Shared Assets Lehigh Line

Who cares about the Delco.

I’m slightly worried because that track is FAR worse than the Southern. I’m surprised ME-2 hasn’t rolled over going down it! I would think they’d do something seeing as how it sees substantially more traffic than the Southern did under Conrail. 2-3 trains a week and sometimes they get big trains in there. Especially Solterra Recycling. I’m yet to see them get less than 6 cars whenever I see ME-2 work them.

They fixed up the Millstone Branch on the other side of Jersey Ave (the road not the station) and even added another siding. Would like to see something similar done to the Delco and the Millstone branch where it runs through the station there. That spot is also pretty bad.

What other maintenance is planned on Conrails network? I caught that ballast train in Allentown yesterday. That was a big amount of ballast they were hauling. Big HERZOG hopper cars and a lot of them.

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 2:34 pm @Railcar1 South Jerseys maintenance is way better. My aforementioned joke was more of a jab at how some areas of North Jersey are kinda left to rot. coughdelcoITcough

@AceMac You mentioned the ballast train was for the P&H. I heard that Conrail wants to add a second siding on the P&H near that one drawbridge they wanna replace. They putting that siding in soon?

Understood. Are the majority of branch lines up north seeing less than 5 days a week service? I wonder if that’s a big factor. The lines down south are in pretty good shape overall but a lot of them see trains Monday thru Friday.

A lot of the branches up north are closer to Conrails yard and get serviced more frequently but even then some are left to fall apart. Like the one IT in Perth Amboy. They move hazardous materials on that line and the track is in horrendous condition. In some spots it’s worse than the Delco.

At the end of the day, CRSAO is moreso a switching company that was created to prevent either CSX or NS from overtaking and having a monopoly on the entire NJ rail market. Since neither railroad has full control/ownership over the CRSAO, I'd imagine maintenance is done begrudgingly by two competitors forced to work with each other.

JohnFromJersey wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 3:32 pm At the end of the day, CRSAO is moreso a switching company that was created to prevent either CSX or NS from overtaking and having a monopoly on the entire NJ rail market. Since neither railroad has full control/ownership over the CRSAO, I'd imagine maintenance is done begrudgingly by two competitors forced to work with each other.

Conrail has a MoW department with a budget. They have to plan their capital programs with the owner roads MoW gangs or private contractors.

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 12:22 pm A lot of the branches up north are closer to Conrails yard and get serviced more frequently but even then some are left to fall apart. Like the one IT in Perth Amboy. They move hazardous materials on that line and the track is in horrendous condition. In some spots it’s worse than the Delco.

I've operated over both the Delco and Perth Amboy. Never went on the ground. When you say it's horrendous, is that because we're not running at 50mph on it. I have been on far worse track than the Delco and Perth Amboy and still managed to stay on the rail.

Also, that NS Herzog ballast train is sitting on the Garden State at Trembley.

CSX M410 eastbound at South Plainfield 3:40 PM

CSX 721 leading
CSX 3198 mid DPU

NS 62V eastbound through South Plainfield 4:22 PM

NS 4232 leading
NS 4325 trailing

NS ??? Westbound through South Plainfield 4:46 PM (intermodal, don’t know the symbol)

NS 9546 leading (EW )
NS 9651
NS 7575
BNSF 3817
NS 7688 trailing in that order.

CSX M405 Westbound at South Plainfield 5:22 PM

CSX 5453 leading
CSX 7218 trailing

CSX M403 Westbound at South Plainfield 5:52 PM

CSX 910 leading
CSX 5421 trailing

NS 6K5 or 6E5 Westbound at CP PORT READING JUNCTION 7:12 PM

NS 7564 leading
UP 7016 trailing

65K.
Loaded trains with the letter in the middle need a 1000 mile inspection, usually in Conway. Loaded trains with the letter at the end do not. Empty trains come out with the letter at the end. 6K4 or 64K will go out as 65K

Z in place of the 6 denote it's the 2nd train of the same date.

Interesting. I couldn’t tell if it was K or E. Aren’t both eastbound ethanol? Or is one crude oil?