CR on the Southern Secondary

@NY&LB The details surrounding this train are a little hazy. Fortunately my friend did photograph it with one of those Kodak disposable cameras. I’ll try to get the pictures of it on here soon.

As for the speed limit my friend was told that it was 25 for a while. Not sure if that was true tbh.

NY&LB wrote: ↑Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:11 am

This was in January 2005. I guess they did this as a result of the lawsuit to try and find out if the track was safe. Nobody told them that the line still had a track speed of 25 MPH but that it was only safe to do 10 lol.

See this (in this thread):

#7538 by wolfboy8171981
Tue Mar 30, 2004 2:53 am
Good news is there is only one speed restriction..... Bad news its for the entire length of the Southern. 10 MPH MP38 to MP66

This was the result of a Sperry track inspection (see Wolfboy post on Mar 27, 2004), never heard of a “The scientist train.” (maybe a science fiction train?)

The 10 MPH speed restriction was in place ! And Wolfboy was a RAILROADED not just a RAILFAN.

I hear he's a Train Dispatcher now. Maybe he still reads all these post's and just laughs.

@CR7876 If he does, I can’t blame him lol.

I was just talking with my friend about all the pictures he took over the years and whatever he has of this “scientist train.”

We’ve decided that tomorrow we will not only post pictures of the scientist train, but we will photocopy many of his pictures taken between 2003 and 2007 and post them here.

Some will also be historical pictures, including pictures of Poly One when it was still known as Ted Ruth Plastics in the 1970s.

I believe the industry term for “The scientist train” is "Track Geometry Train".

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 23, 2021 12:35 pm @CR7876 If he does, I can’t blame him lol.

I was just talking with my friend about all the pictures he took over the years and whatever he has of this “scientist train.”

We’ve decided that tomorrow we will not only post pictures of the scientist train, but we will photocopy many of his pictures taken between 2003 and 2007 and post them here.

Some will also be historical pictures, including pictures of Poly One when it was still known as Ted Ruth Plastics in the 1970s.

Would be interested to see some historic pics

@cx4storm Correct. Usually that’s how geometry trains are set up. However, this train had two engines and what I think was 5 or 6 boxcars. A whole bunch of people riding in the second engine too. Very strange. I’ll have the picture of it up by tomorrow.

I’m pretty sure Conrail normally uses a “Trackstar” truck which does the same sort of thing as a geometry train for thorough track inspection. There’s a picture of one on the Southern near Old Tavern road somewhere.

https://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/galle ... try-trains

Does not look like "box cars" to me.

@NY&LB Those cars weren’t on this train. The mystery deepens...

Although this link had probably been posted here years ago....
you can find some of my "older" pictures here:
http://gro.rrpicturearchives.net/archiv ... x?id=94468

NY&LB wrote: ↑Sun Jan 24, 2021 4:34 am Although this link had probably been posted here years ago....
you can find some of my "older" pictures here:
http://gro.rrpicturearchives.net/archiv ... x?id=94468

George,
Thanks for sharing that link again. Love those pics from the 1970s with the GP9s and RS-3s. That's how I remember the Southern Division and the NY&LB. Grew up 3 blocks from the NY&LB and went to high school in Red Bank. (Before they built the RB Regional HS). Used to walk the tracks home after track practice from Broad St to Little Silver Station. Played under the girder bridge at Parkers Creek with trains passing overhead. Watched them switch coal cars at Lawes in Shrewsbury. Remember the coal ramp across the tracks from Little Silver Station and lumber cars at what is now Builders General. Riding the CNJ to Jersey City and ferry to Canal St. Or taking the CNJ or PRR to Matawan to see a girlfriend. Getting stopped on Sycamore Ave by an 80 car train.(JS-1) Listening to sand trains at night in Maxim in the 80s. Thanks for bringing back those memories this Sunday morning.

Harry,

My Pleasure! I also used to ride the PRR and CNJ "back in the day" and have a lot of stories, I also have MANY more slides and some day will get them scanned so others can enjoy them.

Although off topic below is a link to my NY&LB pictures, the steam are not mine but were taken by and given to me by a long deceased friend known as "Foxy" Hunt. His actual first name was Dumont.

http://gro.rrpicturearchives.net/archiv ... x?id=19087

George

@NY&LB Very nice pictures. Things have certainly changed around here since the 70s.

Here are my friends pictures taken along the Southern Secondary between March 2002 and October 2007. Included are pictures of the Scientist train, Ted Ruth Plastics, trains on the TRIT, and a few other surprises. All the pictures were taken on disposable cameras.

I was originally gonna photocopy these and post them here, but my printers scanner wasn’t working right. So I took a picture each of photo with my phone.

Enjoy and feel free to ask me any questions!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hv8eQJDdixuD2MVJ8

Sorry, Google photos had a seizure for a second. Should be working now.

For anyone wondering, the scientist train is the two pictures of 4405 and 5311 with the centerbeam and boxcars.

There was four people in each engine. Some had strange handheld equipment. In the picture where the camera filmed the front of 5311, you can see some of the people in there.

The picture of CSX 4441 with the one boxcar was the last train on the TRIT.

The switcher engines were transferred from NWS Earle. Not sure why the crew brought them all the way to Lakehurst.

The picture of NS 3045 at Gold Lumber shows how bad the track is at that spot. On that day, the engines snowplow hit the ground and dug into an adjacent concrete foundation that was once a train station.

The man working on the NS engine in one picture is the aftermath of NS 5278 after it suffered a major breakdown in Lakehurst. It took over six hours to get the engine started again that day.

The picture of the tamper working in Lakewood was taken during the installation of the new Woodhaven spur. (They used to be located a block or so east and moved to their current larger location in the early 2000s)

Unfortunately I forgot a few of the pictures he wanted me to put on here. Mainly one of a ballast train switching out cars on the Fort McGuire Dix spur. I have to help him with something tomorrow so I’ll try to get those pictures uploaded if I can.