by X4401
Hi there.
I recall hearing stories about the Dover Drill having one of its responsibilities way back in the pre-1960's era of supplying Greystone State Hospital with coal for its coal fired furnaces via the siding that still bears its name near Morris Plains station. Riding past on NJT, driving past on Route 53, and looking from above on bing.com and google.com maps it is easy to see where the current "Greystone Siding" dead ends, but it has proved very elusive to track the actual location either in person or online via the available maps of the old path it took to greystone state hospital. The employee had commented on what a hellacious grade it was to climb with only one engine, but that describes most of the hills in the area.
Having worked next door to GSH for a few years I always used to drive those roads after work wondering "Where was the ROW through here?" and even asked a few locals who stated "It was ripped up and houses were built there" without them actually able to show me on a map or even give a street name.
Along side West Hanover ave there are what appears to be the remains of a coal dock, but this is quite a distance from the old main building, which appears to have an old oil burning furnace out back. My other guess was that it may have closely followed one of the roads which was then simply widened after the tracks were ripped out?
Lastly I have only ever found one photo of a train on the Greystone siding (past the current bumping block that is) and it is on this web site http://www.preservegreystone.org/issue.htm click on "Slide Show" and scroll through.
Does anyone have any idea where the ROW was? It's one of those interesting and quirky bits of local RR history that lodges itself in ones brain and can not be shaken out easily lol.
I recall hearing stories about the Dover Drill having one of its responsibilities way back in the pre-1960's era of supplying Greystone State Hospital with coal for its coal fired furnaces via the siding that still bears its name near Morris Plains station. Riding past on NJT, driving past on Route 53, and looking from above on bing.com and google.com maps it is easy to see where the current "Greystone Siding" dead ends, but it has proved very elusive to track the actual location either in person or online via the available maps of the old path it took to greystone state hospital. The employee had commented on what a hellacious grade it was to climb with only one engine, but that describes most of the hills in the area.
Having worked next door to GSH for a few years I always used to drive those roads after work wondering "Where was the ROW through here?" and even asked a few locals who stated "It was ripped up and houses were built there" without them actually able to show me on a map or even give a street name.
Along side West Hanover ave there are what appears to be the remains of a coal dock, but this is quite a distance from the old main building, which appears to have an old oil burning furnace out back. My other guess was that it may have closely followed one of the roads which was then simply widened after the tracks were ripped out?
Lastly I have only ever found one photo of a train on the Greystone siding (past the current bumping block that is) and it is on this web site http://www.preservegreystone.org/issue.htm click on "Slide Show" and scroll through.
Does anyone have any idea where the ROW was? It's one of those interesting and quirky bits of local RR history that lodges itself in ones brain and can not be shaken out easily lol.
