The Main/Bergen/Port Jervis Line Thread

[R92]

It looks like the next phase of the new signal system on the Port Jervis line has been cut in this past weekend. I noticed as I was driving along Route 17 south of Harriman that all of the newly installed communication huts have been energized (white pilot lights are illuminated on the side of each structure) and the wayside signals near the route 17/17A interchange and Contractors Rd crossing near the firehouse in Tuxedo have both been removed.

[trainbrain]

Apologies if this has been discussed previously, but I note that for the insomniac/insane rail enthusiast, there is the possibility to do an overnight round trip from Hoboken to Port Jervis, departing just before 1 am and arriving back at the terminal just after 6. I'm curious to know if anyone has done this, and if so how was the experience? Or has anyone travelled on either leg of this early am service?

The last PJ outbound of the day 12:45 or whatever usually runs with 3 cars and gets a fairly good crowd. I've been on it a few times. Once your in PJ your left out in the cold for a solid 30-35 minutes. Nothing that I know of is open at that hour. Any real reason to do this? As an extreme railfan your not going to see anything as it will be dark as heck, maybe in the summer on the way back but really not worth it.

There was a guy on youtube with the username NHRHS2010 that did this and took some video of it. The channel has since been pulled along with all his videos. I watched it a couple times back when it was up. Apparently it was the same equipment and crew on both trains, but it isn't now at least with the equipment. The 3 car trains are on 56 and 58 in the morning and 63 and 41 in the evening/night. 49 and it's non-revenue return are also 3 cars. I don't know which train in the morning becomes which train in the evening, or what set is used on 49.

I've ridden the entire Port Jervis Line, but on train 64 and 51. It can also be done on 50 and 43 without much of a wait in Hoboken.

[Graeme Salt]

So in the end I did travel the Port Jervis line in the early hours on train 42 a couple of months ago, albeit after a very short night in the Erie Hotel in PJ instead of the quick turnaround off train 41 (the "sensible" option I think, since it was -8 deg C that night.) I'd like to go back in the daylight one day and have a look at the heritage diesels up there. Afraid I don't have a video for YouTube, but I am uploading my photos from the trip to https://www.flickr.com/photos/127988932 ... 2086036652" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - mostly close-ups of locos but may be of interest to some; it was nice to see GP40s working in healthy numbers still.

[trainbrain]

According to travel alerts there are three cancelled trains, but no explanation as to why. 66, 1271, and 65. Any idea what's going on?

[SecaucusJunction]

They’ll blame mechanical issues and whatever else but the truth is that NJT is so poorly run, they just don’t have anybody to operate the trains. Basically if an engineer calls out with the flu, it throws the whole rush hour off.

[njtmnrrbuff]

If you ever see on the website cancelled but they don't give a reason, you can assume that it is due to manpower shortages. Often, the site will say mechanical shortage when there is one in fact. At the end of the day, cancellations are very annoying. If NJT had better management, manpower shortage cancellations would not be happening. On the Pt. Jervis Line when a train is cancelled, it really screws up everything, even during the rush hour.

[SecaucusJunction]

It’s true. If one leg of a round trip gets cancelled, the other one does too. They don’t keep a lot of spare equipment or crews in PJ.

[trainbrain]

I would assume whatever crew they were short on typically runs those trains. 1271 probably has a deadhead return as most peak hour Waldwick trains do.

The other issue is that if 66 is cancelled then they can't run 57 with a 7 car set so they'd have to use the 5 car set from 65 and it would be SRO.

[TDowling]

Does anyone know why the deadhead to Hoboken that currently runs in the late afternoon around 5:00pm cant be put into revenue service? It would close that huge gap somewhat in the eastbound weekday schedule.

[SecaucusJunction]

Are you speaking of the Middletown train? If so, I would agree. I guess they fear stopping on the way back might delay 51 and 53 at Valley and Sterling.

[trainbrain]

I think I saw all 5 Multilevel sets this morning. Never seen that many on this line. Rode 50 and 43 from Port Jervis to Hoboken and back just for fun.

[trainbrain]

Upon looking at the schedule, I saw the following trains had Multilevel equipment:

When riding 50 from Port Jervis, a Multilevel set was passed at Suffern signed as 1156. This one would've first gone west on 1103. At Route 17, 1154 was passed which was also a Multilevel set. This is the Suffern based one as discussed earlier.

Another one was passed at Waldwick. I didn't see what it was signed for, but based on the time it had to have gone east on 1206. I saw it arrive at Hoboken although no train number was displayed, but it turned into 1207. When my train arrived, I also saw one other Multilevel set already in Hoboken which would've had to gone east on 1152 which I've seen in Suffern before with Multilevel equipment.

On the way back to Port Jervis, my train (43) passed another Multilevel set that looked to be on 1212. I know that trip's equipment deadheads west, but I don't know if it was it's own set or if it was the same as 1152.

Another thing that was kind of odd is they sent 52's equipment west on 43 rather than 48's after a 2 minute turnaround. I know equipment cycles are always subject to change, but I wonder why the change was made today. 48 had a full NJT set (saw it in Port Jervis before boarding 50) so maybe they were swapping it out with a Metro North set.

[trainbrain]

Any idea what happened to train 42 today? It was cancelled and 44 was also 15 minutes late due to having to accommodate passengers from 42 as they said, but 44 wasn't overcrowded (I rode it). Guessing they had to use 44 to push the faulty set into a siding.

[trainbrain]

There's now a video out of the train/bus accident in Plauderville yesterday. Looks like it only clipped the front of the bus. Everyone involved is so lucky that this wasn't much worse.

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/07/09 ... -with-bus/

The train involved was 66 which does not stop at Plauderville and was going fast in the video. Bus was stuck under the gate. There wasn't any car behind but it still did not back up although it hasn't been determined whether the driver attempted to yet. There are no photos of the train after the accident so I don't know what cab car was leading or what the extent of the damage is. Does anyone know if pictures of it have been posted anywhere?

[CNJGeep]

There are no photos of the train after the accident so I don't know what cab car was leading or what the extent of the damage is. Does anyone know if pictures of it have been posted anywhere?

6033, and no, respectively.