CSX Northern Branch move - 9/17

I saw what appeared to be an unusual move on northern branch today (9/17/09) I asked this on the CSX forum and I'll ask this here, to see if anyone can shed some light on this. I was working nearby the tracks in Englewood, NJ. I heard the train coming and stopped to get a look and didn't get a great look as trees were in the way. But it was just one engine and one car.

The engine was running opposite end first, meaning the cab was facing the car. I guess you call this a deadhead move or running long hood forward? It was headed from englewood in the direction of closter, northvale, that way. The car looked like a caboose, or it may have been just one boxcar, as I caught a glimpse of a boxcar when the train returned several hours later.

I know trains on the northern branch always use 2 engines. Did they maybe run one boxcar and then wait for it to be emptied out by customer and then return or did I see a caboose?

Thanks for any info on this.

Its called running Long Hood Forward and if there is one or two cars there is no need for two engines.

Perhaps it was an engine move? I believe the FRA requires that if you are going to be doing track speed, you need a car attached, even if it is "dead". Otherwise you have to run at a restricted speed.

The method of operation you say is known as "Long Hood Forward". The one car could have just been an empty car coming from a customer.

alewifebp wrote:I believe the FRA requires that if you are going to be doing track speed, you need a car attached, even if it is "dead". Otherwise you have to run at a restricted speed.

Close. On most railroads, one lite engine is limited to 30mph, two lite engines are good for 50mph, with train they are good for track speed. A train is one car or more coupled to an engine or engines. Obviously if the track has a speed lower then 30 or 50 they run with the more restrictive speed.

Restricted Speed and running with one lite engine are very different things.

I saw the train in Demarest heading south

A dark future CSX Geep w/ what appeared to be a newly painted/ recently tagged, gray CSX transfer caboose heading back to Croxton, doing it's usual blistering 5mph thanks to total disrepair of the tracks

The caboose was leading with a gentleman on board flagging the crossing, followed by a boxcar and then the engine

mainetrain wrote:I saw the train in Demarest heading south

A dark future CSX Geep w/ what appeared to be a newly painted/ recently tagged, gray CSX transfer caboose heading back to Croxton, doing it's usual blistering 5mph thanks to total disrepair of the tracks

The caboose was leading with a gentleman on board flagging the crossing, followed by a boxcar and then the engine

Probably one car for a very sporatic lumber company up there then...Demarest lumber??

mainetrain wrote: A dark future CSX Geep w/ what appeared to be a newly painted/ recently tagged, gray CSX transfer caboose heading back to Croxton, doing it's usual blistering 5mph thanks to total disrepair of the tracks

CSX does not go into Croxton Yard. Everything going to the Northern Branch is sent out of North Bergen.

what time did it pass thru demarest?

So I did spot a caboose! And I thought my eye's were decieving me. My guess is the one box car was for the ace hardware up in northvale, NJ. That's the last customer on line going towards NY. Why the caboose though? Maybe because they didn't have the 2nd engine they normally have on the northern branch?

If the engine is running long hood forward, then they'd need a caboose so you can see the crossing. Most grade crossings at least from englewood going towards NY have no gates that come down. The engineer would have trouble seeing from too far back if a car tries to sneak through. The only thing is how with that set-up did they manage to service the customer and deliver/pick-up that boxcar?

Steve F45 wrote:what time did it pass thru demarest?

I saw it going from englewood towards closter say early to mid morning. I just guessing around 9-10 am or so. Going south then might have been the return trip? It came back thru englewood around 3pm.

You would have liked the move back on Tuesday, September 8th. One box car between a GP38-2 and an SD50. The rails were really creeking as that big 6 axle unit made it's way south from the ACE hardware. The big snow plow almost scraped the rails just south of the Madison Avenue crossing in Cresskill because of the huge dip in the track. (I've usually seen the rest of the train in Englewood just south of Palisade's Avenue.)

Vincent Zablocki

sullivan1985 wrote: CSX does not go into Croxton Yard. Everything going to the Northern Branch is sent out of North Bergen.

oops, wrong decade

Steve F45 wrote:what time did it pass thru demarest?

11:40am

zablocki22 wrote:You would have liked the move back on Tuesday, September 8th. One box car between a GP38-2 and an SD50. The rails were really creeking as that big 6 axle unit made it's way south from the ACE hardware. The big snow plow almost scraped the rails just south of the Madison Avenue crossing in Cresskill because of the huge dip in the track. (I've usually seen the rest of the train in Englewood just south of Palisade's Avenue.)

Vincent Zablocki

Wow, never knew they still were going up to ACE hardware in Northvale.

Is this line still active as of 2011? are they still serving surpreme oil?