CR on the Southern Secondary

Here are the box's they worked on Wed. From Dec 2017 pictures i have

Looks like leftover equipment from when the line still had signals.

Looks to be in about the location needed for the crossing gate sensor. Per the previous post, that's what they were checking out.

Anything on a return trip today?

I haven’t heard anything.

In regards to a return trip, if they come back tonight, it will be very late. Sometime between now and 3 AM late.

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:50 am Huh. Didn’t know there was a box out there.

TBH though, Main Streets lights work just fine. It’s Cross Street that needs to be fixed now. The lights there haven’t worked in two months, and whenever SA31 puts flares in the road the locals call the fire department saying the road is on fire!

It could also be the fact that since the plan is to reactivate the switch onto/from the FIT, and perhaps even make it a wye, they will have to "edit" the crossing system on Main Street.

Would they also need to reinstall signals on the Southern? I'd imagine trains could still come from the Coastline if they wanted, and Farmingdale would become some sort of 3-way intersection. I don't think the traffic would warrant it (unless MOM or a Winslow Junction reconnection happened) but is there some sort of safety regulation that would require it?

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:25 pm @OCTrainguy Wasn’t that PR-19??? Nice pictures.

Symbol I heard and saw others refer to was SA93. I heard it was an extra crew.

@OCtrainguy Ok.

No SA31 or PR19 today? Must not have had a crew available.

Maybe they will go back Sunday?

JohnFromJersey wrote: ↑Fri Jan 14, 2022 7:49 pm In regards to a return trip, if they come back tonight, it will be very late. Sometime between now and 3 AM late.

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:50 am Huh. Didn’t know there was a box out there.

TBH though, Main Streets lights work just fine. It’s Cross Street that needs to be fixed now. The lights there haven’t worked in two months, and whenever SA31 puts flares in the road the locals call the fire department saying the road is on fire!

It could also be the fact that since the plan is to reactivate the switch onto/from the FIT, and perhaps even make it a wye, they will have to "edit" the crossing system on Main Street.

Would they also need to reinstall signals on the Southern? I'd imagine trains could still come from the Coastline if they wanted, and Farmingdale would become some sort of 3-way intersection. I don't think the traffic would warrant it (unless MOM or a Winslow Junction reconnection happened) but is there some sort of safety regulation that would require it?

Probably if there was ever? two trains they would work off a Form D.

Tanker is correct. The Southern Secondary uses a Form D Control System. It doesn’t require signals but there are areas of Conrail where Form D systems are in use with signals. (Mainly the Garden State and Port Reading secondaries)

The last known instance of two trains passing each other on the Southern (to my knowledge) was in Farmingdale in the mid 90s. By then more than one train a day on this line was considerably rare.

Unless MOM happens or the Southern Secondary once again becomes a major through route, we most likely will never see a signal system installed.

Just on a wye in Farmingdale I have heard that’s what the two switches mentioned in the grant are for, but right now we still haven’t seen anything come of that grant whatsoever. Considering we just had another derailment last week (3rd derailment within a 1 year period) I don’t think a 7.4 million grant is gonna cut if for what needs fixing down here.

What makes you think that there wouldn't be additional grants in later years.

There might be, I’m just saying C&D asking for 7.4 million isn’t enough for everything that they want to do now. Thousands of ties across both lines need replacement, crossings need repairs, rails are battered and chipped in areas, etc.

Bracdude181 wrote:There might be, I’m just saying C&D asking for 7.4 million isn’t enough for everything that they want to do now. Thousands of ties across both lines need replacement, crossings need repairs, rails are battered and chipped in areas, etc.

Ok, And I'm just saying the the people in charge know what the line needs.

So with only 7.4 million dollars C&D is going to:

Clear all vegetation between Farmingdale and Freehold, and clear Lakewood to Lakehurst, buy brand new ties and replace the destroyed ones, pour new ballast down, put new rail down, put up crossing lights, buy all new spikes and tie plates, fix bridges and bring the Southern Secondary up to Class 1,

For 7.4 million dollars?

They might be lucky if the 7.4 million covers Farmingdale to Freehold alone, and the prices for ties and such? No doubt inflation has brought that up. Even if it’s only $5 more per tie that adds up.

Bracdude181 wrote:So with only 7.4 million dollars C&D is going to:

Clear all vegetation between Farmingdale and Freehold, and clear Lakewood to Lakehurst, buy brand new ties and replace the destroyed ones, pour new ballast down, put new rail down, put up crossing lights, buy all new spikes and tie plates, fix bridges and bring the Southern Secondary up to Class 1,

For 7.4 million dollars?

They might be lucky if the 7.4 million covers Farmingdale to Freehold alone, and the prices for ties and such? No doubt inflation has brought that up. Even if it’s only $5 more per tie that adds up.

It was 7.9, but thats fine. The grant does not cover grade crossing work as that is paid for by the DOT. The last page breaks everything down. So of that page, with those prices what do you take issue with?