Historic operations: Bakelite factory

Greetings,

I've been looking into the Bakelite industry - from a railroad operations point of view - for a model railroad project. Although it's not based on a specific one, I noticed there was a bit of talk in this forum about the Bakelite switcher run in Bound Brook and the long hours it spent switching the plant. So, I was wondering if anyone here has more detailed information about that plant, such as what was shipped and received by rail there, types of equipment, etc.

Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

~AJ

At least until around 1962-3, a switcher would come out of Port Reading to service the plant. The "Bakelite Shifter", as the crews referred to it, would leave Port Reading at 4 P.M. During 1961-62 as I would watch the switcher go by at Metuchen, I remember the power would be an Alco S-2, BLW 1000 hp Switcher or an EMD 900 hp rebuild switcher. Numbers 1507 through 1510 of the EMD rebuild 900 hp engines, would be the last group of engines I remember seeing. In late 1962 or early 1963, the engine was re-stationed at South Bound Brook Jct., and the crew would be taxied out of Port Reading. The switcher would also service Ruberiod, which was a roofing company across the water at South Bound Brook. I think the bridge is still in. I am not sure which one of the companies received them, but I have seen pictures of gondolas with round containers in the area. I think the Jeremy Plant RDG In Color book has a shot of some with RS3s in the area. The Bakelite plant had many tracks and the crew would be there 8 hours or more. Cars would come out of Manville and not Port Reading..... the Bakelite Shifter always ran light on the way to work. The last time I shot a RDG engine at Bakelite was around 1972 and it was an SW1500.