Official Rahway Valley Thread

[RVRR Resurrected]

really? i heard trump was on singing. they were on k rock today..must be in ny or something this week.

[rvrrhs]

really? i heard trump was on singing. they were on k rock today..must be in ny or something this week.

They were on the night before Trump. Trump was a...uh...featured performer when Regis Philbin sang some stupid Christmas song.

[RVRR Fan]

Took a few very quick pics while passing the Morris ave bridge this morning. I still can't figure out if they're keeping the bridge up or not. What puzzles me the most is if they are indeed planning on removing it, why havn't they taken it down aready?

[rvrrhs]

Nice pix, RVRR Fan.

Could the existing bridge somehow be lengthened by welding or bolting on another section, so all they would have to do is build a new pier?

Or would they just extend the right-turn lane (seen beyond the bridge in pic #3) so that it passes to the right of that existing pier? Perhaps they would do the same on the south side of Morris Ave.--create a right-turn lane for Elmwood Ave. that has it's own little underpass to the south of the south-side bridge pier.

BTW, RVRR Fan, was the backhoe gone when you took these? It was sitting there for several days before and after the digging was done.

[RVRR Fan]

Thanks, and yes the backhoe was gone, only thing there was a dumpster on the CVS side of the ROW.

[Douglas John Bowen]

We hesitate to declare anything definitively on this matter, but NJ-ARP is informed that the bridge, deemed "too narrow for future use," is being removed, and that the right-of-way will be realigned to be at grade with the street.

With at least two businesses expressing interest in freight rail service access north of the bridge, however, the right-of-way itself will be upgraded, NJ-ARP is told.

We hope to get an update on this affirming (or countering!) this information at the next Union County Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) meeting, scheduled to occur next week.

[rvrrhs]

We hesitate to declare anything definitively on this matter, but NJ-ARP is informed that the bridge, deemed "too narrow for future use," is being removed, and that the right-of-way will be realigned to be at grade with the street.

"....at grade with the street." Yikes! Trying to cross Morris Ave. at grade--a new, improved 6-lane Morris Ave. at that spot--will be even more of an adventure than trying to cross Rt. 22!

With at least two businesses expressing interest in freight rail service access north of the bridge, however, the right-of-way itself will be upgraded, NJ-ARP is told.

To quote The Simpsons' Mr. Burns, "Excellent."

Thanks for the not-so-speculative update, Mr. Bowen.

[cjvrr]

Looks like they are preping and area to dismantle the bridge. Probably lift it out in one piece, place it in this area and cut it up. Trying to minimize the delays to traffic.

Quite a few overhead wires in the way, so it will make lifting the span out more difficult.

Could this span be used to replace other missing ones on the Summit portion of the line?

[AndyB]

Could that vacant area behind the pier be a spot to place the bridge when they lift it out? I wonder if this bridge is going to be one of the replacements for a missing bridge in Summit.
If a long flatbed and a very big crane show up there, I guess we will know.

[cjvrr]

Andy,

Even if re-used there is no way that bridge will be trucked in one piece to a new location. It will need to be cut in some manner.

The NYS&W re-used several bridges from an abandoned D&H line to rebuild the Southern Division in 1985-86. Watched them cut and weld several bridge beams in the Butler yard than haul them into location by truck.

I guess time will tell.

Chris

[rvrrhs]

Well, if NJ-ARP's Doug Bowen is correct that "NJ-ARP is informed that the bridge, deemed "too narrow for future use," is being removed," then I presume that means too narrow for the wider locomotives used by M&E and other modern railroads. If that's indeed the case, expect the old bridge to be turned into scrap rather than re-used (unless they can put it to use somewhere as a footbridge).

[Sir Ray]

Well, if NJ-ARP's Doug Bowen is correct that "NJ-ARP is informed that the bridge, deemed "too narrow for future use," is being removed," then I presume that means too narrow for the wider locomotives used by M&E and other modern railroads. If that's indeed the case, expect the old bridge to be turned into scrap rather than re-used (unless they can put it to use somewhere as a footbridge).

I took that to mean it's too short to be reused to span Morris Ave., not that it doesn't have sufficent width (plate clearance) for modern rolling stock.
'Course, I could be mistaken, or perhaps it is both too short and narrow.

[RVRR Resurrected]

if you look at the sides of the bridge, it looks like it was originally planned to handel two trakcs. the vauxhall bridge was like that too. does anyone know if that was the case or was there ever 2 tracks going across morris.

[RVRR Fan]

As per my younger brother who goes to Roselle Catholic HS, which is located along the ROW in Roselle, hoppers were being moved towards Bayway around 10am on Friday morning.

[BlockLine_4111]

Links related to SIRT/SIRR below.

http://www.nyandw.com/cjphotos.htm
http://www.trainsarefun.com/sirt/sirt.htm
http://www.trainsarefun.com/sirt/sirtpressrelease.htm
http://www.jcrhs.org/B&O.html
http://www.pbworld.com/news_events/publ ... r-Kill.jpg