EL Greenwood Lake Division reopened?

[ErieLimited2914]

I saw at the Morris Pipe Co. on Rt. 23 in Pompton Plains had a few cars a few weeks ago. Last I heard that branch was filed for bankruptcy in March 2004. Was it reopened to rail because of truck shipping prices? Wouldn't sound like a bad idea to me.

[trainwayne1]

I have a friend who is a driver at Morris Pipe.....he told me that a typical railcar load is equal to 4.5-5 truckloads......a lot of this pipe comes in through Canadien ports, and tranport via railcar is about 50% cheaper than by truck.

[bystander]

How deos a branchLine file for bankputicy? I thawt the hole railroad had to file. Ir or it abandonned?

[cjvrr]

IIRC, the NYS&W filed an intent to discontinue service on the Greenwood Lake Branch at some point in the future. It was paperwork that must be filed with the FRA, but it was not a notice of full abandonment.

If you look back through the old threads from July or August of 2006 you should find the information. I am just too lazy to look right now.

Chris

[SemperFidelis]

Morris Pipe gets sporadic service depending on where the pipe is being imported from. I'd imagine the global nature of steel production and steel prices has a lot to do with where the pipe is purchased from.

They used to ship in pipe from overseas which was unloaded in New Haven, CT. From there, rail didn't make sense, so it was shipped by truck. If the pipe is now coming from Canada, the railroad is a much better deal.

I've read that a lot of the Greenwood Lake Branch has been removed for a rail trail. There are a number of sites along the line which advertise, when vacant, as rail served.

[thebigham]

What exactly is the Greenwood Lake division? Where does it begin and end?

Thanks,

Chris

[GOLDEN-ARM]

The Greenwood Lake Branch was a short branch line in northern New Jersey that ran from Jersey City, NJ to Greenwood Lake. It was originally built to serve the iron mines in Ringwood and also to transport ice from Greenwood Lake to New York City. After these two businesses shut down the line was cut down to end in the Wanaque/Midvale area. Although primarily a commuter line, it did have some online industries and was host to an occasional local freight or two. Not long after the merger between the Erie and Lackawanna in 1960, the line was coordinated with the DL&W's Boonton Line west of Mountain View, NJ. The Original GL Branch north of Mountain View was then used as an industrial spur only as far as Pompton Jct. Regards


Here's a link, to an old newspaper article: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-fr ... ref=slogin

[n01jd1]

The Greenwood Lake Branch was a short branch line in northern New Jersey that ran from Jersey City, NJ to Greenwood Lake. It was originally built to serve the iron mines in Ringwood and also to transport ice from Greenwood Lake to New York City. After these two businesses shut down the line was cut down to end in the Wanaque/Midvale area. Although primarily a commuter line, it did have some online industries and was host to an occasional local freight or two. Not long after the merger between the Erie and Lackawanna in 1960, the line was coordinated with the DL&W's Boonton Line west of Mountain View, NJ. The Original GL Branch north of Mountain View was then used as an industrial spur only as far as Pompton Jct. Regards


Here's a link, to an old newspaper article: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-fr ... ref=slogin

Service to Wanaque/Midvale was suspended in 1966. The lower half of the former Greenwood Lake Branch between Montclair and Hoboken was abandoned in 2002 when the "Montclair Connection" opened due to the bridges in West Arlington (WR) and in the Meadows (DB) being in such poor condition. My tag team partner and I toured the west part of the line two weeks ago. Here are some photos.

An old bungalow sits derelict with its door open on the former Erie Greenwood Lake Branch now the NS Orange Industrial Track in North Newark, NJ 11/16/2008. The track diverging to the left is the old Erie Orange Branch.
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396530

This yellow bear lies on the entrance to the former Erie Ornage Branch near the former Forest Hills Station in North Newark, NJ on the old Greenwood Lake Branch (Now NS's Orange Industrial Track) 11/16/2008.
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396518

The old 8-1G signal protects a track that no longer exists in the Forest Hills section of North Newark, NJ on the old Erie Greenwood Lake Branch, now the NS Orange Industrial Track 11/16/2008. The old Erie Orange Branch diverges off to the left.
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396536

The old 9-1G and 9-2G signals stand silent vigil over the remains of the old Greenwood Lake Branch in Belleville, NJ 11/16/2008
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396527

Here is a photo of the remnants of the former Rowe Street Station in Bloomfield, NJ on the former Greenwood Lake Branch, now NS's Orange Industrial Track. 11/16/2008
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396556

Here is a photo of an old fashioned crossbuck with the reflective beads and the out of service 10-4G signal on NS's Orange Industrial Track at Glen Ridge, NJ 11/16/2008
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396638

The former Glne Ridge Station is in horrible shape 11/16/2008. Note that Glen Ridge STILL uses gas lamps for street lights!!
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396585

The old 10-4G signal governs a track that no longer exists at Glen Ridge, NJ 11/16/2008
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396651

The fact that the former Glen Ridge Station has been allowed to deteriorate to this condition is a crying shame. Especially since its in a very upscale neighborhood.
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396658

The Glen Ridge Station is in really poor shape. Its roof is like swiss cheese and the roof on the rear dormer has collapsed. Its only a matter of time before the whole building collapses upon itself.
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396659

Now back to active rail at Little Falls:

Here is a photo of Little Falls Station as it appeared 11/16/2008
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396765

Here is a another photo of Little Falls Station as it appeared 11/16/2008
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396766

Enjoy!

[trainwayne1]

Here's a good map showing the relocation of the railroad in the 1920's when the Wanaque resevior was built. Service to Greenwwod Lake also included passengers and mail. A steamboat would meet trains at the end of the line on the Jersey (south) end of Greenwood lake to transport passengers and mail north to the NY end of the lake. Note #25 on the map...the station at Boardville, and #18, the Railroad dock for ice loading.

http://history.gsmrrclub.org/history7c.html

[oknazevad]

The former Glne Ridge Station is in horrible shape 11/16/2008. Note that Glen Ridge STILL uses gas lamps for street lights!!
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396585

The old 10-4G signal governs a track that no longer exists at Glen Ridge, NJ 11/16/2008
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396651

The fact that the former Glen Ridge Station has been allowed to deteriorate to this condition is a crying shame. Especially since its in a very upscale neighborhood.
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396658

The Glen Ridge Station is in really poor shape. Its roof is like swiss cheese and the roof on the rear dormer has collapsed. Its only a matter of time before the whole building collapses upon itself.
http://n01jd1.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1396659

The Benson St. Station, as it was called, is in such poor shape because it was gutted by a fire a few years ago, while it was serving as the offices of the modern New York and Greenwood Lake shortline. It's actually for sale if you got the money to fix it up.

[Steve F45]

Did the greenwood lake section cross Margaret King Highway in Ringwood?

[ErieLimited2914]

That's pretty cool that the GL is back in service.

My Grandpa worked on that line. He told me once that a lot of trains that went up there were local freights pulled by GP-9's with 5-20 cars.

I'm working on the restoration of the Pompton Plains train station, and we're planning to repaint it into the era that the Waldwick tower is painted in.

[cjvrr]

Did the greenwood lake section cross Margaret King Highway in Ringwood?

Steve,

I believe there was a branch off the 'main' GL Branch that serviced the iron mine in Ringwood that crossed Margaret King Highway. The actual Greewood Lake branch did go to Greenwood Lake.

[Steve F45]

Did the greenwood lake section cross Margaret King Highway in Ringwood?

Steve,

I believe there was a branch off the 'main' GL Branch that serviced the iron mine in Ringwood that crossed Margaret King Highway. The actual Greewood Lake branch did go to Greenwood Lake.

Thanks for that info. Last time I drove on MKH it looked like a row followed it for a bit then crossed it and continued up a bit. i thought it was either a row or pipeline clearing but the more I looked it definitely looked like a row.


Does anyone have the site that had pictures of the GL branch? Years ago i saw a sight that had pics from a few people doing a tour of the old row when the resevoir was extremely low and you could see the old row exposed. It was a neat site with some great pics.

[airman00]

Hey I was down in passaic not too long ago and saw a bunch of engines and cars at a site that said New york and greenwood lake railway, really cool stuff. I guess for the railroad historical society in NJ? Do any run? Anyhow are those tracks active? Is this the same greenwood lake railway in this thread?

One final question, is if the line is not active, how does the Atlantic coast fibers company receive rail service? Who services them?