SteelWheels21 wrote:No, the tracks were pulled up from OC to the Power Plant switch around 98 or 99. I remember seeing them do it from the Garden State Parkway as I drove over the bridge.
I have some videos of the tracks taken around late '96. They were very much intact up between the Beesley's Point secondary branch, under pavement on Rt. 9, and under the GSP. The Crook Horn Bridge was gone already. but the track countinued into Ocean City until where it currently ends...in spurts. Disgraceful.
I am still amazed that the Cape May Branch did not suffer the same fate. The hell that Tony Macrie goes through is almost inhuman. I am sure if the Ocean City branch had not been mutiliated and service was restored
a la CMSL, it would be pounded by NIMBYs right now.
Noel Weaver wrote:The biggest problem was probably the overhead expense and the un-willingness of anyone to spend the necessary money to up-grade thelines and facilities. There were just too many drawbridges and towers, too many signals and crossings to take care of for the amount of use of these lines. Having said that, these lines did serve a good purpose and the funds should have been spent to upgrade them, they could have remoted the towers and maybe the drawbridges too. More service especially off-peak, evenings and weekends could have brough more passengers to the trains too. I still believe that NJT should be running trains to Cape May.
I agree. We have to remember that when service ceased, NJT really did not exist. Service to Cape May and OC was being supplied by a very reluctant NJ DOT. I would bet had that service continued into the NJT era and into the early 90s, NJT would have sunk some $$$ into. Maybe. I also fawn over the LIRR
http://world.nycsubway.org/us/lirr/lirr-montauk.html and how service never ceased out to Montauk or Greenport.