Ex CNJ (Now NS) line to Phillipsburg

I had thought that when the final section of I-78 was built to PA. that the old CNJ line was severed. Today I was looking on Google Earth and followed the tracks and low and behold they go to a bridge over I-78 and make it all of the way to Pburg. Was I mistaken (The mind starts to go bad when you get up there in years...) about the line being severed, or was a bridge built over 78?

The CNJ right of way is severed by I-78; however, a connecting track to the LV main was constructed east of I-78 and west of Bloomsbury.

The CNJ right of way is severed by I-78; however, a connecting track to the LV main was constructed east of I-78 and west of Bloomsbury. So a train could go west on the old CNJ ROW all the way through Bloomsbury, then connect onto LV for the remaining distance to Phillipsburg. Don't hold your breath.

while we are on the subject, when tracing out the ROW's in the area, it is also confusing because near the Delaware river the current main line tracks in the area(on the LV RoW) swing over to use the CNJ bridge over the river, then go back to the LV on the PA side. Sometime in the Conrail era (I think) there was some structural problem with the LV bridge over the river (the southermost of the bridges), so the CNJ (just to the north) was used instead. JS

Okay - I know this is an ig'nant question but I have to ask because I don't get out there much. Is this the LV line that passes Potter's in Edison? It meets up with the CNJ line further west? Does anything run over the special connector track from CNJ to the LV? I know it wouldn't be any passenger trains, but does any freight go out that way? I am used to the corridor, chemical coast etc, but am curious what's over on that side of the state.
BigDell

BigDell wrote:Okay - I know this is an ig'nant question but I have to ask because I don't get out there much. Is this the LV line that passes Potter's in Edison? It meets up with the CNJ line further west? Does anything run over the special connector track from CNJ to the LV? I know it wouldn't be any passenger trains, but does any freight go out that way? I am used to the corridor, chemical coast etc, but am curious what's over on that side of the state.
BigDell

It is the same - went from tidewater in Jersey City to the west crossing at P'Burg into Easton. I don't think there has been an active freight customer on that section of the CNJ for some years, though a large number of freight cars were stored there a couple years ago due to the economic recession. Don't know if any car storage is still extant.

BigDell wrote:Okay - I know this is an ig'nant question but I have to ask because I don't get out there much. Is this the LV line that passes Potter's in Edison? It meets up with the CNJ line further west? Does anything run over the special connector track from CNJ to the LV? I know it wouldn't be any passenger trains, but does any freight go out that way? I am used to the corridor, chemical coast etc, but am curious what's over on that side of the state.
BigDell

Welcome to west Jersey. West of Manville the ex-LV mainline we are talking about is owned by Norfolk Southern and called the "Lehigh Line" (the part in NJ that is, not sure if that is an official NS or unofficial name). It is the only way NS gets major freight in/out of the northern NJ area**, so its very busy. In Allentown it connects to an ex-Reading line to Reading and then another Reading line (all NS now) to Harrisburg, which is a major NS hub. There are a few NS branches off this route in eastern PA such as to Reading to Philadelphia, Allentown/Bethlehem to the Hazleton/Packerton area, and a few others. East of Manville it is owned by Conrail and also hosts freights that come up/down the CSX Trenton sub (ex-Reading, Manville to Philadelphia, and eventually to Florida), another very busy line. I'm guessing the Lehigh line (west of Manville) and the Trenton line each run 15-20 trains a day. JS
** (There are a few cars that go from Phillipsburg directly up the old DL&W to Washington to serve a local on the old DLW lines such as the Boonton line and Morris & Essex line.)

Thank you Ken W2B and Pumpers...! I grew up a stone's throw from the Lehigh Line in North Edison - I would walk through the golf course just north of Potters and stroll down to the high tension wires - watching all the LV and NW traffic on the line. After traveling the world (seriously, I've lived everywhere, man...) I bought a home on the same street I grew up. Now the golf course is a park and I still stroll through it to catch the action on the line. I've noted the nonstop traffic (and commented quite a bit when they restored the double track some years ago). I never had a chance to follow the line much further west than central NJ, but perhaps I'll make a Spring trip out there and shoot a bit. I wondered if there were any other major rail conduits to PA from JC, but this is the big one now I guess.... So that's how it works - it crosses over to the CNJ bridge at the water gap, then back to the NS mainline.

BigDell wrote:Thank you Ken W2B and Pumpers...! I grew up a stone's throw from the Lehigh Line in North Edison - I would walk through the golf course just north of Potters and stroll down to the high tension wires - watching all the LV and NW traffic on the line. After traveling the world (seriously, I've lived everywhere, man...) I bought a home on the same street I grew up. Now the golf course is a park and I still stroll through it to catch the action on the line. I've noted the nonstop traffic (and commented quite a bit when they restored the double track some years ago). I never had a chance to follow the line much further west than central NJ, but perhaps I'll make a Spring trip out there and shoot a bit. I wondered if there were any other major rail conduits to PA from JC, but this is the big one now I guess.... So that's how it works - it crosses over to the CNJ bridge at the water gap, then back to the NS mainline.

The ex-Reading line branches off in the Bound Brook area and then goes to West Trenton and across to PA, so the eastern portion of the Lehigh Line has those trains as well as those that continue on the exLV. The CNJ and LV adjacent parallel bridges are from Phillipsburg to Easton, many miles downriver from the Water Gap. NJT Bound Brook station platform is a good place to see all, just before the split.

For the Lehigh Line west of the split, the former passenger station (now a rail museum) in Phillipsburg is a good location, park right in front of the station in the station lot. On weekends in the warmer months the NYS&W group will be running their trains there on the BelDel. Stop by Ringoes and see us at the BR&W, too.

For the Lehigh Line west of the split, the former passenger station (now a rail museum) in Phillipsburg is a good location, park right in front of the station in the station lot. On weekends in the warmer months the NYS&W group will be running their trains there on the BelDel. Stop by Ringoes and see us at the BR&W, too.

I've done Bound Brook a couple times, that's always fun. I will definitely do Phillipsburg. Have wanted to for quite some time, that sounds perfect..... Thanks for the great info!

The old passenger parking area (behind funeral home) is another good spot. PU tower has been cosmetically restored and is an excellent photo prop I live here so it's boring to me. NS service is 99% intermodal/multi-level. Not like the Conrail days and a bunch of different merchandise freights and more frequent trains also.That is why I plan on "road-tripping" to spots east and west of P'burg.That includes aformentioned Reading lines as well as LV east of Bound Brook.I really want to catch something between West Trenton and Manville too.
Going to Motorsports Show at Oaks this next Saturday. Plan on stopping in Potstown and seeing if I am lucky enough to catch something.

The old Reading line (Philadelphia to Manville now) always did have the Tropicana O.J. train which is interesting (although often going through at night), and now they are running unit oil trains fairly often (multiple per week I think). It comes down from Albany on CSX River line (ex NYC West Shore) to the Jersey City area, then takes the Lehigh line through Bound Brook to Manville, and then the ex-Reading line to the Philadelphia area. That should be interesting - but I don't know the timing - someone here will know. Not sure if the empties go back the reverse way or somehow else. I lived alongside the ex-Reading line in the 1980's and 1990's - lots of general freight then and Tropicana, but the oil is something new just recently. JS

pumpers wrote:The old Reading line (Philadelphia to Manville now) always did have the Tropicana O.J. train which is interesting (although often going through at night), and now they are running unit oil trains fairly often (multiple per week I think). It comes down from Albany on CSX River line (ex NYC West Shore) to the Jersey City area, then takes the Lehigh line through Bound Brook to Manville, and then the ex-Reading line to the Philadelphia area. That should be interesting - but I don't know the timing - someone here will know. Not sure if the empties go back the reverse way or somehow else. I lived alongside the ex-Reading line in the 1980's and 1990's - lots of general freight then and Tropicana, but the oil is something new just recently. JS

Actually the Crude Oil comes from either Bakken,ND or Manitoba,Canada. They usually come anywhere from 1-4 times a day. Take about 16 hours to unload and return the same way north and west. They get interchanged in Chicago to BNSF or CP

Thanks, I figured they originated from out west somewhere... JS

That should be interesting - but I don't know the timing - someone here will know.

For the trains going down the Lehigh Line, is there any kind of "schedule"? I know there are the trains letters and they run on certain days etc, but is there any kind of discernable timing to them or is it all random and "as needed"?
Maybe random is the wrong word. If a train is scheduled to run, say, M-W-F's is it usually going to run within a certain window of time? The Tropicana train generally runs at night, for example, is that as specific as it gets? Or do they generally leave pretty much at the same time each time?