DelLackWestern wrote:I was in Rockland today with the family, mostly to eat lunch but also caught a glimpse of the the freight yard on the way out of town. We are going to try the Brunswick or Wiscasset to Rockland run later in June or July. Today's run ran the wrong way for us (outbound from Rockland in the AM and then back in the PM).
As you noted, Sundays are one round trip. Wednesday through Saturday, there is a morning round trip (gets back to Rockland around noon) and an afternoon/evening round trip.
I always thought that the existing ROW through Rockland was a bit odd--a large, almost circular loop that winds south of town and then along the waterfront. Leaving town today, it occurred to me that this was likely a waterfront track and not the old mainline into some sort of in-town terminal.
The grade crossing over Broadway went back to two tracks a few years ago when the "Station Track" was put back in. There is presently a power switch to select the station track or the "Atlantic Branch" that the cement shuttle uses to get to the waterfront.
The MERR passenger trains used to terminate at the waterfront, until the station (corner of Union and Pleasant) was restored and the station track was rebuilt. I'm not as good with the history of it as some people are, but I've seen photos of a good-sized yard between Pleasant St. and Park St. (US 1); some of that land has been built upon since then.
I think there was a freight house somewhere on the line that ended at Union St., on the Park St. side. There might have even been some customers who shipped/received by rail around there, "way back when." I've heard references to a one-time "upper yard" and "lower yard," with the upper yard being the one by the engine house and turntable.
I believe there was a ferry terminal at the waterfront, years ago.
Just now, looking at Google Earth, it appears that their was a large yard coming up through the Union Street area. It looks like there may still be track (or at least ties) in place in some areas. (Forgive me, I have spent very little time in the town). Is the large building at the junction of Union and Rt. 1 the old passenger station? If so, when did MEC cut off the original trackage into the core of downtown?
I don't know just when the "Station Track" was removed, but it was replaced a few years ago, and eventually had active signals installed where there had previously just been stop signs on the two crossings east of Broadway. There is also a runaround track just west of the station.
Having been a NJ Transit commuter years ago, it was also interesting to see a Comet car in the yard, plus a turntable in the aerial view!
The Comet car gets added into a passenger consist now and then when extra capacity is needed, but it's a very different "flavor" from the other cars.
The wye in Brunswick (connection to the Lewiston Lower, now called the Lewiston Industrial Track) and the turntable at Rockland are very handy when the passenger trains can't be run push-pull.