Official Rahway Valley Thread

[mikec]

Thanks Alan that is why I typed North of 22. Not Just North of 22. I didn;t know exactly were it started. Thanks for clearing that up.

[cjl330]

The M&E ran another train on the SIRR on Sunday. There is a string of hoppers on the siding next to the CNJ (Raritan Valley) mainline.

[crnrailal]

The M&E ran another train on the SIRR on Sunday. There is a string of hoppers on the siding next to the CNJ (Raritan Valley) mainline.

A couple of questions. What time does the M & E run these Sunday trains? When and where will these cars go after they leave the sidings?

Does anybody know?

[Douglas John Bowen]

The Echo Leader, a Worrall publication, published a fairly straightforward (non-hostile) update on Rahway Valley Railroad activity this week.

For the first time, the prospects (hopes?) of upgrading track within Springfield and Summit are addressed directly (in public print, anyway) by the Morristown & Erie Railway.

Link is http://briantpark.home.att.net/rail_lin ... gfield.htm

The story appears to distort or skew some details -- notably the right-of-way mileage involved -- but (again) strives to be a news story and not a rail-bashing. Indeed, rail opponents are conspicuously absent in the article; perhaps the paper is counting on the next wave of letters to the editor to balance such treatment.

[rvrrhs]

Two minutes into this article and I already found at least one error: the "reactivation map" shows the former Maplewood branch going north beyond Vauxhall Rd., when everyone knows there is now a row of recenlty-constructed houses and townhouses on the south side of Vauxhall that shortens the re-activate-able line by several hundred yards.

[rvrrhs]

Fuller said this site may be used as a "team" depot where rail cars can be unloaded into trucks for continued shipping.

The trestle and surrounding intersections including Rahway Avenue, Commerce Avenue and Elmwood Avenue - all connecting to Morris Avenue - are slated for a massive overhaul which will involve the M&E Railway, state, county and local funds that is estimated to cost more than $10 million. The overhaul includes the demolition of the existing railroad trestle and the installation of a refurbished rail bridge which will add 90 feet to the width of Morris Avenue.

If Jaeger sells their property, as has been rumored, this could be used for the "team depot," and the Morris Ave. trestle could just be removed for the long-awaited street widening project.

[rvrrhs]

Jaeger Lumber has asked for service once the line is up and running. This is why the wye is going in.

That would certainly be better than that property becoming a team track, or far worse, another townhouse or office park development!

[AndyB]

That wye could be very handy. I understand that M&E will run all the way down to west-end in Jersey City to turn private passenger cars on the wye there. Would there be any other use for the wye, maybe NJT off the M&E or RVL.

[Jtgshu]

I got "slightly" misrouted, accidently on purpose, on a trip home from Maplewood tonight, and was going down Liberty Ave in Springfield I guess it is, and there was a handful of MOW trucks and guys working just before the xing of Liberty Ave.

[rvrrhs]

Liberty Ave. is in Union, JT. Just north/west of Liberty is the RV's bridge over the Rahway River, the border between Union and Springfield.

They've had some MOW and construction equipment around there for a while now.

[RS115]

The M&E probably uses the West End wye at times when they're bringing something to/from MMC/Amtrak. The most convenient wye for them is at Denville since they go right by almost daily on the way to service their western lines and interchange with NS. I would imagine the RV wye will be used for online uses - dragging something down from Morristown to wye it (once the line to Summit is open) would be out of the way.

[Douglas John Bowen]

From the Sept. 21, 2005 Star-Ledger Web site:

Union News Briefs
Roselle
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Mayor Garrett Smith is hosting a meeting at the Chestnut Street Community Church on Thursday at 6 p.m. to discuss the reactivation of the Staten Island Railroad freight line.

Gordon Fuller, president of Morristown & Erie Railway, will answer residents' questions. The church is at Third Avenue and Chestnut Street. For more information, call borough hall, (908) 245-5600. Union Twp.

Link is http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/union/ind ... xml&coll=1

[crnrailal]

[q uote="xXwelderXx"]how did this meeting go???

Gordon Fuller was there along with head of M&E police as well as their attorney. Spoke about how the M&E would impact the residents of Roselle.

Plenty of questions from the audience. The SIRR portion will be operational in about 6 months. The Rahway Valley portion should be operational in about 18 months. This is the information provided by Gordon Fuller. There will be some more test trains in the next couple of weeks.

There currently more empty hoppers parked on the other track that runs from Amersterdam Ave to South Avenue.

M & E attorney also said there are no longer any legal roadblocks that could impede their completion to Summit.

Left at 7:30 PM but meeting was continuing.

[Ken W2KB]

[q uote="xXwelderXx"]how did this meeting go???

Gordon Fuller was there along with head of M&E police as well as their attorney. Spoke about how the M&E would impact the residents of Roselle.

Plenty of questions from the audience. The SIRR portion will be operational in about 6 months. The Rahway Valley portion should be operational in about 18 months. This is the information provided by Gordon Fuller. There will be some more test trains in the next couple of weeks.

There currently more empty hoppers parked on the other track that runs from Amersterdam Ave to South Avenue.

M & E attorney also said there are no longer any legal roadblocks that could impede their completion to Summit.

Left at 7:30 PM but meeting was continuing.

Any specifics on customers the trains will serve? Absent customers, no trains will operate.

[TheBaran]

Quick update from the Roselle Park side..the stretch of new track next to Valley Road had some work done. Initially, only every 5th tie was spiked...as of last weekend, all ties were spiked and it looks likes some work was done on the track alignment. Otherwise, nothing significant being done that is visible from public access - they may be working on that stretch that runs under the Parkway. Since that rail is newer, it appears they are only doing tie replacement.

No signs of any progress on the encroachment areas (Liberty Building Products - Horan Lumber and the portion of track between Faitoute and Michigan Avenues).