started, I rode the (packed) RDC cab from Elizabeth to East 33rd. Got off there as the very last passenger to that station, until the Lightrail eventually came.

 #438862  by pdman
 
I was lucky to get many cab rides when I was young. One of the things I didn't appreciate at the time was every cab crew told me all sorts of facts and history along the line. I was always fixated on the sights, sounds, smells, speed, sensations, etc. of the cab ride. But, now I can think back at every engineer, fireman, or road forman of engines constantly pointing out old stations, old branch junctions, and more. I wish I had had a small tape recorder back then.

 #453354  by stationarchives
 
My first CNJ cab ride over the road was on March 24, 1949 (I was 14). Perth Amboy, where I grew up, still saw many trains powered by CNJ's 4-6-0 camelbacks. I was at the station late one afternoon when Train 3105 pulled in. John Weckman was in the cab and he asked if I'd like to ride with them to Matawan. When I responded positively, he said I would need permission from my folks. That was no problem for them, so the next day I climbed aboard T32 #183 with gloves and camera.

The round trip was only 14.7 miles, but was pure delight. I made fast friends with the regular crew and had many cab rides over the years. Happily, I kept a log of my travels and did get additional photos. I only wish I'd had a better camera.
 #571666  by Mitch
 
That CNJ sure was a friendly lot. Back in July of '63 my family and I were visiting relatives in Westfield, NJ. I'd never been east before and being used to the IC I just couldn't figure out how a railroad ran commuter trains without high level platforms at stations.

One afternoon we decided to visit Manhattan. I was 12, and my brother was 8. We boarded a 2 car Budd train at Westfield around 2.30 in the afternoon and marched up to the head end. I had no idea that the enginecrew was in a vestibule. I thought there was just an engineer and he would be sitting in the closed off compartment to my right. I couldn't understand why a 2 car Budd train needed a fireman either. The engineer spotted us looking through the train door window and invited us up into the head end vestibule where we were treated to a cab ride all the way to Jersey City. They , too gave us a guided tour all the way.

Re:

 #571760  by JimBoylan
 
Ken W2KB wrote:Finally, in 1967 for the last train to Bayonne East 33rd before the Aldene Plan started, I rode the (packed) RDC cab from Elizabeth to East 33rd. Got off there as the very last passenger to that station, until the Lightrail eventually came.
About 13 years later, on a Friday afternoon at the end of July, I rode the last shuttle RDC to East 33rd St., but I stayed on the train and rode back to Elizabeth. A day or 2 later, just before midnight, my brother rode the last shuttle to West 8th St. and back. Then on the 1st Tuesday of August, with no more Bayonne service, I found the ticket agent at West Trenton didn't know that, so I bought a souvenir ticket to E. 33rd St.
You had to be careful when buying Bayonne tickets from a Reading Company ticket agent, they would try to sell you to the Reading's 22nd St. Station on the Norristown Branch in Philadelphia, or to the B&O's 24th St. Station in Downtown Philadelphia.
 #571868  by GSC
 
I was about 6 and living in Spring Lake Heights. A CNJ westbound stalled at the Spring Lake station, and the following PRR commuter train stopped right in sight of my front porch. The crew let me up in the E7 cab and showed me what was what, while my father filmed it in 8mm!

In the late 60s - early 70s I'd watch the CNJ freight switch the Bradley Beach yard. They got to know me and one day they offered a cab ride in their RS3 while they drilled. What a rush for a 14-year-old! And the next time I was there I got a ride in the caboose back to Red Bank (as long as I was inside and unseen). Caught a passenger train back to Bradley easy enough from RB. The caboose was the flat top (cupola-less) wooden 91382.

I liked to ride to Bay Head and "ride the loop". A regular trainman I got to know arranged for me to ride the cab of a PRR E unit around the loop one day, got to sit in the fireman's seat!

These things will never happen again.