North Jersey Coast Line Thread

[NJT4149]

SOP is Westbound trains enter the loop at Bay Head to become eastbounds. Thus, loco stays at same end for both east & west runs until train returns to BH, loops and reverses loco position relative to train direction. Fueling discontinued at BH several years ago and tank cars that had been there for decades removed. Fueling now done at MMC.

They now fuel engines in BH. Fueling at the MMC stopped in 2015

[njtmnrrbuff]

When a westbound shuttle approaches Bay Head, whatever is at the front of the train will often lead the consist east(rr direction) to Long Branch. If let's say there is a shuttle scheduled to arrive into Bay Head with about an hour to spare before that same consist turns to a through train to Hoboken or NYP, you can probably count on whatever leads the consist from Long Branch will lead back north to Hoboken or NYP. Since the majority of trains that head to Bay Head are powered by dual modes, it doesn't matter so much about having the dual mode lead to Hoboken and NYP.

[GSC]

Fueling discontinued at BH several years ago and tank cars that had been there for decades removed. Fueling now done at MMC.

They now fuel engines in BH. Fueling at the MMC stopped in 2015

One of the tank cars is at Pine Creek at Allaire, another is at Strasburg. Not sure of where the third tanker went.

[GSC]

When a westbound shuttle approaches Bay Head, whatever is at the front of the train will often lead the consist east(rr direction) to Long Branch. If let's say there is a shuttle scheduled to arrive into Bay Head with about an hour to spare before that same consist turns to a through train to Hoboken or NYP, you can probably count on whatever leads the consist from Long Branch will lead back north to Hoboken or NYP. Since the majority of trains that head to Bay Head are powered by dual modes, it doesn't matter so much about having the dual mode lead to Hoboken and NYP.

I was curious about it as I watched 4213 push for few runs eastbound, pull westbound, and then an hour or so later the whole affair was reversed. Seeing how often 4213 was operating, I don't imagine it went farther east than Long Branch.

Since most of the NJCL trains are powered with ALP 45s, what happened to the PL 42s? Visually, the PLs had a cool space shuttle look to them, while the ALPs look like they were designed by someone carving a bar of soap.

Over the years, I've watched NY&LB trains with Trainmasters, Baby Trainmasters, Geep7s, RS3s, RS11s, Sharknoses, SD35s, E-units, Geep40s, Screamin' F40s, PLs, and now ALPs. Variety!

[GSC]

Haven't seen 4213 for a few days. Looks like PL42 4004 has taken over.

[R&DB]

GSC wrote:

Over the years, I've watched NY&LB trains with Trainmasters, Baby Trainmasters, Geep7s, RS3s, RS11s, Sharknoses, SD35s, E-units, Geep40s, Screamin' F40s, PLs, and now ALPs. Variety!

Gary, add in the K4s before '57. various PRR freight power from Manasquan to Neptune before '63 and last but not least the doodlebug before '62. What other rail line has ever seen such an assortment?

[ExCon90]

A doodlebug with cab signals, no less.

[Zuccaraillo]

Haven't seen 4213 for a few days. Looks like PL42 4004 has taken over.

4507 was added just recently, which I believe replaced 4004

[NJT4149]

4204 is running the shuttles today as a “heavy cab car.” It should lead 4360, 4372, 4383, and 4398.-

[GSC]

Saturday night (Oct 13) I saw an eastbound 8-car through Sea Girt with an ALP 45 pulling and another ALP and Geep 4204 on the tail end. I saw 4204 running light westbound a few nights ago.

Yes, the variety of the NY&LB. I'm just old enough to remember the K4s. (And the soot on my grandmother's wash in Belmar) The Doodlebug, with its gurgly horn, was my morning alarm clock as it went through Neptune City. Pennsy RS11s pulling unit trains of jetty rocks into the old Lewis Lumber in Spring Lake, the last things to run the entire Freehold & Jamesburg to Sea Girt. The junction at Sea Girt with SG Tower, the signal bridge, and the trackwork. An evening CNJ breakdown at the Spring Lake station, causing the rest of the parade to stop. A block away from us was a PRR passenger train and the crew let me climb up into the cab. Dad took movies of it.

[TSTII]

GSC -

I'm also old enough to recall being on Belmar beach ( 18th ave ) in the Summer, hearing a Southbound K4 whistle and turning around to see the slow progression of rising black smoke above the trees as the train rumbled it's way to Bay Head.

The junction at Sea Girt with SG Tower, the signal bridge, and the trackwork

The concrete footings for that signal bridge are still in place at the crossing....once spanning 4 tracks ( 2 sidings )

I still miss the big hump bridge over the Freehold & Jamesburg branch too.

[CharlieL]

I fondly remember standing on the Sylvania Avenue bridge in Avon, watching one of those K4s' go thundering by underneath me.

[TSTII]

I fondly remember standing on the Sylvania Avenue bridge in Avon, watching one of those K4s' go thundering by underneath me.

My older brother would take me to Belmar station to meet our Dad coming home from work in NYC.

We'd stand on the southbound platform and look north up the tracks and at a distance of 4-5 miles, see the menacing ( to a 7-year old ) black outline of a K4 with one eye belching thick smoke as it steadily approached us. As it arrived, I used to hide behind a canopy post until it passed and came to a stop down the platform.

Was fascinated with the brief break of stack smoke when a K4 would pass beneath that Sylvania Ave bridge ( slightly humped wasn't it ? ) and then beneath/thru the Shark inlet drawbridge.

Obviously ya never forget these occasions experienced at such a young age.

[GSC]

We lived for a time right next to the Sylvania Ave. bridge. Hearing a train, I would be running to the bridge. A northbound (eastbound) accelerating from the Avon station would be working hard under the bridge. When that old wooden bridge was first built, it was finished but not open. My grandfather was a fireman in Avon, and not wanting to go all the way up to the Evergreen Ave. crossing, was the very first to cross that bridge. With a horse-drawn fire engine! He caught hell for it but arrived in time to fight the fire in Neptune City. (In those days, most fire companies had only one or two engines. Mutual aid from surrounding towns was normal)

I notice some shuttles are down to four cars again, the 8-car trains are now mostly 7. PL42 4005 with three coaches and cab car 6004 seem to be in constant motion.

[TSTII]

GSC/CharlieL -

Obviously we're all in the same age bracket

Either of you remember the red 'smash boards' on either side of Shark drawbridge ? And prior to welded rail, the deferred maintenance on the jointed rail/ballast encouraged a lot of weed growth in the gauge. The rails were quite wavy causing the Pennsy and CNJ coaches to gently bounce up and down.

Talk of 3-car shuttles and 8-car trains these days....I miss both the green CNJ and the Tuscan red Pennsy coaches living their last days in normal 9-10-11 train sets behind CNJ Baldwins and Pennsy E8's, E7's and Shark nosed diesels....the variety was super fun.