Quick NEC question

There was a piece on the local evening CBS News a couple of weeks ago about residents in New York (Queens I think) being upset about the extent of Amtrak's tree clearing.

Regarding Merril Park in Iselin/Colonia, I hope you don't mean they're moving the fence further back and claiming part of the park! That would be a shame. I've been there - nice park.

Matt Johnson wrote:There was a piece on the local evening CBS News a couple of weeks ago about residents in New York (Queens I think) being upset about the extent of Amtrak's tree clearing.

Regarding Merril Park in Iselin/Colonia, I hope you don't mean they're moving the fence further back and claiming part of the park! That would be a shame. I've been there - nice park.

Well thats what it looks like - it looks like the park sort of wandered onto railroad property, and Amtrak has reclaimed its part, and its not that much, only probably 10-15 feet or so.

The tree clearing looks to go ALL THE WAY to the property line, its pretty consistant up and down the NEC where they have been working - they are currently working behind the houses/next to the tracks inbetween Union tower and Rahway station, and down on track 4 side on the western curve east of Midway.

I hope they are making some cash selling all this lumber!

It is pretty obvious how the 6 tracks that are inbetween Union and Elmora interlockings were planned to be expanded west - the ROW inbetween basically the viaduct over the Raritan River all the way to Union is MUCH wider than it is down west of New Brunswick.

Jtgshu wrote:

Matt Johnson wrote:There was a piece on the local evening CBS News a couple of weeks ago about residents in New York (Queens I think) being upset about the extent of Amtrak's tree clearing.

Regarding Merril Park in Iselin/Colonia, I hope you don't mean they're moving the fence further back and claiming part of the park! That would be a shame. I've been there - nice park.

Well thats what it looks like - it looks like the park sort of wandered onto railroad property, and Amtrak has reclaimed its part, and its not that much, only probably 10-15 feet or so.

The tree clearing looks to go ALL THE WAY to the property line, its pretty consistant up and down the NEC where they have been working - they are currently working behind the houses/next to the tracks inbetween Union tower and Rahway station, and down on track 4 side on the western curve east of Midway.

I hope they are making some cash selling all this lumber!

It is pretty obvious how the 6 tracks that are inbetween Union and Elmora interlockings were planned to be expanded west - the ROW inbetween basically the viaduct over the Raritan River all the way to Union is MUCH wider than it is down west of New Brunswick.

So the NEC will be expanded to 6 mainline tracks all the way to New Brunswick?

morris&essex4ever wrote:

Jtgshu wrote:

Matt Johnson wrote:There was a piece on the local evening CBS News a couple of weeks ago about residents in New York (Queens I think) being upset about the extent of Amtrak's tree clearing.

Regarding Merril Park in Iselin/Colonia, I hope you don't mean they're moving the fence further back and claiming part of the park! That would be a shame. I've been there - nice park.

Well thats what it looks like - it looks like the park sort of wandered onto railroad property, and Amtrak has reclaimed its part, and its not that much, only probably 10-15 feet or so.

The tree clearing looks to go ALL THE WAY to the property line, its pretty consistant up and down the NEC where they have been working - they are currently working behind the houses/next to the tracks inbetween Union tower and Rahway station, and down on track 4 side on the western curve east of Midway.

I hope they are making some cash selling all this lumber!

It is pretty obvious how the 6 tracks that are inbetween Union and Elmora interlockings were planned to be expanded west - the ROW inbetween basically the viaduct over the Raritan River all the way to Union is MUCH wider than it is down west of New Brunswick.

So the NEC will be expanded to 6 mainline tracks all the way to New Brunswick?

boy thats a leap......
Nooooooooo, the PRR wanted it to be, but stopped the expansion at Rahway, which is why its 6 tracks inbetween Elizabeth and Rahway, and not past there.

Grump wrote:They're replacing many of the switches in Union Interlocking...

Many of them have already been replaced. The new switches have movable frogs. It makes quite a difference. I still occasionally forget and instinctively brace myself when going through at track speed (the old switches were quite bumpy), only to be caught off-guard by when we smoothly glide through the area.

Grump wrote:They're replacing many of the switches in Union Interlocking...

While Roads interlocking is currently a useless waste of money. The signals have been bagged for how long now?

jimzim66 wrote:

Grump wrote:They're replacing many of the switches in Union Interlocking...

While Roads interlocking is currently a useless waste of money. The signals have been bagged for how long now?

The full Union interlocking wont be in service until its CETC'd in NY and Union is closed and those bagged signals will be in service. Its like in Dock where there are new color position lights in and are bagged, and amtrak wont put them into service (and eliminating the extremely small piece of rule 251 signalling) until Dock is closed and CETC'd

And when would it be fully CETC protection and the machines at dock, union and zoo taken out of service?

jimzim66 wrote:

Grump wrote:They're replacing many of the switches in Union Interlocking...

While Roads interlocking is currently a useless waste of money. The signals have been bagged for how long now?

There is no Roads interlocking yet, nor is there a Merck yet.....don't confuse me, or yourself!

What was a waste of money is the A track pocket - they took a track that was useful, shortened it, rebuilt it, and have NEVER used it. the only notable thing about it that I know of is when the switch points moved, and a set of MUs derailed the lead pair.........IIRC, one of our "Hall of fame" members was there that day.

Jtgshu wrote:

jimzim66 wrote:

Grump wrote:They're replacing many of the switches in Union Interlocking...

While Roads interlocking is currently a useless waste of money. The signals have been bagged for how long now?

There is no Roads interlocking yet, nor is there a Merck yet.....don't confuse me, or yourself!

What was a waste of money is the A track pocket - they took a track that was useful, shortened it, rebuilt it, and have NEVER used it. the only notable thing about it that I know of is when the switch points moved, and a set of MUs derailed the lead pair.........IIRC, one of our "Hall of fame" members was there that day.

Im not confused. You get confused that easily, eh?

Jtgshu wrote:

jimzim66 wrote:

Grump wrote:They're replacing many of the switches in Union Interlocking...

While Roads interlocking is currently a useless waste of money. The signals have been bagged for how long now?

There is no Roads interlocking yet, nor is there a Merck yet.....don't confuse me, or yourself!

What was a waste of money is the A track pocket - they took a track that was useful, shortened it, rebuilt it, and have NEVER used it. the only notable thing about it that I know of is when the switch points moved, and a set of MUs derailed the lead pair.........IIRC, one of our "Hall of fame" members was there that day.

The actual ROW really is quite wide even through Highland Park. Though I don't think they quite cleared the whole thing (as the property line extends into the woods on the track 4 side).

JT,
Would you have any idea what that "hall of famer" is up to these days? He was a great mentor to me in my early teens, and I haven't been able to get in touch with him for a few years.

Man, you know, PRR was hard to play nice with, but their engineering goals, ambitious would be an understatement. Imagine a 6 track main from Newark to Philly.... I believe there is only one 6 track main In the us, out west where thy can't seem to move enough coal or whatever it is, trains mag had a photo of them prepping the road bed for an additional track/siding. I strogly feel that if PRR's engineering goals were met, this country would be in a slightly better position as far as rail transportation is concerned. Just imagine a PRR system fully electrified and double tracked at the least...

In any case, this wayside clearing seems to be going well, they are out working today.

- A

BuddSilverliner269 wrote: (and eliminating the extremely small piece of rule 251 signalling) until Dock is closed and CETC'd

Does anyone know the logic of not making hat 261 in the first place? it's only Cliff to Dock right (?), but it runs through a large station, so when keep it 251?

morris&essex4ever wrote:

Jtgshu wrote:

Matt Johnson wrote:There was a piece on the local evening CBS News a couple of weeks ago about residents in New York (Queens I think) being upset about the extent of Amtrak's tree clearing.

Regarding Merril Park in Iselin/Colonia, I hope you don't mean they're moving the fence further back and claiming part of the park! That would be a shame. I've been there - nice park.

Well thats what it looks like - it looks like the park sort of wandered onto railroad property, and Amtrak has reclaimed its part, and its not that much, only probably 10-15 feet or so.

The tree clearing looks to go ALL THE WAY to the property line, its pretty consistant up and down the NEC where they have been working - they are currently working behind the houses/next to the tracks inbetween Union tower and Rahway station, and down on track 4 side on the western curve east of Midway.

I hope they are making some cash selling all this lumber!

It is pretty obvious how the 6 tracks that are inbetween Union and Elmora interlockings were planned to be expanded west - the ROW inbetween basically the viaduct over the Raritan River all the way to Union is MUCH wider than it is down west of New Brunswick.

So the NEC will be expanded to 6 mainline tracks all the way to New Brunswick?

No doubt if that were to happen, the westbound 3700 series trains (on which I typically travel) would still continue to travel at a snail's pace.