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  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New Jersey
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New Jersey

Moderator: David

 #1568982  by NJTMonmouthCoastline
 
Tanker1497 wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 11:23 am Not sure when this took place maybe a long time ago? But the CNJ Cement phone booth at Cross St. has been knock over. I had thought just a few weeks ago it was up right?
I don’t remember the one at Cross Street but there’s that one in Farmingdale.

Btw any updates on the Freehold To Farmingdale branch
 #1568985  by R&DB
 
Btw any updates on the Freehold To Farmingdale branch
See the 2021 rail grant topic. The State grant to Dover & Delaware is to connect Freehold and Farmingdale and Lakewood to Lakehurst. D&D will eventually become the operator of these lines.
 #1568992  by NJTMonmouthCoastline
 
R&DB wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 12:08 pm
Btw any updates on the Freehold To Farmingdale branch
See the 2021 rail grant topic. The State grant to Dover & Delaware is to connect Freehold and Farmingdale and Lakewood to Lakehurst. D&D will eventually become the operator of these lines.
Link?
 #1568997  by Tanker1497
 
NJTMonmouthCoastline wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 1:56 pm
R&DB wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 12:08 pm
Btw any updates on the Freehold To Farmingdale branch
See the 2021 rail grant topic. The State grant to Dover & Delaware is to connect Freehold and Farmingdale and Lakewood to Lakehurst. D&D will eventually become the operator of these lines.
Link?
nj-announces-2021-rail-construction-grants-t172620.html
 #1568999  by NJTMonmouthCoastline
 
Tanker1497 wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 3:22 pm
NJTMonmouthCoastline wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 1:56 pm
R&DB wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 12:08 pm
Btw any updates on the Freehold To Farmingdale branch
See the 2021 rail grant topic. The State grant to Dover & Delaware is to connect Freehold and Farmingdale and Lakewood to Lakehurst. D&D will eventually become the operator of these lines.
Link?
nj-announces-2021-rail-construction-grants-t172620.html
So why is D&D helping Conrail do there work in the first place? They’re just building a line not taking over
 #1569006  by Tanker1497
 
The short quick answer is NJDOT owns the lines in question. Conrail just operates over them in an agreement. Conrail wants out of the serving of Freehold and Southern and the D&D wants more customers. They will seek others along these routes. NJ granted the monies to D&D to rehab the lines they will run on.
 #1569007  by NJTMonmouthCoastline
 
Tanker1497 wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 6:19 pm The short quick answer is NJDOT owns the lines in question. Conrail just operates over them in an agreement. Conrail wants out of the serving of Freehold and Southern and the D&D wants more customers. They will seek others along these routes. NJ granted the monies to D&D to rehab the lines they will run on.
So how do you know that Conrail wants out?
 #1569010  by CharlieL
 
According to the grant request, conrail has been looking since 2017 (2018?) for a short line operator to take over the southern. Only way possible is to reconnect freehold to the southern since NJT will not allow other operators on the NJCL. Apparently they picked D&D to do it. Conrail has IRREVOCABLE, TRANSFERABLE rights to Freehold and Southern. I would cut & paste relevant sections of the grant but it is PDF format. For a copy PM me your email address and I will send it to you (see previous entries in this and the related topic about the grant request).
 #1569016  by JohnFromJersey
 
CharlieL wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:05 pm According to the grant request, conrail has been looking since 2017 (2018?) for a short line operator to take over the southern. Only way possible is to reconnect freehold to the southern since NJT will not allow other operators on the NJCL. Apparently they picked D&D to do it. Conrail has IRREVOCABLE, TRANSFERABLE rights to Freehold and Southern. I would cut & paste relevant sections of the grant but it is PDF format. For a copy PM me your email address and I will send it to you (see previous entries in this and the related topic about the grant request).
Finally some public confirmation on this topic. For the last couple of months, it's been a back and fourth between the "they will only just rehab the line" and "they will take over the entire line." Hoping to see D&D move fast with this and we start seeing D&D paint on the SOUS soon.

My only question is, what will happen to Farmingdale-Red Bank? If D&D goes through Jamesburg-Freehold-Farmingdale for SOUS connection a) the two lines have merged into one b) would they still serve customers north of Farmingdale, like Extec, Bel-Air, and MarJam? c) will Farmingdale-Red Bank be rail banked for the time being?

There are a few potential customers between Farmingdale-Red Bank that could be served. If you view Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply, they have a siding that connects to their building but the switch for it on the main has been removed. I'm sure there are a few others that are also in this situation, and I do know D&D would be more proactive about retaining/getting customers to Conrail/Class I's.
 #1569024  by CharlieL
 
I don't see that there are any issues with D&D (or whoever) servicing businesses north of Farmingdale, other than they need a way to runaround the engine to accommodate the switch patterns (or do a very long shove), or double-end the train. Plate "F" would not work north of Eatontown due to low bridges, tho.
 #1569025  by R&DB
 
CharlieL wrote:
Plate "F" would not work north of Eatontown due to low bridges, tho.
I don't think there are any Plate F obstructions on the Southern. I believe the Tinton Avenue bride has sufficient clearance. The obstructions are the catenary on the Coast Line to the best of my knowledge. The other issue is the 263,999 lb limit on the Navesink River bridge at Red Bank. RE-routing freight traffic through Freehold overcomes these limitations. (Of course the NIMBYs in Jamesburg and Freehold may have fits) It appears the objects of the grant are to relieve Conrail from serving the FIT and the Southern and to get the freight off the Coastline between South Amboy and Red Bank.
Also the only possible customer north of Eatontown appears to be Lawes and they haven't had a siding since they stopped selling coal decades ago.
 #1569032  by R&DB
 
CharlieL wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 8:15 am FRIO map (link below) shows 2 height restrictions on the NJCL between S. Amboy and Red Bank, and one on the southern at Eatontown.

. https://www.njtpa.org/NJTPA/media/Docum ... f?ext=.pdf
I appear to be wrong about the Tinton Ave. bridge. Thanks for the correction Charlie. But I still do not see any Plate F customers between Red Bank and Eatontown.
 #1569056  by CR2721
 
It said in the document R&DB posted that the project would last 720 calendar days (2 years). Does anyone have any guesses as to when the Freehold Secondary OOS section rehab would start? This year? Next year?
 #1569063  by R&DB
 
CR2721 wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:43 pm It said in the document R&DB posted that the project would last 720 calendar days (2 years). Does anyone have any guesses as to when the Freehold Secondary OOS section rehab would start? This year? Next year?
The State grants usually have a "use by" clause and the 720 days you referenced appears to be that. With this in mind, I expect work to begin very soon. Others in this and other related topics have noted signs of construction survey marks along the OOS section of the FIT. It appears the preliminary work has already begun.
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