There is a definite end of the line past the last customer (Ampal).. The rails are out for a few yards.. After that it's essentially the Little Gap backyard RR and I'm surprised no one out there hasn't constructed a jalopy to take rides with..
I don't know too much about the Palmerton station, other than it's in private ownership, and isn't to be trespassed upon, as you found out.
The abandoned line crossing the CNJ via trestle was the direct rail access into the West Plant for the Chestnut Ridge and the non-common carrier NJZ RR (two parallel but seperate operations). The track on the fill behind the station was strictly for interchange, as it is now, as opposed to access to the West Plant.
The turntable you saw was used to turn the Mack Railbus that's now in Phillipsburg at the PRRH site.. The table was saved at the same time and I believe is owned by the LV Chapter NRHS, (owners of the railbus as well), though I may be mistaken on that.
The Canadian grain hoppers are only there to be staged for Mauser Milling in Treichlers, I believe, as there are no other grain operations in the area, and those hoppers are never seen on the Chestnut Ridge proper.
When the plants at Palmerton were built, the zinc was coming from Franklin NJ off of the L&HR. Up through the 1920's the L&HR had trackage rights on the CNJ up to Mauch Chunk for the purpose of bringing the zinc to Palmerton, then resting and having the engines serviced before returning to home territory. At the same time the CNJ was given trackage rights to Maybrook, NY on the L&HR. Later the rights to Mauch Chunk were cut back to Allentown Yard, which lasted nearly until the end of the CNJ in PA. I don't know when the CNJ's rights to Maybrook were forfeited.
Smelting of zinc ore in Palmerton at the West Plant ended in 1980. By that time the furnaces were all gas-fired, so there was little if any coal traffic left for Conrail to move. As for ore and finished product traffic, I have no numbers to give to you. Wish I did.
Micah
telephone, telegraph, and tell a railroader
-S.E. Miller