Middletown & New Jersey Railroad: News, Operations, Updates

Salt may save the railroad.
Middletown was a city built by the railroad. When the trains came, the city thrived. When the trains left, the city almost died.
There is a lone railroad left in a small depot on East Main Street – the Middletown & New Jersey Railway.
The line used to run all the way through Slate Hill and Unionville into New Jersey. It hauled feed and milk; it brought farm kids to the high school.
Now the railway has a single customer, the Genpak plastic factory in Middletown. With its 1956 diesel-electric "44 tonner" engine, the Middletown & New Jersey hauls plastic pellets maybe twice a week.
But it might be getting busier.

http://www.recordonline.com/archive/200 ... railwa.htm

Guess the propane tank farm deal is dead, but maybe there is hope for the M&NJ yet if this "new business" comes to light!

-otto-

I took a side street last week about two blocks away from the M&NJ enginehouse. The track ran by some old industrial, brick buildings. One of the companies had markings that it was/is an upholstery company. There appeared to be a spot with a large oil tank that had a siding at one time. I would guess that it was a siding for unloading coal.... there appeared to be some type of opening in the ground that was covered over. Any info for me out there?

It appears that this siding in question is off the old NYO&W interchange track near the M&NJ.

David,

the only current customer of the M&NJ is a little less than a mile south of the enginehouse and pretty difficult to get to by car. The customer's name is Genpak and they make foam food packaging. The only cars used in this service are plastic pellet cars.

If you are at the M&NJ station, M&NJ ownership ends on the station side of the street. Beyond that it was the interchange track to the O&W and the remnants of the O&W main up through Middletown. The O&W main was originally on the east side of the station. The original Erie Main was on the west side of the station between the current track and the buildings along the edge of the right of way.

So as you go north from the station, the series of brick buildings were served either by the Erie or the O&W depending upon their location to the respective tracks.

I don't think the M&NJ had any customers near the station because they were stuck between the O&W mains and the Erie mains. About a mile south of the station the Erie crossed under the M&NJ and the M&NJ's right of way was then accessible.

A great site to look at full of M&NJ history is here;
http://www.mnjrhs.org/

Chris

The siding in question is near the M&NJ station. It appears to have gone through a lumber yard and then crosses the street to the upholstery company .

I have an 8mm movie taken aboard the steam excursion here back in the 60s. I oughtta look at it. First, though, I gotta go get an 8m projector!

Get those 8 mm movies transferred to DVD or VHS. I have 8mm of the Port Reading Branch in the early 60s and had it transferred..... great thing to have.

This sounds like the old O & W line, now operated by NS. This was also the line the Erie used to access the Pine Bush branch. If the siding goes to a brick building it has to be the out of service track. The M&NJ doesn't go any farther North (or West) than Main St, by the station.

Is the M&NJ in operation, and if so with what motive power?

Thank you for any info.

Yes they are. As far as I know one or twice per week as needed to Genpak.

http://www.mnjrhs.org/main.html

They are currently using an ex Amtrak GP-9. The 2- 44 tonners are stored / for sale.

Of course it is in operation!

A few pics here:

http://naphotos.nerail.org/show/?order= ... %20Company

The historical society:

http://www.mnjrhs.org/

I like this article on the "puzzle switch":

http://www.mnjrhs.org/puzzle.html

How does this railroad make any money delivering 1-2 cars per week to Genpak? Do the workers have other jobs that they go to at other times?

SJ,

Yes, as far as I know, they do have other jobs. I had heard the gentleman in the photo also volunteered on the CMRR.

Not sure if Bunky is still there.

5 years ago, with the old ownership, I heard a quote on how much they would charge to ship to a potential customer on the line. It was based on what they were charging GenPak. They were making money....not much, but enough to pay the bills and keep the lights on.

I do not know how much that has changed under the new owners. The new owners have obtained funding to re-hab almost all of the remaining line. I have yet to hear a timeframe for that.

Chris

When the rehab starts will they bring in a contractor or do it in house?