Port Reading Branch New Signals

Can anyone give me info on the new signals on the Port Reading Branch? They are near the old New Market Siding, near the old site of SN Tower east of Durham Siding and at the Route 35/ St. George's Avenue crossing in Woodbridge.

Photos would be helpful here.

From the photos that were sent to me Conrail is installing Rule 261 automatic block signaling between CP-BOUND BROOK and CP-PD. This will replace the distant signal to CP-PD at Rt 35 and convert the distant to CP-BOUND BROOK at Bakeland St. to a normal automatic.

No more DCS. Cool.

Has that line ever had automatic signaling on it?

The line has never had signals except for the Pennsy style dwarf (although they were about 5 feet tall) signals that were on the Camp Kilmer extension at the wye track at Durham where SN Tower was located. There also used to be double track from around Rahway Avenue in Woodbridge straight into Port Reading, which was removed around 1962-3. There were the three passing sidings and telephones at each which were used back in the steam days. Port Reading Yard held over 5,000 cars in it's days not including the tie treating plant adjacent to the yard.

It was also my understanding that the Chemical Coast was supposed to get signaled too - this was from a road foreman that got caught captive in our town during Hurricane Irene last year.

Jersey_Mike wrote:From the photos that were sent to me Conrail is installing Rule 261 automatic block signaling between CP-BOUND BROOK and CP-PD. This will replace the distant signal to CP-PD at Rt 35 and convert the distant to CP-BOUND BROOK at Bakeland St. to a normal automatic.

Somewere in the middle, near where HELEN is, they are supposed to have a CP siginal so the Manville local doesnt end up with the entire Port Reading line blocked. kinda like the siginals on the RVL at SCOTCH and PLAIN.

In the photos I reviewed of the 4 signaling locations, all are equipped with auto number plated including the one at what was labeled 'SN', which would be the next signal after Washington Ave, which would include what I presume is the current location of HELEN at Helen St. With 3 mile blocks there is one signaling location between SN and Rt 35 that I do not have photos of so any controlled point would need to be there.

I heard from a friend, that CSX might be involved in this project. Has anyone ever heard or seen a CSX train on the Branch?

CSX runs Q706 which usually takes the Port and sometimes Ethanols from them detour on it instead of going up the River Line but that's it, however I heard some plans are in the works for more CSX traffic on the PRS,but I'm not sure if it's true or not.

Relay boxes have been placed at both ends of the Durham runaround track. Electric switch locks at each end.

Wait a second - SN Tower???

Never heard of it - where was it at, and I'm assuming it was a Reading tower??? Can anybody please fill me in a bit more -
location, what kind of structure, when was it closed, when did the Reading stop running into Camp Kilmer, etc?

Speaking of Camp Kilmer, where did the Reading-owned trackage end? Was it where the Reading and LV came together, or??

I grew up in Iselin, and spent a lot of time railfanning & walking along the eastern third of the Port Reading branch.
Kicking myself for not getting over to get pics of the switches for the spur into Camp Kilmer, but I do have a slide of
where it crossed New Durham Road with the tracks still in place.

Another thing I remember seeing is the "Woodbridge Junction" station sign along the tracks (visible from the parking lot
of Woodbridge Center. Not sure if it's still there or not...

Have a few slides of XM6/MX13 in Port Reading yard itself, along with a bunch of slides in the Bound Brook/Manville area.
Would be happy to scan & post them if anybody is interested?

SN Tower was on the west leg of Kilmer wye track. Durham Siding used to extend all the way there and you could actually head west out of Kilmer and go directly to the runaround track without fouling the main. I call it a "Tower" but on the RDG track maps it shows as SN Office. Have no idea what type of structure it was. Kilmer Tower/PRR was next t on the north side of the tracks at the PRR main and LVRR Valley Tower was in Metuchen on the west leg of their wye track. Some remnants of the LV track survivie to this day. The LV used the wye to run around the cars of the local that came out of Perth Amboy. PRR type dwarf (although about 5 feet high) were up and down the Kilmer Banch. There was a manually operated semaphore on the north side of the main across from SN. Four GP7s with an empty coal train went up the east leg of the wye in 1962..... someone threw the switch. This is when the east end of the wye was removed. I witnessed at least three moves to Kilmer from 1963-64. I also have documentation of cars moving into Port Reading destined for Kilmer dating 1968. There was also a customer on the Kilmer branch during the early 1970's on the north side of the tracks at Talmadge Road. I think it was JM Huber and they made glue at that location. Single track siding receiving tank cars. PC and RDG were in court as to whom would serve it. The building is still there. I think the track from LR Junction to Kilmer was gov't owned. Reading Road, as it is now called,that goes under 287 off Talmadege Road, was the old roadbed. Kilmer info is hard to find and I think that it was due to it being secret at the time due to the war. It had a 14 track passenger station as well as a small freight yard. The sign of "Woodbridge Jct." was where the Woodbridge Branch started. It went over Woodbridge Avenue and into the clay pits. It had ten or more customers early on. One of the last, HERESITE/General Coating was in the building on the north side of Woodbridge Ave. It was a Hess facility after that. It also is still standing. It had two tracks and you can see, on the building, where they were by looking at the loading platforms. I remember one track going inside and was used to spray interior coating on new tank cars. I remember seeing traffic there up until 1968. I could go on and on..............

Wow - what an awesome amount of info you shared here, David. Thank you SO much for sharing all this with us.

I've attached a Google Map screen shot - can you kindly let me know if this is the siding going to Heresite/General Coatings?
As I said, I grew up in Iselin and would have driven past that location at least 200 times (if not a lot more).

I remember one day I rode my bike down along the LV Perth Amboy branch, and the drill was switching the siding that ran off the
LV's line to Camp Kilmer. Thinking this is the wye track you're talking about - they had so many cars to switch, that they had to run
past the usual end of active track by at least a few carlengths. I went ahead on my bike, made sure the tracks were still there, and
reported back to the crew. Too cool!

Back to the Camp Kilmer line - any idea when the PRR (or PC?) stopped using the Stelton flyover? That's another line I'm kicking myself
for not shooting - I was there in say 1977-1978 and the fill carrying the tracks up to the flyover was still in place. I also remember 2 or 3
yard tracks that ran parallel to the PRR main on the west side of the tracks, and seemed to lead up towards the flyover too. Not sure if
they ever connected to it. I remember the rails being dark grey/black from being out of service for so long!

Thanks again to everybody who shares so freely here, and David, PLEASE feel free to share more of what you know. I can't thank you enough
already - this stuff is like gold to me. I knew all these lines back in the day, but we didn't have the internet and finding out literally ANY info on
them was very hard. Thanks!!!

Frank