Robbinsville Industrial Track To Be Vacated

Oh well another segmit of the C&A RR bites the dust.

When the previous abandonment was made of the line north of MP 37.90, what was the justification for retaining this line between MP32.2 - 37.90 originally? Had there been a customer that faded out in the last decade along this stretch? Had there been a feed supplier by H&H Appliance in Washington Twp? I am guessing that they are keeping the section of track up to MP32.2 just to use as storage track for holding excess hoppers for the plant in yardville.

There was a very active chemical / plastics shipper located where Windsor Road meets Rt. 130. There always seemed to be a bunch of covered hoppers there. And there may also have been some other shippers in that same complex.

From that point south, i don't think there were any other shippers until Yardville.

Yardville Supply Company is still an active shipper. I think they receive seasonal loads of rock salt. Just north of Yardville, I think there are a couple sidings, one to a warehouse and one to a lumber company. Anyone know if they're still active?

And in Bordentown, I think Ocean Spray and Agway are still active, but i'm not sure.

From the attached filing, and from what I remember previously, this section is being removed because that the county and township wish to redevelop some areas along the line for commercial use (perhaps even that Chemical Firm Boosie mentioned), and needed the ROW for access/redevelopment.

Does anyone know when section of the C&A between Hightstown Jct. and Windsor was officially abandoned? Or when the last thru train ran?

Inquiries and looking at maps place the initial closure of the 1.1-mile C&A segment sometime in 1964. However, I seem to recall that the tracks were not ripped up right away; in fact they may have remained on the ground all the way up until when the US-130 bridge over the right-of-way was flattened in late 1988.

The C&A section between Hightstown Jct. and where it ends now by the NJ Turnpike at Cranbury Station, was lifted on March 7 , 1983. Could the remaining "Hightstown Secondary" as it's now known possibly serve a a M-O-M branch with a Park-and-Ride at the Turnpike ?

this line seems to have been freight only, did passenger service ever run on it?

Some of the first passenger trains in America ran under the Camden and Amboy banner. Pretty sure that PRR operated troop trains to Fort (back then Camp) Dix over the line.

rail__debris wrote:this line seems to have been freight only, did passenger service ever run on it?

First passenger service between Heightstown and Bordentown was on October 1, 1832.

The Camden and Amboy was the main passenger route through NJ until the PRR took it over in 1871, and by 1872 the NEC was the main passenger route.

Look out, Jim Riffin wants to buy this.

http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/ ... 217011.PDF

brianpwestgate wrote:Look out, Jim Riffin wants to buy this.

Why?
(I looked at the STB pdf)
I thought there were no on-line shippers, and the town wanted to use (at least part) of the route for access to businesses and commercial establishments.
Can anyone explain how this line would be viable, and for what purpose?

I wondered if it made sense to abandon a line that could be adjacent to new industrial development. Perhaps that's what he's thinking. Whomever he is.

Dave Becker

As TrainLawyer will tell you, James Riffin is the guy who wants to restore service over the whole Northern Central between Baltimore and York. He also is apparently taking over the George's Creek line from CSX in Western Maryland (ex-Western Maryland).

Cosden oil {FINA} is long gone & cleaned up. the track North of there was pulled up when the Rt 130 bridge was leveled. Most fo teh businesses south of where Cosden was located won't use rail and want to get rid of the line as it land locks a few parcels in Washingotn Twsp.

There is no business at all, potential or existing, north of Klockner Road, which is adjacent to the big warehouse on Cabot. I haven't waded through the filing yet, but I'm sure Shared Assets will be keeping from Klockner south. Its interesting that the new warehouse on Cabot, across the road from the first warehouse, doesn't have rail service.

There is also a highway bridge over the line in Robbinsville, which is scheduled to be removed, leaving Rt. 33 at the same level as the C&A.

What is Riffin thinking? No traffic at all, or is he planning on running unit trains of mulch and grass seed to the myriad of house farms that have sprung up along the ROW?