Salem County Line - Swedesboro to Salem - Operated by: West Jersey, SRNJ, US Rail, SMS

I believe the engines used on this line are kept in the Swedsboro yard.

The schedule is very erratic, but there is usually at least one run each day. Sometimes it's late morning, sometimes early afternoon, sometimes as late as 11PM. The amount of freight carried has increased each year since the line was reopened a few years ago.

Derailments have been a major problem since the rail is over 100 years old and can't carry the weight of modern freight cars.

SRNJ keeps their Salem engines on the Mannington Mills property, a gated industrial property that precludes vandalism.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/chuchubob ... m=89fc.jpg

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/chuchubob ... m=55a6.jpg

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/chuchubob ... m=ade8.jpg

One other bit of info, I've seen the train stopped several times in Woodstown at Route 40. It's usually been on the weekend, early afternoon.

Like I said before, the schedule tends to be very irratic. But if you get lucky, that's a great spot to get a close-up look.

Does anyone know what the story is with the Washington Terminal RS-1 in the photos?

SRNJ SALEM DIVISION:

Locomotives: 100 EMD GP9, 412 GE 44ton, 727 EMD F7A, 728 EMD F7A, 1801 GE U18B. The 100 and 1801 are primary power. They are stored safely and secure within the Mannington Mills complex. You will have to catch them out on the line to photograph them.

Operations:
(1) Monday thru Saturday there is a local on duty around 0730. The local will switch Anchor Glass (3-4 cars per day), Liberty, Aluchem, Mannington Mills, Watco Railcar Repair, the telephone pole transload and food transload concerns, and do some yard work (switching depends on customer needs- Anchor is 6 days, Mannington 4-6 days).

(2) Tuesday Thursday Saturdays will see the train make a Swedesboro interchange run. This is usually done after Salem switching, so say a 10-11am departure on average. Occaisionally, the north run will be made and the switching last, sometimes switching on both sides of the Swedesboro run, all dependent on cars available and customer needs.
This is a slow run due to very slow track speeds (2-5mph) and poor track conditions. Hence, the 16+/- mile run to Swedesboro and back, with lunch and interchange moves takes about 8 hours. Tues/Thurs/Fri are 10-12 hour work days.

(3) Based on need, an interchange run may be made other days as well, there has been evening switches, there have been Sunday switches. On occaision we may do something on another line and then do Salem, or visa versa if short on available crews.

You can also get additional information from the web link below.


Brian

I just read on the surface trsnsprotation board website that the line into salem is being abbandoned by the SRNj. Did anyone here know anything aout it? I heard they wer doing good, with lots of engines and cars.

bystander wrote:I just read on the STB website that the line into salem is being abandoned by the SRNJ. Did anyone here know anything about it? I heard they were doing good, with lots of engines and cars.

It really dosn't matter how many engines or cars a railway has. They can always lease them, if need be.

Where on the STB website did you see this? I would be very surpirsed if this is happening since the Delawear River Port Authority just gave the county of Salem, who owns the line and leases it to SRNJ, a large grant for improvements on the line.

Here is an article in last weeks Courier Post about it:
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/p ... 9901230345

As NJRailfan said, SRNJ can't abandon the Salem line as it is owned by Salem County. A company named "Salem Industrial Railway, Inc." located in Salem NJ did file a notice of exemption on 1/27 with the Surface transportation board. Basically stating that SRNJ does not want to renew its lease of the line from Salem County who own the line and that they will become operator of the line . There was a post on the SJRA forum that this is possibly a false filing. I don't know why someone would do that though, hmmm...

You can find the filing here: http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/ ... e?openform

Doug D.

What businesses/customers are on that line? There is a power plant in Salem? Is that on the line?

It is confirmed from SRNJ employees and management that this was a false filing. SRNJ has no intention of abandoning or in any way giving up service on the Salem Running Track south of Swedesboro.

Why someone would want to do this, I don't know...but they did.

Mike DiMunno

Pinewald Station wrote:What businesses/customers are on that line? There is a power plant in Salem? Is that on the line?

Current primary customers are Anchor Glass (in Salem, on the Port Industrial), Mannington Mills (just north of Salem), and South Jersey Farmers Exchange (in Woodstown).

The power plant is not currently a railroad customer.

Mike DiMunno