12/22 River Line (I think) spotting

I was heading home on NJTransit out of Hoboken this afternoon, and as we exited the tunnels heading west, I saw a freight heading north on the River Line (I think that's what its called). Attached to the freight was 4 double-decker passenger cars with the MBTA "T" logo. Absolutely beautiful!

It's possible that train was bound for the River Line, or for Croxton Yard, less likely for the other lines.

The radio will often refer to that area as Croxton, KW, or "the tunnels" and sometimes Marion or St Pauls Avenue, depending on where the train is going. Croxton's the yard, alongside which a train will pass on the Northern to reach North Bergen and the River Line / CSX.

KW is (was?) the switch point just north of Erie tunnels, Marion used to be a reverse move from the Erie tracks onto the Pennsy tracks at Newark Avenue, and St Paul's Avenue was the "hold short" signal for trains waiting for permission to crossover at Marion and go into South Kerany yard. Dispatchers will often use these terms as shorthand for crews.

How long are the tunnels and on the south end of them where do the tracks go from there?

This train went north on the River Line.... I saw it go through North Bergen.

These cars were in OaK Island last week.

trainfreak wrote:How long are the tunnels and on the south end of them where do the tracks go from there?

The original tunnels crossed under the ridge, and came out on the eastern side at the south end of Hoboken Road (Avenue), under to where the Holland Tunnel exit road splits into the Turnpike and Skyway branches. The Erie swept southeast, and past the huge warehouse just south of the 10 lane approach road to the tunnel.