The track I was speaking about where the hacks can be parked is located in the CNJ yard. There is a track that runs along the river bank. It's quite long and could easily hold the hacks. This track is not used except to store the R&N units once in a while.
Back a few years ago the C&S's largest customer, Ametek, was doing good business. They had 3 spurs that were filled with covered hopper cars, and the CNJ yard was full as well. Now death is on Ametek's door and the C&S was only serving them a few times a week. The 1 spur had the same hopper parked on it for over a year and the wheels were practically rusting to the rails. The other 2 spurs were filled to 25% capacity or so. The CNJ yard track was devoid of any cars. That being the case, the hacks could be parked on that long track by the river.
A note about that old photo from 1969...it shows all the track in place. If you look at pics of the CNJ yard from the 1900s to 1950s the yard is filled to capacity with anthracite hoppers. Many people don't know that when the LVRR took over the CNJ operations in 1972 they actually tore out the CNJ yard and the CNJ main thru Jim Thorpe up to the PQ tower. That's why today there is a large drop off/cut toward the river bank. The LVRR wanted the coal that was under there. They then relaid the CNJ mainline up to PQ tower. This is why it's pallet track up to the tower today. You'll notice the track joints are even on both sides, which causes the train to dip at the joints.
Someone also posted that the CNJ yard at PQ tower was torn out in 1988. No way. I used to explore the area in 1982 and the yard was long gone. At that time only 1 train a week served the line. But the yard ties were there with thick trees growing between so I'm assuming the yard was gone by the late 1960s-early 1970s.
Conrail did not want the line and I think in 1982 wanted to abandon it, but Ametek depended on rail service and the county of Carbon bought the line and started the C&S (first called Panther Valley RR). It was plagued with terrible service and corruption. This caused Air Products to drop rail service, although they've since returned as a customer. I know a few times the CR crew from Allentown worked the line on wednesdays and would outlaw! I once saw the train parked along the line at PQ tower and the crew was standing outside drinking beers. The only way they could outlaw is if they were screwing around on the job.
Back a few years ago the C&S's largest customer, Ametek, was doing good business. They had 3 spurs that were filled with covered hopper cars, and the CNJ yard was full as well. Now death is on Ametek's door and the C&S was only serving them a few times a week. The 1 spur had the same hopper parked on it for over a year and the wheels were practically rusting to the rails. The other 2 spurs were filled to 25% capacity or so. The CNJ yard track was devoid of any cars. That being the case, the hacks could be parked on that long track by the river.
A note about that old photo from 1969...it shows all the track in place. If you look at pics of the CNJ yard from the 1900s to 1950s the yard is filled to capacity with anthracite hoppers. Many people don't know that when the LVRR took over the CNJ operations in 1972 they actually tore out the CNJ yard and the CNJ main thru Jim Thorpe up to the PQ tower. That's why today there is a large drop off/cut toward the river bank. The LVRR wanted the coal that was under there. They then relaid the CNJ mainline up to PQ tower. This is why it's pallet track up to the tower today. You'll notice the track joints are even on both sides, which causes the train to dip at the joints.
Someone also posted that the CNJ yard at PQ tower was torn out in 1988. No way. I used to explore the area in 1982 and the yard was long gone. At that time only 1 train a week served the line. But the yard ties were there with thick trees growing between so I'm assuming the yard was gone by the late 1960s-early 1970s.
Conrail did not want the line and I think in 1982 wanted to abandon it, but Ametek depended on rail service and the county of Carbon bought the line and started the C&S (first called Panther Valley RR). It was plagued with terrible service and corruption. This caused Air Products to drop rail service, although they've since returned as a customer. I know a few times the CR crew from Allentown worked the line on wednesdays and would outlaw! I once saw the train parked along the line at PQ tower and the crew was standing outside drinking beers. The only way they could outlaw is if they were screwing around on the job.
