Bound Brook NJ

I heard Q300 and Q190 coming through - but I set up down by the VFW in Manville - about a mile west of where the Trenton line meets up.
Unfortunately - I can't seem to find a place to get on the OTHER side of the tracks in Bound Brook. A place that's cleared out w/ no shadows cast on the tracks in the AM light - and a place I can get to legally.

Otherwise I'd be asking for a trespassing ticket and harassment - not worth it.

On the other hand - if you just want to hang out and watch trains - Bound Brook is great for that!

I'm here now with some friends. We just saw Q439 go by at 21:00 with 133 cars! Q417. Went by 10 minutes later. Then an NS stack train behind the usual 2 dash 9s. ( Yawn) ... NS seems to only run 2 manifest trains thru here and they are usually short. CSX is runing some nice mixed freights thru here. They have become my fav. Q417 had SD40s for power!!! Nice!!!! And the engineer on Q439 gave us a railfan air horn salute. He must be a member of this forum as he knew what we are here for. Ha. Speak up who ever u were.

Bound Brook is a known railfan hub many crews will do that or they don't like you and are blowing to scare you...the best though is the ones who like to ruin shots by hanging out windows

Well CSX was runnin hot thru BB tonight. Q438 went thru with a huge train at 00:30. South bound juice train went thru 10 minutes later. And 2 more CSX trains went south a little after 01:00 before we left. Not much at all tonight from NS. Did they go bankrupt yet? Haha. We checked out that spot in Manville by the water towers. Cool area! I'd like to find a nice spot on the CSX line. Anything good? Scenic non industrial? I prefer takin photos in a country surburban area rather than at BB where there's not much except power lines.

CSX runs most of there traffic between 1900-0200 by Bound Brook. NS runs the most of there traffic by Bound Brook between 0100-1100. During the day and afternoon is usually MOW time with a few trains of each road and the Conrail locals mixed in.

There's also a thread about the Shared Assets Lehigh Line: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 27&t=10445

It does have some other photo locations as well as postings of train sightings along the line.

Last nite I was at BB.... I caught what I thought was a real treat.. CSX Q418 at about 21:45 with 2 SD40-2's on run 8 excellerating from a stop... On this train was a block of 6 Pan Am Blue and Charcoal box cars.... It was a great mix. At the Middlesex detector it came over with 548 axles.

NS went thru with 3 trains during my time there last nite but all were very very short.. One intermodel train had only 2 trailers on it. Is NS hurting for business or what? I hope I don't hear them claiming bankrupt next?

ItaliDe wrote:NS went thru with 3 trains during my time there last nite but all were very very short.. One intermodel train had only 2 trailers on it. Is NS hurting for business or what? I hope I don't hear them claiming bankrupt next?

The real short one was 25R, they make a pickup at Bethlehem, PA. It used to be longer when they had the block for Voltz, MO but that is now handled by the 25Z. It seems to be in NJ business is slow, I'm out in Harrisburg now and being on the Pittsburgh Line the intermodals seem to be a decent size still but a lot of trains have had their operating days cut back.

i havent been there in 3 yrs I live in Staten Island, NY and i just dont have the time- how is it there now? ive heard its a lot more quiet since the double tracking- how does that system work? is the secondary still busy?!! yeah taking pictures in the morning can be a real PAIN IN THE ASS lol ---------- in january 07 i saw 8 trains in 30mins on the single track!!! then i went back in april 08 and i saw 10 trains in 7 hrs- a bummer- is that the norm now? how are weekends?!!

I go there often enough. CSX runs the show there with nice long manifest trains between 7PM and 1AM. At least 3 in each direction plus the 2 OJT trains.. Tropicana. NS is hurting for business thru there.. Everytime I see an NS train , its a stack train usually with no more than 10 well cars double stacked.. I do not even bother railfanning NS there because there is no point.. its really a CSX main line now between Selkirk NY and Philly, Cumberland, Rocky Mount and Waycross GA.. I am a huge CSX fan... NS jsut doesnt impress me thru there sorry to say. Peak times is Mon thru Thurday 6PM to midnight. You will see at least 12 trains thru there at those hours. I dont bother taking pictures.. I go just to see what mixed freight is running thru..I am a huge box car fan and like to see all the types coming thru, especially the hot looking Pan Am box cars that are usually on Q 417 and 418.

I might go to Bound Brook later on today. What is the action like there, especially for westbounds? I probably would be at Bound Brook between 3:25 and 5.

Did you go? I dont know about those times... I know CSX runs about 6 trains thru there between 7 and midnight. NS usually 2... I think NS runs early mornings but its mostly intermodel which I find boring.. if you like Mixed Manifest trains like I do then CSX is your better shot and those run in the evenings.... Oh and the CSX Juice Trains run thru around 10PM

There was plenty of traffic last night at Bound Brook from 8p to 10p. Several mixed manifest and an intermodel passed through, one of them being pulled by a CP. Also, NJT had issues with one of their locomotives and made all of the passengers get off at Bound Brook while another train came in from Raritan. The alstom locomotive was really spewing some black smoke and sounded pretty sick.

Yeah that CP train always comes sometime after dark.

But the "fun" starts after 1030pm when the "new" 3rd trick dispatcher gets there