Delaware and Raritan River Railroad-General Discussion

So are they planning to do:

A) A southernly leg of a “Y” in between Southard and Railroad Ave so as to do a “direct” access from the PRR ROW into the old CNJ Southern - so as to avoid a reverse move on the old Southern CNJ main?

Or

B) Just use the existing track/ROW (what would be the north side of a Y) heading toward Main Street in Farmingdale? Thus requiring a reverse move to continue south?

Just curious. Seems like brush has been cut and poles moved to try and get a “direct southerly” connection in what would be a “Y” at Railroad Ave, but hearing mixed reports….Was even thinking the old PRR ROW (abandoned in the late 1960s) that goes east towards Railroad Ave could be a mini storage track of sorts, as that was all cleared out too.

Perhaps the railroad just “marking their territory” as opposed to creating any directional ROW’s than what currently exists.

According to what we've seen published, they're putting in a switch at Southard Ave and upgrading the track connecting to the southern northbound. The switch will leave a connection to the old PRR track east. For a storage track, or possible connection to the southern southbound in a wye configuration is not clear. Perhaps another grant to establish the wye will be forthcoming, as it does not seem to be included in the first 2 grants, or perhaps D&RR will do that on it's own dime.

So what do u think section 7S is? 1575 Track feet from a switch just east of Southard ave (MP 24.46) to connection with the Southern at MP 24.76.

how many times are ppl gonna ask if there is going to be a south leg of the wye?
This is from C&D RFP 2303

Any other questions?

Sorry, I did not see anything in 2303 or 2304 which mentions a southbound connection, other than a dotted line on the drawing. I could find no other mention of 7S, or the 1575 feet of track.. Did I miss it? Is it on a revision?

C&D has not put section 7S up for bid yet, but obviously its there in black and white.

pdtrains wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2023 4:34 pm So what do u think section 7S is? 1575 Track feet from a switch just east of Southard ave (MP 24.46) to connection with the Southern at MP 24.76.

how many times are ppl gonna ask if there is going to be a south leg of the wye?
This is from C&D RFP 2303



Any other questions?

Thanks. This is a huge positive, a freight line linking thru service the length of NJ. Imagine -- unit trains from the Port of Salem hauling goods to Morris County!

Even in the initial grant filing that C&D did way back in 2021, there was mention of a wye in their intended plans, as seen here

I won't be surprised if the wye is not only the last thing they do, but they start running trains in push-pull configuration on the new connection before the wye is complete.

jp1822 wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2023 12:56 pm Just curious. Seems like brush has been cut and poles moved to try and get a “direct southerly” connection in what would be a “Y” at Railroad Ave, but hearing mixed reports….Was even thinking the old PRR ROW (abandoned in the late 1960s) that goes east towards Railroad Ave could be a mini storage track of sorts, as that was all cleared out too.

Perhaps the railroad just “marking their territory” as opposed to creating any directional ROW’s than what currently exists.

The wye is coming soon. Not much point in brush clearing if they aren't gonna put tracks there, especially since when we're in the spring/summer now when vegetation and weeds grow like crazy. It would be pointless.

I am not exactly sure what the intention with the old PRR diamond approach is. Storage most likely, but of what? That leg is too short to put a lot of cars, unless C&D wants to make a mini-transloading facility there (there is certainly room for it), or they will park their engines and possibly build offices (or something of the sort) around it

Dcell wrote: ↑Sun May 14, 2023 11:14 am Thanks. This is a huge positive, a freight line linking thru service the length of NJ. Imagine -- unit trains from the Port of Salem hauling goods to Morris County!

Still gotta get the rest of the Southern, between Woodmansie and Winslow Junction, cleared + rebuilt before that happens. But we can dream...

Per a Facebook post by a fellow named James Hurley, Okerson Rd has crossing markings.
https://imgur.com/a/Wzb7G4g

I wonder when we will see crossing work done. Hopefully, they start and/or finish by the end of the month, so we can see what C&D's plans for crossings are gonna be

Same markings are at Yellowbrook Road. I would imagine the roads and some of the other sections brought up yesterday will be under Phase 2 of the project. IIRC the state gives out the grant money in July, so I guess we will see the rest of the work started mid to late summer or early fall?

I could be wrong here, but "Phase I" money was awarded in 2021 IIRC, but work didn't start until 2022. I might be wrong here again, but I was under the assumption that "Phase 2" money was awarded in 2022 but didn't start until 2023, like with "Phase I"?

For the Fairfield - Yellowbrook Rd segment, C&D's posting says it should be completed no later than July 31

Dcell wrote: ↑Sun May 14, 2023 11:14 am

pdtrains wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2023 4:34 pm So what do u think section 7S is? 1575 Track feet from a switch just east of Southard ave (MP 24.46) to connection with the Southern at MP 24.76.

how many times are ppl gonna ask if there is going to be a south leg of the wye?
This is from C&D RFP 2303



Any other questions?

Thanks. This is a huge positive, a freight line linking thru service the length of NJ. Imagine -- unit trains from the Port of Salem hauling goods to Morris County!

Why would you run a unit train from Salem to Woodbury to Vineland to Morris County over 4 different operators? And everything docks and unloads at the much better equipped Paulsboro Port anyway. The 9 tracks being rebuilt in Salem are just for car storage.

Only car storage? Darn. Would’ve liked to see some freight return to that portion of the line.

Phase 1 was announced back in January 2020 so if they got the money in July that year they’ve had it for almost 3 years now. They may have been anticipating an earlier startup of the DRRR at the time but any plans made then probably went out the window when the pandemic hit 3 months later.

@JohnFromJersey

I am not exactly sure what the intention with the old PRR diamond approach is. Storage most likely, but of what? That leg is too short to put a lot of cars, unless C&D wants to make a mini-transloading facility there (there is certainly room for it), or they will park their engines and possibly build offices (or something of the sort) around it

I'm not saying I know anything about rail operations so I don't mind being told to step back, but I would project that since dragging extra cars around costs fuel (one of the reasons they got rid of the caboose), they may use that shorter dead leg to temporoarily hold cars that would go up the secondary to more northern customers? They could haul everything down to that Wye and separate out northern customers from Woodhaven's cars and haul Woodhaven separately down south. Then bring back the Woodhaven empties, leave them on the main for a short period and grab the northern cars to run above Farmingdale. Then come back to grab all empties and head back to Browns.

I don't know if constructing a structure/field office (of course it could be an office trailer) or even storing a locomotive down here would benefit C&D (Engine as a protect?). Unless the site is manned most of the time, I think security would be a major issue. Granted, it should be a relatively quiet area, but once it is publicly know, who knows what miscreants drift over there for their own amusement?

Actual rail personnel can tell me this is impractical or not worth it and I would be ok with that correction.

I’ve heard they’ll use it to park engines or something else there, but only time will tell.

Could also be used as a holding point but I’m not exactly sure what cars for which customer they’d put there. Everyone on the southern minus Woodhaven is only shipping as needed nowadays…

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Fri May 12, 2023 12:46 pm
Adelphia Road as of this afternoon.

It is all looking quite hopeful that this progress will continue. Here is the same spot at Adelphia Road two days earlier, at a time when the work crew was active.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/BRXp7p9.jpg[/img