Ok, get out your Jersey City or Hudson County map.
Just north of West End Junction is a small cemetery called St. Peter's
Just north of the cemetery, is Utica St. which comes off Tonnele Ave. RT.1&9
The photos are from the area at the west end of Utica St.
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CP Croxton Question
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trainfreak wrote:I just recieved this months new railpace. And on page 4 there are two photos at CP Croxton one of a NS train and one of a CSX train. How can one get to the location where the photos were taken? Any help would be great. Thanks.I was there the day the photos were taken and I will tell you exactly how the photos were taken. First off, the photographer works for Norfolk Southern and walked across the interlocking from Croxton yard, jumped over the gulley, and climbed up the embankment. The directions described in the above opst will get you to pretty much the same place, however now there is some kind of PSE&G construction going on there and I don't think you can get a good view of the railroad. The last time I climbed up to take a picture from there, I saw a transit cop parked at the end of Utica St and after hearing about NJT's no photography policy, I retreated back to my engine. NJT probably hangs out there because of their bridge that crosses the Lower Drill. As far as being bothered, CSX police chased me away several times, Jersey City PD clocks cars on 1&9 from Utica St, and there are some unfriendly locals that hang around in the containers and woods. Railroad police will stop there after some one tied a chain to a tralier on one of our trains and the chain was ripped out and dragged, knocking out a dwarf signal or two and destroying a switch. I never have a problem with NS police, then again I work for NS, but CSX is the problem and their crews phoned me in on numerous occasions, even while on Utica St. The crews must call the police via cell phone as I never hear them call over the radio. On occasion there will be some kids with paintball guns running around shooting each other. I guess if you stay east of the guardrail at the end of Utica St you should have no problem, but then again they came to me when I was at the guardrail on the street itself. Other than that, all I can really say is that it is a rough area and police activity should be expected. Just don't go past the guardrail and if the authorities arrive, cooperate with them. Hope the info helps.
There is no guarantee in life.
I have hung out there a number of times and never had a problem. It's a quiet next to the cemetery. The location is a city block off a main highway Rt. 1&9.
If you want a little more traffic around you try St. Pauls Ave crossing less than 1/4 mile south. You can get some nice shots looking north. Three tracks going into one for the Marion Junction connection. The New Jersey Transit line is crossing over all. I have a shot of two south bounds waiting for clearance through the junction with two NJT trains overhead at the same time.
The connection is an extremely sharp curve. North bound trains usually stop just short of St. Pauls Ave. under thr RT. 1&9 bridge waiting for signal. When they get it and start notching out all hell breaks loose under there due to the curve and grade from the Hackensack River bridge.
I have hung out there a number of times and never had a problem. It's a quiet next to the cemetery. The location is a city block off a main highway Rt. 1&9.
If you want a little more traffic around you try St. Pauls Ave crossing less than 1/4 mile south. You can get some nice shots looking north. Three tracks going into one for the Marion Junction connection. The New Jersey Transit line is crossing over all. I have a shot of two south bounds waiting for clearance through the junction with two NJT trains overhead at the same time.
The connection is an extremely sharp curve. North bound trains usually stop just short of St. Pauls Ave. under thr RT. 1&9 bridge waiting for signal. When they get it and start notching out all hell breaks loose under there due to the curve and grade from the Hackensack River bridge.
I have been there a handful of times myself. As you saw by the published photos, you get really good views of CSX trains coming down the Northern Branch and of NS trains leaving Croxton Yard.
With that said, I have been approached by police twice, and both times were by CSX police and both were in the latter part of 2003. The first time, I was with my wife and son, and the police officer simply asked for some ID. The second time I was less fortunate. Back in November, I was with my son, who is five, and a friend of mine. Two CSX police officers arrived after a crew phoned in our location. We were asked to provide ID and then told to leave. They sat in their cars until we left. I have not been back there since.
This is just my experience visiting the location at the end of Utica Street.
With that said, I have been approached by police twice, and both times were by CSX police and both were in the latter part of 2003. The first time, I was with my wife and son, and the police officer simply asked for some ID. The second time I was less fortunate. Back in November, I was with my son, who is five, and a friend of mine. Two CSX police officers arrived after a crew phoned in our location. We were asked to provide ID and then told to leave. They sat in their cars until we left. I have not been back there since.
This is just my experience visiting the location at the end of Utica Street.
The idea of a railfan park does sound good. It is a good spot to catch multiple trains.
I like that idea! :D
Utcia St. - I have sat there with a folding chair for hours and never been approached by police. It is a public street all the way to end overlooking the tracks and yard. It may not appear so, the last time any work was done on it you would have been watching steam locos switching the yard.
St. Pauls Ave. - I usually park under the Rt. 9, only once was I told by RR police "This is RR property". I picked up, cross the tracks and parked on Covert St. (public street) which overlooks the tracks on the east side and leads up to NJT's West End tower. You can get some nice shots to the west of the NJT line from the north end of this street.
Elm. St - Not mentioned before. This is a dead end street that goes west off Kennedy Blvd. Almost in line with Uticia St but up the hill, about 75' higher. It overlooks the NJT (DL&W)portals, the old Erie portel, West End junction, east end of Croxton Yard.
Heading over to the west end of Croxton. There are some great photo locations of NJT / Amtrak lines around the County Road crossings and Secaucus Transferr Station. There is a new county park, old Snake Hill, south of County Road crossings. At south end of park you can get some interesting shots of the Amtrak / NJT bridge over the Hackensack River.
Utcia St. - I have sat there with a folding chair for hours and never been approached by police. It is a public street all the way to end overlooking the tracks and yard. It may not appear so, the last time any work was done on it you would have been watching steam locos switching the yard.
St. Pauls Ave. - I usually park under the Rt. 9, only once was I told by RR police "This is RR property". I picked up, cross the tracks and parked on Covert St. (public street) which overlooks the tracks on the east side and leads up to NJT's West End tower. You can get some nice shots to the west of the NJT line from the north end of this street.
Elm. St - Not mentioned before. This is a dead end street that goes west off Kennedy Blvd. Almost in line with Uticia St but up the hill, about 75' higher. It overlooks the NJT (DL&W)portals, the old Erie portel, West End junction, east end of Croxton Yard.
Heading over to the west end of Croxton. There are some great photo locations of NJT / Amtrak lines around the County Road crossings and Secaucus Transferr Station. There is a new county park, old Snake Hill, south of County Road crossings. At south end of park you can get some interesting shots of the Amtrak / NJT bridge over the Hackensack River.
I'll throw in my two cents here. I personally do not think it would happen. I don't know how the other railfan parks were built (i.e. municipal or county dollars), but I don't see Jersey City trying to put one there. Plus, based on what nolifeCRchaser said, and a current thread on the NJT forum, NJT doesn't want anyone taking photos of their trains and buses, from both private and public property. Don't know if the railroads would have to give approval or not for a railfan park, but I just don't think it would happen anytime soon. Just my opinion, and I would love to be wrong on this one.
Just wondering if anyone from this forum was at Utica St this past weekend. I saw someone up there watching us work on the lower drill one day and another time I saw two people up there. The other day I was getting a strange look from an NJT cop who was standing beind the guardrail while I was getting ready to make my move on the lower drill, so I reported him to the NS police. I have noticed an increase in the amount of police activity on Utica St lately and I was just curious if anyone has tried railfanning since then.
nolifeCRchaser wrote:The other day I was getting a strange look from an NJT cop who was standing beind the guardrail while I was getting ready to make my move on the lower drill, so I reported him to the NS police.HAHAHA Thats great.....call the cops on the cops!!!! :D
On the RR, "believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see"
John, aka "JTGSHU" passed away on August 26, 2013. We honor his memory and his devotion to railroading at railroad.net.
John, aka "JTGSHU" passed away on August 26, 2013. We honor his memory and his devotion to railroading at railroad.net.
It seems like its the NJT Cops with the ego trips....Why the heck was he giving you a funny look??? Aren't you just doing your job????
LOL...
LOL...
njt4172 wrote:It seems like its the NJT Cops with the ego trips....Why the heck was he giving you a funny look??? Aren't you just doing your job????Maybe he wanted me to walk across the interlocking to pick him up a cup of coffee and some donuts.
LOL...
"Mmmm....donuts."
The NJT cops must be on some kind of ego trip because they have been harassing several of our crews on our property as well and they arrested our jitney driver one night when he was trying to pick up a crew. I would have loved to put in that claim. "Waited 2 hours for ride due to jitney being arrested by NJ Transit." The best is when they drive into our yard and ask who were are and what we are doing.
"Croxton, can you have NS police come to the new yard for a tresspasser?"