Facility in South Amboy

Was just up in South Amboy the other day and parked in the northernmost NJT parking lot next to the church running track. The new bridge over the NJCL holds the church track and a new roadway, apparently for future development in the areas of the old engine house and coal dumpers. They installed retro light poles and curbing showing future entrances into these areas. The old MU yard light tower still remains though.

The sand mining is still going on where the coal dumper peninsula was. Employees there are using the old JCP&L overpass for access. The old engine terminal site remains vacant except for a few remaining catenary supports and some telephone poles. I plan to get in there before summer to photograph what's left before the whole area is obliterated with development. I can't get enough of the old South Amboy engine terminal and adjoining facilities, including the RR yard to the west, especially since I'm modelling it in my basement. Railroading at its best!

Last year I walked around the lead/yard tracks to where the engine terminal would be (I parked next to the BIG dirt mound and went down into the track area - there was like 4 tracks down there. I didn't find any relics or anything good, but I didn't go to far towards where the engine house would be, it was really overgrown.

they also just put in a traffic light off of Main St (or whatever the road name turns into heading out towards 35) with a seperate left turn lane to access the new overpass over the Coast Line.

It is cool to see the light tower still up there - i keep expecting it to be on one night pulling into South Amboy station!! "what the........... is that?!!??!!" hahaaha

South Amboy has come a long way from its peak

I came across a map on Historic Aerials, 1946 I believe, that showed the layout of South Amboy. The coal operation and shop buildings were all there, as well as that huge yard west of the C&A / NY&LB interchange. All that's left of that yard today is that long sweeping curve that runs from the west to the south, that once was the northern-most track of the yard. Full of hopper cars. Fascinating stuff. Compare to a modern aerial view. So much is gone.

I never had the opportunity to see long coal trains pulled by P5s and E44s and the MU passenger cars on the C&A from Jamesburg to South Amboy. Wish I did. NJ's oldest rail line was a busy place it its day.

That's true there is a big lot left over there was a siding there up until recent years not sure what CSAO used it for.

They still parked engines in that general location there when NJT was still doing engine exchanges in South Amboy I believe.