by Regardie
Regardie wrote:So those three lengths of rail spent the summer, fall and winter right where they dropped them. Last week, on Tuesday, ST. Patrick's Day, I saw a work train headed West from Fanwood with a partially filled welded rail transport consist. On Thursday I saw what they were about, it seems the original three lengths have been joined by another 11 or so, running from just East of Cranford, through Garwood and Westfield, ending just East of Fanwood on the outbound side. They have also dropped one side worth of new plates on the ties around the Westfield station.It's been over a year but they are finally replacing the rail they put down. They have started at the Cranford end and were working this morning between Cranford and Garwood. They dropped all new plates this spring for the new rail. The old rail in Garwood is 119RE with a date of 1979. The new rail does not have a nice welded in ID string like the old Bethlehem Steelton rail so I don't know what size it is. The rail in the Fanwood station on the inbound side is 132RE from 1997 so I would think that would be the size of the new rail going in, and why it needed all new plates.
Oddly enough, it looks like the new rail has a taller profile than the installed rail, but I have only seen it from inside a coach on my way inbound, so it could be the angles playing tricks on me.
Regardie
Currently, they are bolting the pieces together. I wonder if they will go back and weld them all when the swap is done.
Regardie