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  • Booton Line Drawbridge over the Hackensack River

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New Jersey
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New Jersey

Moderator: David

 #50111  by Jtgshu
 
As a side note to DB, the home signals, east of the drawbridge, under the turnpike overpass, they were lit for a LONG time.....the signal bulbs probably just blew out. They were showing a stop signal. At first, when the draw was first left open, the three head mast signal had all heads lit red. The dwarf signal was also lit red. This lasted a few months, then one of the lights on the 3 mast would be out, then a few months later, another one was out, then finally they all were out. The dwarf hung in there the longest, but that is now out too.

Funny thing about DB, the last train I saw on it was a decent sized frieght train. For about 3 weeks after passenger service ended, there was an item i nthe bulletin order stating that the bridge would be closed at a certain time each week for a freight train to pass over it. I guess i was lucky enough to see one of them, actually i think it might have been the last one, because a few days later, the draw was left open.

NS frequently stores cars on the lower boonton line, and there was a long string of them there last week, up almost to the "grade crossing" where the dirt road crosses it below the NEC tracks.

 #50115  by Lackawanna484
 
I think the original plan for downsizing the lower boonton line called for a once a week freight to service the line. Maybe on Thursdays.

There was a 12 hour service period once each week where an operator would be assigned.

 #50126  by sullivan1985
 
Jtgshu wrote:As a side note to DB, the home signals, east of the drawbridge, under the turnpike overpass, they were lit for a LONG time.....the signal bulbs probably just blew out. They were showing a stop signal. At first, when the draw was first left open, the three head mast signal had all heads lit red. The dwarf signal was also lit red. This lasted a few months, then one of the lights on the 3 mast would be out, then a few months later, another one was out, then finally they all were out. The dwarf hung in there the longest, but that is now out too.

Funny thing about DB, the last train I saw on it was a decent sized frieght train. For about 3 weeks after passenger service ended, there was an item i nthe bulletin order stating that the bridge would be closed at a certain time each week for a freight train to pass over it. I guess i was lucky enough to see one of them, actually i think it might have been the last one, because a few days later, the draw was left open.

NS frequently stores cars on the lower boonton line, and there was a long string of them there last week, up almost to the "grade crossing" where the dirt road crosses it below the NEC tracks.
Yeah i remember those! I used to have [pictures, but i lost them in a computer crash. That dwarf was one hell of an underdog, because i figured that that would be the first one out.

 #50176  by CGRLCDR
 
Mike, great photos! Thanks for sharing.

Chuck Gullage

 #51074  by snavely
 
Sullivan, great pix. Love seeing the bridges. Question on #6 though: isn't that the Orange Branch? Caldwell Branch left the Boonton Line at Great Notch.

 #51195  by sullivan1985
 
snavely wrote:Sullivan, great pix. Love seeing the bridges. Question on #6 though: isn't that the Orange Branch? Caldwell Branch left the Boonton Line at Great Notch.
thats it! your right... i got all mixed up.. thanks, ill fix that up...

 #51927  by Butlershops
 
sullivan1985 wrote:To get a little back on topic, heres some of my favorite photos of the abandoned boonton line, not only pretaining to the DB Drawbridge...

6. http://www.deviantart.com/view/6829579/ (Old beat up grade crossing at the beginning of the Caldwell Branch)
Nice, but are you sure this is not the Orange Industrial?

BS