North Jersey Coast Line Thread

GSC wrote:1003 (looks like a Geep but isn't) LHF went through Bradley Beach last night westbound around 11:20 PM. Behind it were two MLs and a Comet.
I guess this is MM-something?

I noticed Long Branch doesn't have a diesel protect engine lately. I saw an ALP 46 sitting by itself, lights off, pan up.

Yep, that was MM-08. I filmed them last night in Belmar; I’ll have a video up soon

Can't wait to see the video!

Last night, (Monday Apr 1) I caught PL42 4023 pulling an ML, another PL, and a Comet westbound through Bradley Beach around 10:40 pm. Love coming across equipment moves with assorted consists. Also MM-08?

Tuesday, Apr 2, about 10:20 pm, westbound through Bradley Beach came an ML pushed by a PL42 on the way to Bay Head.

Noticing more ex-cab cars as coaches. 5021 is tucked behind PL 4000. Add that one to 5022, 5026, 5027, and 5029. All have strobes on the roof, a couple still have horns mounted.

Quite a few PL42s running on the NJCL west of Long Branch lately. Recently were mostly ALP 45s.

Any news on if/when full Hoboken service will be restored?
Also, I asked in a separate thread, but is there any word on whether the 7300 series will run on weekends this summer?

Still not enough T&E crews to fully restore service,still not enough ACSES onboard equipment installed yet!
Maybe next year for the 73xx series trains.

Here’s my video of that MM-08 with 1002 long hood forward. Also, 3240 was cancelled this morning due a mechanical problem, so there could be an equipment move if a replacement is desperately needed.

https://youtu.be/EqPmnA3Y0mU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wouldn't hold your breath about the 7300 series weekend summer shore express trains running this summer. At the very least, let's hope that the trains will run close to hourly headways below Long Branch on weekends this summer. It would actually be good if they could start doing that Memorial Day weekend since that is the unofficial start to summer.

More variety.

Sunday night, about 10:20 pm, Geep 4203 LHF with two MLs and two Comets came westbound through Bradley Beach. In the BB yard are now ten gondolas, one painted yellow with some kind of lifting machine - tie crane?

NJT4149 wrote:Here’s my video of that MM-08 with 1002 long hood forward. Also, 3240 was cancelled this morning due a mechanical problem, so there could be an equipment move if a replacement is desperately needed.

https://youtu.be/EqPmnA3Y0mU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I stand corrected on the loco number. From my usual viewing point, lighting is bad. Sometimes I can't quite make out loco numbers.

MM-08 westbound through Bradley Beach around 11 pm on a Sunday always has some variety.

This time, an ALP 45 towing a Comet, then an ALP 46, and two more Comets. (Why take an ALP 46 to Bay Head? Storage?)

Ten gondolas still parked in BB yard. Except for some stacks of ties on the ground, I see nothing going on lately. Wheels are getting rusty.

GSC -

Last Saturday ( 4/27 ) I caught a work train dumping bundles of new wood ties along the northbound main from just south of Brielle draw to just north of Bay Head. Had to be those 10 gons.

NJT trains into and out of Bay Head yard were running bi-directional on the southbound main thru to/from Belmar.

Regards !

What's the reason for continuing to use wood ties in this day and age?

Multiple lite engines on the way to Bay Head at this time; they should be near the Amboys right now. 4210 is the leader.

lensovet wrote:What's the reason for continuing to use wood ties in this day and age?

There are many possible answers:
1. Cost (Wood is definitely cheaper than concrete and can take more abuse during transportation and installation.)
2. Ability to withstand thaw-freeze cycles for areas with inferior drainage (Composite ties are also ok for such areas, but concrete disintegrates in a few short years. NJT's trackbeds are generally terrible with insufficient amount of ballast. The last time NJT performed serious trackbed maintenance is like never, so water is an issue at many locations.)
3. Availability (Most concrete plants are not qualified to make concrete ties. The few that are probably have their production already spoken for years in advance.)

Interesting they still haven't posted the full upcoming summer schedules online yet (The upcoming one is still marked 10/14/18). They usually post them right at the beginning of May. The optimist in me wants to think that they are seeing whether or not the engineering class that just graduated, as well as the available equipment, will be sufficient to run the NJCL weekend 7300 series this summer.
On a side note, they just posted the new weekday schedules that start in June, which diverts one train each way to Hoboken due to NYP track work. They also added stops on a couple of the super express trains to stop at Woodbridge/Avenel/Perth Amboy. I guess this is where a lot of the new ridership is coming from, so it makes sense. Still, it would be nice to have a few super-expresses that run nonstop from Newark to at least Aberdeen-Matawan, especially during the peak summer months.