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  • Passarelli Siding, and Gates Siding?

  • Discussion relating to the PRSL
Discussion relating to the PRSL

Moderator: JJMDiMunno

 #224677  by Steam man
 
OK then! Here's a couple more bits to think about. " Under Application of Rule 99(State of New Jersey), Timetable general rule 1103-A1" it states via a column table that "The grade crossing for Gate Siding at Philadelphia Ave in Egg Harbor that the highway crossing protection must be operated manually to protect train movement." And on the same column table it says "All trains or engines must stop before passing over the highway crossing and a member of the train crew must protect the crossing in advance of each movement. This applies to all crossings between Egg Harbor and Gate on Gate Siding except Philadelphia Ave in Egg Harbor".So it would appear that the former No.1 track (southbound) on the Main Line was left in place between Egg Harbor and Gate B.L.S. with crossovers on either end and was designated " Gate siding". I say No.1 track because I have noted on my track chart that No.1 track between Port and Winslow was out of service at the time and it would follow that No.2 track was left for the Main. But this could be wrong too, because at Absecon (Tide B.L.S.) the main went to single track with the old No.2 track being the Main until you got just about the the city limits of Pleasantville where the old No.1 track became the Main. So,it was either the old No.1 or No.2 track that became Gate Siding and was in service or out of service seasonally according to the schedule of the A.C. Racing Association.(?????) I'm so confused now,but you gotta love the goofy way the railroads did things.

Note: Bold writing quote from Timeable No.4 Effective June 14,1971

 #224797  by JJMDiMunno
 
glennk419 wrote:So when was the siding taken completely out of service? As a kid traveling to the shore, I remember seeing the diagonal grade crossing at Aloe and Hunterdon Avenues while traveling along Tilton Road. It's amazing how much of the ROW is still intact and visible from the AC Expressway overpass, although the south side is quickly disappearing.
I'm going to say that passenger service ended to the racetrack in 1967, but I can't be sure as my reference materials are 1100 miles away from where I am right now (this includes EVERYTHING on the PRSL). Those with the PRSL in color book can confirm that 1967, because I remember that's where that one came from. That freight customer might have stayed there for some time though...I'm not sure. I'm showing the track being abandoned and pulled up in 1974, but that could be wrong, especially since I can't go into my material and find out where I got that from...

Mike DiMunno

 #224873  by JimBoylan
 
The Northward track remained in service at Hammonton, but there was an "S" curve between there and Egg Harbor so the Southward track could be the new main track from Egg Harbor to Absecon. Therefore, I think Gate siding in 1970 was on the North side of the right of way. But, wasn't the entire line double track when the freight schedule that started this discussion was in effect in 1959? If so, then where was the 1959 siding?

I remember the Philadelphia newspaper article in 1968 or 1969 that P-RSL would not run the Atlantic City Race Track specials that season because they hadn't made much money the previous year.

 #224911  by PRSLTrainman
 
The timetable reprint on pg. 20 of the Stroup book shows a siding of northward assigned direction. The book doesn't date the timetable, but it was in effect during the time the Main Line still included Camden. So it seems it was while the line was still double-tracked. Apparently the siding wasn't created with the elmination of the second track, but merely preserved.

 #225178  by Steam man
 
I went back to the track charts for another look and here's yet another possibilty. Just north of The A.C. Racetrack spur and south of Cologne Ave around MP 44.2 or so,there is what appears to be a public siding(?) that comes off No.1 track. Could this be our errant piece of railroad? This makes sense because if CA-297was the drill for the Main Line, they could service the siding if needed,then proceed to the crossover at Gate and go to No.2 track and become CA-298 for the return trip.

There was double coverage here as mentioned that could happen above, by CA-289, that was the drill for the Main from Egg Harbor to A.C. This is in between the two mileposts mentioned in General Order 403 at the later time frame from the 1959 frieght schedule,so it fits a bit better.

This leads to another question. If Gate Siding was the southern terminus for 297, where would they run around the train to put the engine back on the headend? And what about the plight of the cabin car? Hmmmmmm!

 #225256  by JimBoylan
 
The special instructions about flagging crossings on Gate Siding are from 1971 in single track days, the Freight Schedule is from 1959, probably in double track days. I think that the real estate and valuation maps show that there used to be a "drill" siding on the North side from Egg Harbor to some point East so that the private sidings on that side didn't have to come directly off the Northward main track. Pleasantville and Hammonton also had this arrangement.

 #236494  by Don Lee
 
Sorry for this late entry, I just joined the forum today. PRSL GO 1207 dated 8/2/67 shows "No.1 track between Gate and Egg changed to Gate Siding of no assigned direction, in service." Gate siding was created at the time that the PRSL main line south of Winslow was single tracked. The primary reason for the siding was to be able to advance the Atlantic City Race Trains north to Egg Harbor while the southbound commuter trains were enroute to Atlantic City.

Passerelli Siding as stated was an industrial track. PRSL labor agreements required that assigned crews have a turning point and that the crew must operate to that turning point. Arranged Freight Train Service in the same timetable shows WY343/344 turing at Passerelli Siding.

 #237271  by JimBoylan
 
So, we're back to the mystery of what was Gate or Gates Siding in 1959. The 1967 siding must have been called "Track 1" in 1959!

 #238335  by Don Lee
 
I had a friend look up the PRSL arranged freight train schedule in an employee timetable of the late 50's. It shows that the trains reference as turning at Gate, the seasonal block station, no "s". no "siding."
 #1490121  by Chuck K
 
Passeralla Siding was a dbl siding on either side of the industrial branch located at G.F. Pettinos sand facility 1/2 way between Wade / Orange St and Port Elizabeth Rd ... it was accessed off Rt 55 at the Schooner Landing Rd exit ...