Hi;
I'm not sure this post belongs here with Conrail, but since I am mainly interested in the southern terminus between North Bergen and Jersey City, I believe it comes under Conrail Shared Assets.
I am confused.
I was just running (by foot) past the Piermont NY station on a run from Tappan to Nyack Beach SP. Part of the trail is the old Northern branch.
After I returned home, I started doing some research on the Northern branch.
I am reading this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Branch" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
First off, they talk about the configuration prior to the 1990's when the new Marion Junction was built.
I recall train movements in the area, as I was listening on my scanner from Teaneck NJ and had good coverage to the south.
CR trains used to have to do a reverse move at Marion in order to get from the Northern running track to the west (Kearny, OI, etc). I remember that being a PITA, with the grade crossing at the busy Newark ave.
The other route was to use the elevated loop track (which I believe was built by PC) which would take trains running through the old Erie tunnel from what is now CP Croxton, up the loop, and onto what was always referred to as the "Westbound", which is the P&H line. This allowed trains to get from the River Line to Kearny and west without making the reverse move at Marion.
The Wikipedia article referrs to that being the preferred route, but talks about running through the Palisades in tunnels twice. Looking at Google Maps, I see only the one tunnel - which is the old Erie tunnel which comes out just north of the beginning of the P&H loop track. I believe the point where the loop track connected to what is now the National Docs secondary - was called "CP Nave".
So, where is the second tunnel that the Wiki article is talking about?
Whether trains came through the Weehawken tunnel (which is now NJT's HBLR line), or through the old Erie tunnel, there was only one tunnel involved.
Unless they are referring to a time before the Northern branch was connected to the River Line in North Bergen? Wasn't it always connected there?
If not, I can see where the second tunnel comes in, but that would mean that a reverse move was necessary at CP Nave, right?
The train would come through the Weehawken tunnel on the River Line, travel to CP Nave, then what? Was there a run-around track where the locos could run around the train and then pull them through the Erie tunnel back up the Northern branch?
I think what I am confused about is which trains that Wiki article is talking about.
Trains needing to access points north on the Northern branch from points south of Jersey City or v/v?
I am more familiar with the PC and CR trains connecting between the River Line and points west and south or v/v.
The article also mentions a "CP 2". Where was CP2? Was that the south end of the North Bergen yard? I always thought that was CP1, or CP01.
Perhaps the article is referring to the CP names on the Northern, which would have been different than those on PC or NYC.
I hope that someone can either clear this up for me, or link me to another website where I can get this mess of spaghetti untwisted.
Thanks
CP
I'm not sure this post belongs here with Conrail, but since I am mainly interested in the southern terminus between North Bergen and Jersey City, I believe it comes under Conrail Shared Assets.
I am confused.
I was just running (by foot) past the Piermont NY station on a run from Tappan to Nyack Beach SP. Part of the trail is the old Northern branch.
After I returned home, I started doing some research on the Northern branch.
I am reading this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Branch" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
First off, they talk about the configuration prior to the 1990's when the new Marion Junction was built.
I recall train movements in the area, as I was listening on my scanner from Teaneck NJ and had good coverage to the south.
CR trains used to have to do a reverse move at Marion in order to get from the Northern running track to the west (Kearny, OI, etc). I remember that being a PITA, with the grade crossing at the busy Newark ave.
The other route was to use the elevated loop track (which I believe was built by PC) which would take trains running through the old Erie tunnel from what is now CP Croxton, up the loop, and onto what was always referred to as the "Westbound", which is the P&H line. This allowed trains to get from the River Line to Kearny and west without making the reverse move at Marion.
The Wikipedia article referrs to that being the preferred route, but talks about running through the Palisades in tunnels twice. Looking at Google Maps, I see only the one tunnel - which is the old Erie tunnel which comes out just north of the beginning of the P&H loop track. I believe the point where the loop track connected to what is now the National Docs secondary - was called "CP Nave".
So, where is the second tunnel that the Wiki article is talking about?
Whether trains came through the Weehawken tunnel (which is now NJT's HBLR line), or through the old Erie tunnel, there was only one tunnel involved.
Unless they are referring to a time before the Northern branch was connected to the River Line in North Bergen? Wasn't it always connected there?
If not, I can see where the second tunnel comes in, but that would mean that a reverse move was necessary at CP Nave, right?
The train would come through the Weehawken tunnel on the River Line, travel to CP Nave, then what? Was there a run-around track where the locos could run around the train and then pull them through the Erie tunnel back up the Northern branch?
I think what I am confused about is which trains that Wiki article is talking about.
Trains needing to access points north on the Northern branch from points south of Jersey City or v/v?
I am more familiar with the PC and CR trains connecting between the River Line and points west and south or v/v.
The article also mentions a "CP 2". Where was CP2? Was that the south end of the North Bergen yard? I always thought that was CP1, or CP01.
Perhaps the article is referring to the CP names on the Northern, which would have been different than those on PC or NYC.
I hope that someone can either clear this up for me, or link me to another website where I can get this mess of spaghetti untwisted.
Thanks
CP