Morristown & Erie track Gang working near Kuiken Brother

RS115 wrote:There's definately a lot of activity at the Kuiken site in Roxbury, though there are no signs saying what's going on so can't even verify that it is them doing/having the work done.

As to Roseland great if true, I don't think the lumber yard there (which has been there forever) has used their siding in ages. My only question/reservation is that, in this day of regional distribution centers, the two locations are not that far apart either as the crow flies or as the interstates run (80/280 get you pretty close to each). Is it worth it for a relatively small/local outfit like Kuiken to have two rail-served distribution points so close together? Especially when one factors in the cost of the from the ground up whatever they're doing in Roxbury it seems like a big if. Add to that the fact that construction supply is not exactly a booming business this week and more doubt creeps in.

A

Well, I myself called Kuikens at the Roxbury facility and someone there had said they do eventually plan on using rail service. I cant speak for the Roseland spot.

RS115 wrote:There's definately a lot of activity at the Kuiken site in Roxbury, though there are no signs saying what's going on so can't even verify that it is them doing/having the work done.

As to Roseland great if true, I don't think the lumber yard there (which has been there forever) has used their siding in ages. My only question/reservation is that, in this day of regional distribution centers, the two locations are not that far apart either as the crow flies or as the interstates run (80/280 get you pretty close to each). Is it worth it for a relatively small/local outfit like Kuiken to have two rail-served distribution points so close together? Especially when one factors in the cost of the from the ground up whatever they're doing in Roxbury it seems like a big if. Add to that the fact that construction supply is not exactly a booming business this week and more doubt creeps in.

A

Wouldn't be the first time. Their Emerson and Midland Park stores both get rail deliveries, too, despite being so close. To describe them as "distribution points" wouldn't be entirely accurate. It's more a case of using rail for standard deliveries.

As for it being worth it, the president of the company (One of the titular Kukien Brothers) stated in an article in the Bergen Record a month ago that it is cheaper that getting deliveries by truck. Here's the link: http://www.northjersey.com/business/Bad ... ublic.html.

The Fair Lawn-based company bought Lumber 1 in Roseland last month for an undisclosed sum to expand for the first time into Essex County.

Kuiken Brothers also is moving ahead this year with plans to build a $10 million, 12-acre distribution center in Succasunna in Morris County, across from KB Concepts, the millwork, kitchen and window showroom it opened two years ago.

A rail link at the Roseland yard was an attractive feature of that property, Mulkeen said. The company now has rail access for direct delivery from wholesalers at four locations. Delivery by rail is cheaper than by truck, and with the rising price of diesel fuel, that can be a competitive advantage.

The last paragraph especially caught my attention!!

Good article and thanks for posting!!

blockline4180 wrote:

The Fair Lawn-based company bought Lumber 1 in Roseland last month for an undisclosed sum to expand for the first time into Essex County.

Kuiken Brothers also is moving ahead this year with plans to build a $10 million, 12-acre distribution center in Succasunna in Morris County, across from KB Concepts, the millwork, kitchen and window showroom it opened two years ago.

A rail link at the Roseland yard was an attractive feature of that property, Mulkeen said. The company now has rail access for direct delivery from wholesalers at four locations. Delivery by rail is cheaper than by truck, and with the rising price of diesel fuel, that can be a competitive advantage.

The last paragraph especially caught my attention!!

Good article and thanks for posting!!

No problem.

It grabbed me, too. I've always liked KB, because of their local flavor, and the fact that they didn't look at me askance when I bought boards for my black belt test. Their commitment to rail, which I've come to notice recently, makes them even better in my eyes.

From todays Morris County Daily Record, Business Section..........

SUCCASUNNA -- Kuiken Brothers Co., a building materials dealer with eight locations in northern New Jersey and one in southern New York, has broken ground on its newest location in Succasunna -- a 12-acre, drive-through lumber and building materials facility.


The facility will be located at 33 Route 10 East in Succasunna adjacent to Kuiken Brothers' 6,000 square foot KB Concepts Window, Kitchen and Millwork showroom.

"When the Succasunna lumberyard is completed, the 12-acre complex will be a state-of-the-art facility. ...That will be built the way a modern lumberyard should be," said Doug Kuiken, president of Kuiken Brothers.

He said the facility will include rail service -- service that has been inactive for more than a decade.

"One of the benefits of rail service is that it greatly reduces the number of trucks on the road," Kuiken said.

"Rail service also allows us to purchase lumber materials direct from the lumber mills, which ensures consistent quality and keeps our cost down, enabling us to pass the savings on to our customers."

He noted that this site had been previously developed and was operating as a lumberyard.

He said permanent conservation areas would buffer Horseshoe Lake.

Kuiken Brothers has 276 employees and locations in Fair Lawn, Emerson, Midland Park, Ogdensburg, Wantage, Garfield, Succasunna and Roseland -- and one location in Warwick, N. Y.

Joe,

You beat me to it!!

Another article, I'm sure it is very similar, but it shows pictures on the progress being made!! Sounds almost as if rail service will play an important role in distribution, which is good!

http://www.kuikenbrothers.com/events/ev ... index.html

on that link they have an aerial shot. where is the rail line that they would/could use? i dont see anything.

Steve F45 wrote:on that link they have an aerial shot. where is the rail line that they would/could use? i dont see anything.

Left part of the photo. Trust me, the rail line is there, I cross it on Route 10 everyday when I go to work.

With new service on this old DL&W line.........would there be funding for signal / protection at this location?
Route 10 is a busy road for the M&E to flag stop vehicles!

Possible but I'd say unlikely. They routinely cross Route 10 about a mile west of here on the old High Bridge branch and its a flag crossing as frightening a thought as that is. Probably not quite as exciting as Rt 22 on the RVRR in the old days but not for the faint of heart. Unless something unusual happens I doubt you'll see much change at the crossing.

Just a little update.....

It seems the new loading platforms has about 3 seperate storage buildings built on it now. The one in the back that will probably get rail service seems to be the largest of the 3. You would think rail service would begin by next spring the latest!

Heard a report from an M&E employee that service to Kuikens is supposed to start up in April or May... However, personally I'm not holding my breath because I can't see the service being that lucrative until A., the line is rehabbed and B., until the economy picks up a little.

Anyone know more??

I generally agree about the economy having a big impact but there would, I'd think, be an initial flurry of activity to load up the new facility to some degree anyway. After that, the normal level of activity will probably be sedate until construction picks up again. That said M&E has someone receiving a lot of building materials of some kind at the Kenvil team track (High Bridge branch side vs kuiken on the old Lackawanna) and possibly along the main at the run around (where they used to unload the covered hoppers) I knoticed a lot of stuff stacked up there yesterday. There's also a now empty spine lumber car tied down on the main outside the team track gate. Those are usually for Blue Ridge (former Wickes) on Rt 46.

It will be interesting to see if they do some track work - if only because they get tired of picking the loaded cars up off the ground.

A

A few weeks ago I read a piece in one of the papers where Morris County was looking for, I think 6 million from the Stimulus Bill. They want it to put towards transportation projects, one of which is the Chester Branch. They want to rebuild about 4 miles of track. I looked for the article on-line but couldn't find it.

They got it. $5.8 Million for the Chester Branch Railroad Rehabilitation.

The NJDOT website has a list of stimulus funded projects.