CSX Northern Branch

Semper, not sure that exactly works here, I think it's been more demographics.

With the exception of the corrugated box facilities in Closter and Piermont, a lot of the businesses just supported local markets... the window factory, the lumberyard, the stone yard and the team track all in Closter reflected a lot of the housing boom from the '50's to the early '70's. The Tenafly ink plant probably went away in combination of environmental exposure and an industry consolidation. Earlier, the sand pit in Sparkill petered out in the early sixties, and Orangeburg Pipe's market over time also faced an environmental challenge, and that business eventually went to PVC pipe.

None rivaled an auto plant, refinery or steel mill, but all were significantly large FCL customers for their time, that warranted at least 1-2 trains a day north of Ridgefield. Same story for the NY&NJ farther west, and the West Shore in between.

That line really never had "heavy industry". Admiration/Supreme can accommodate 15 rail cars and I don't consider that to be heavy industry or traffic. If they kept up on preventative maintenance instead of let the line crumble apart they could rival the trucking industry. No smart business owner would rely on a railroad to deliver and/or pick up your products at 10 mph and the possibility of that product being more delayed due to derailments on 100 year old track.

I don't think the 100 year old track is much of a threat to a food-oil shipper. They probably hold several days' inventory on site which is plenty of time to clean up a nonhazardous derailment at 10mph or less. Worst case is that they need to call a truck. It's not like they are shipping FedEx packages for Christmas.
But I would agree that CSX should do more to maintain that track, if not just to help with their negotiations for when they ultimately sell it to NJ Transit for a large sum of money.

Not only that ,they have heat on them for the oil trains running threw those towns on the river line why do they want more ?????

and they dont care. Oil trains are safe. The media just displays them as dangerous, when 99.999999999% of oil trains make it to their destinations safely. Oil trains make the most money for the railroad. End of story

ccutler wrote:I don't think the 100 year old track is much of a threat to a food-oil shipper. They probably hold several days' inventory on site which is plenty of time to clean up a nonhazardous derailment at 10mph or less. Worst case is that they need to call a truck. It's not like they are shipping FedEx packages for Christmas.
But I would agree that CSX should do more to maintain that track, if not just to help with their negotiations for when they ultimately sell it to NJ Transit for a large sum of money.

That food-oil processor gets switched out almost daily, those cars don't sit.

I noted some MOW equipment parked on the tracks where there is a siding, south of Route 46 as I passed over it today. There were also large stacks of used railroad ties nearby.

CSX is doing track work on the North Branch. Two days in a row I spotted the equipment and men working near the fort lee road crossing while heading home from work.

I suppose track work is a good sign. Here's a couple videos (not mine) of some recent moves on the NB.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yoCC9Vs8SZ4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U4jx537g_cQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a photo of the Northern Branch, looking south from Ft. Lee Road, on May 20 2016.

hmm..trying again on the photo...but message say the board attachment quota has been reached

I've gotten the same error message on a different thread of this forum and sent a private message to a moderator who acknowledged it. But I haven't heard back and obviously there is still an issue.

Does anyone know when Lowe Paper was closed and approximately when the plant was knocked down? Is 2004 a good guess for the closing? Also any info on what they manufactured in more detail than just paper. I've only seen a couple photos of the building and know they recieved tank cars. Does anyone know what was in the tank cars, track configuration and capacity and any other cars than tank cars?

I always thought this ROW would be used all the way to Orangeburg, NY as either a light or heavy rail commuter line. Even after Orangetown converted their part of ROW to a trail. The 303 Drive-In site next to the PIP seemed to be a perfect location for a Park and Ride, with enough room for an overnight yard.

Now it's looking more and more unlikely. I guess CSX is still paying real estate taxes north of Englewood, but it begs the question, what's next?

I guess we dinosaurs who grew up with the Erie and EL will just have to cherish our memories.

I saw c777 switching admiration/supreme so I bolted for ridgefield and was able to get a video https://youtu.be/Li_TO08r4C8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Delta Corrugated had 2 boxcars spotted at their ramp and colorite had 4 covered hoppers and a tank car.