M&E Railfanning

Hello all,

I live in New Jersey and really have not paid much attention to the M&E, I would love to get some shots of their trains in action but was wondering when they normally service the lines in New Jersey I have access to a car so I have no problem driving anywhere. I would not ask this question as usually I would just go track side and wait for something to show up, but being as I am not familiar with this railroad and how it operates I'm looking for a little guidance here.


Thanks,

Brandon

For starters, you can go to the Staples parking lot in Morristown and check out their engine facility from there. Usually there is something going on.

mainetrain wrote:For starters, you can go to the Staples parking lot in Morristown and check out their engine facility from there. Usually there is something going on.

That's true, on the 19th they had a some of their passenger cars there. I got this shot of Ohio River from the Staples lot.

Ok thats a start thanks! Anymore info would be very helpful! I usually don't ask these type of things but like I said I'm not familiar with the territory that changes after one trip.

Try to get to Morristown before 8 am...You could probably go into the train shed or the trailer where the office is and ask someone nicely where they are going. Usually they head west on NJT sometime between 8 and 9 am. Once a week they do the Whippany line, but lately it seems less and less. They have no set schedule, but you can listen in on the scanner at 160.230.

Hope this is at least some help.

That is exactly what I was looking for, I figured there was no set schedule but a scanner frequency and a relative idea on times is perfect! Thank you so much!

If you're interested in photographing the excursion trains that the Whippany Railway Museum does, and that the M&E generally pulls, you may wanna check out the museum's site.

http://www.whippanyrailwaymuseum.net/

They only run on specific weekends throughout the year...and I believe the next one's will be coming up around Easter.

You'd just have to be lucky on weekdays when they head west to the High Bridge and Dover-Rockaway branches. Midmornings to early afternoon weekdays has the best chance.

Here is a shot of M&E SW1500 20. I had a cab ride in this locomotive when I was about 5. Its neat insidethe cab of the 20 .

Hey, when (and where) can I catch the #20 in action?

20 is most likely the switcher for the bayway refinery right now so chances of you catching it up in the morristown area are slim. It comes up every now and again. Last I saw of it was when it helped out on the easter bunny trains. Have not seen it since but once again I am only guessing it is down there.

I'm interested in photographing the Whippany Railway Museum excursion trains. However, I would only be able to do it in Morristown if I do. Do they still come to Morristown near CP Baker? Are the neighborhoods safe in Mo-town along the Morristown and Erie ROW?

I'm interested in photographing the Whippany Railway Museum excursion trains. However, I would only be able to do it in Morristown if I do. Do they still come to Morristown near CP Baker? Are the neighborhoods safe in Mo-town along the Morristown and Erie ROW?

Some Misc Updates:

Museum ran caboose train today - 18 with 8 varied hacks. They came down from Morristownwith 18 and 563, which may have been used to help drill the train out. During the runs it was parked on the main west of the water tower. Run-around pretty empty with all the cabooses out on the road - just 385 and the D&H caboose, 21 and the Army Plymouth on display.

Jefferson Road team track appears complete and ready for business - currently used to store some of M&E's ex-Amtrak MHC's and the small crane has returned to the run-around from being on the lead into Std Roofing. There has been activity by RR Construction this past week on the east side of S. Jefferson Road - grading for what appears to be another track though still hard to tell exactly what they're up to. Why they would need or want another track in this area escapes me, there's nothing there but vegetation and power lines all the way in to the old Eden Mill property.

A visit to Morristown showed two M&E Comet 1's sitting on the hill with a 3rd in front of the shop. Shop area had 19, 4216 (under repair), pass cars "Birken" and one of the green ones they bought last spring.

A

Yes #563 (sw1200) was used to switch cabooses from siding onto the main and connect them to the #18 and the one caboose it brought with it. #563 was then unhooked from the train and #18 powered it. (#18 was also the power for the caboose and #563 when it pulled into station)

Train ride was AWESOME! Sat up in the cupola of one of the cabooses, really incredible!

You know on a related note, I'd love to see #385 southern pacific steam engine running again, but one of the volunteers there said that it would take alot of $$ to get it going. For now it appears it got a new paint job. As for running, maybe someday!