Official SIRR Thread

[isaksenj]

Here's a discussion of the close-clearance modifications on the EL SD45 variants, and some of the reasons why:

http://lists.elhts.org/cgi-bin/lists/wi ... =35#hilite

[lensovet]

so, has there been any movement on this project at all?

[msernak]

Seems like the old SIRT through Cranford / Roselle is just a storage track for covered hoppers. Are these the same ones that have been their for months or do they actually get moved around from time to time?

[myfavscr]

They get moved around. The Covered Hoppers that are there now were
spotted there in the last 2-3 weeks.

[Wanderer]

They've made two moves. About 2.5 weeks ago they hauled the first string up, and then about a week ago they added to it. They have a decent 30-40 cars up there now. Probably a bit more when you include the gear under the GSP.

[Wanderer]

I noticed last night that there must have been another trip up to the SIRT in the last week. A nice size cut was left on the approach to B&O Bridge in Linden. There tied down just on the East side of the span.

[Ken W2KB]

Seems like the old SIRT through Cranford / Roselle is just a storage track for covered hoppers. Are these the same ones that have been their for months or do they actually get moved around from time to time?

This morning I noted from my eastbound RVL train that the stored hoppers on the SIRR were all gone, and two large maintenance trucks and some workers were staged at the grade crossing.

[mrtransportation]

Here the link to the article.

http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/in ... xml&coll=1

[Sirsonic]

Here is latest news on SIRR/RAHWAY in Union County.

Signals and gates last step to a rail line
Cranford-Linden freight link to open by fall
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
BY GABRIEL H. GLUCK
Star-Ledger Staff
snip...
The Morristown & Erie is also soliciting bids for resurfacing the South Avenue crossing in Cranford, a short distance from where the SIR links to NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line. Freight from businesses along the route would be hauled by Morristown & Erie crews to Bound Brook, where they would be transferred to national rail carriers, like Norfolk & Southern. ...snip

That statement is misleading at best. The M&E has no rights or agreements in place to operate anywhere on the RVL and no negotiations are in progress or scheduled. Also, no interchange has been established with any carrier in Bound Brook or any other point on the SIRY or RVRR.

[CJPat]

I am still not sure I understand why the M&E is looking to establish an interchange point at Bound Brook. They could have possibly restored the small LV interchange track that was only ripped up 3 years ago at the Shared Assets Lehigh overpass (maybe it would have been too small?). If they needed bigger, they can restore the original CNJ interchange in Cranford (there are still several tracks on the ground-maybe they don't want to spend the money on putting in additional tracks?). If they ever get the route to Union up and functional, they are going to need the Cranford yard anyway just to change directions of travel to get onto the SIRR. I can't figure why they desire to haul all the way to Bound Brook. Do they have a hope to compete for the local industries along the CNJ Main? (what few exist) Or is it just because it would qualify them for a couple more dollars of freight fees for riding that extra distance?

[Angus202]

While it wouldn't be the first time Mr. Fuller spoke before things are set in stone or that the paper misquotes these things, I'm inclined to believe the railroad's C.O.O. has better perspective on the situation than other railroads engineers.

[Sirsonic]

Surprising but true that some "other railroads engineer" actually does have a "better perspective on the situation" than the railroads COO. Ill stand on my record of statements about the trackage rights and interchange that don't exist, even though the M&E represented as fact that they did exist in their original filling before the STB and continue to maintain (it would seem from these recent statements) to this day.

[Jtgshu]

Oh boy, here we go

Sirsonic - you are always nitpicking those "minor" details hahahaha

Whats the problem? I have an engine, there is track, I want to go that way, I go that way.........isn't that how it works?

[GOLDEN-ARM]

Bound Brook makes sense as an interchange point, to those who have done work there before. Without traffic on the RV, it all seems moot. We won't accept flaming of our posters here. Keep it about the topic, not about the writer. Thanks, Dave

[wolfboy8171981]

Bound Brook is the worst place to have an interchange. For the sake of this argument lets pretend there are actually cars to interchange. Now you cannot interchange cars for the refinery becasue be beleive it or not its still a Conrail customer, with its own interplant switcher (M&E). So this means all cars would need to be picked up at Bound Brook either the NS local or the CR local and take to Manville to be switched. Manville as per the Conrail aqusition is not an interchange location (see BRI). NS account cars would be forwared to Allentown ( These cars would most likely spend one day in Manville), via 33K and NS account cars would be droped in Manville via 32A. CSX account cars would be fowared to Oak Island ( also spending one day in Manville, then getting put over the Hump) via Q300, inbound CSX would also be droped by Q300.

As its been said before there is no interchange agreement in place between M&E and CR. But I ask the question again if you can store cars on the line, why cant you serve customers, the line is open and can be used, where are the "customers".