Trains and operations in Browns Yard

Is BDRV 752 coming to the Southern Secondary at all, or is it going somewhere else?

AceMacSD wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 6:58 am Possibly "interchange" traffic to ease the burden on Port Reading and Browns. Traffic would come out of OI by use of the garden state. We would not put extra freight traffic on Amtrak even if its a more direct route. Doesn't seem to make sense right now but will when the time comes. There are still more details that need to be hammered out between parties involved.

Is this something C&D/DRRR is doing?

Permission to open up at Church 3:51 PM. Symbol unknown.

SA31 lined and locked normal 4:02 PM

Clear of BANK interlocking on the Southern Secondary 4:47 PM.

I guess Monday and Thursday afternoons are when the Red Bank transfer comes in now, at the same time it would if it were going to Lakewood.

JohnFromJersey wrote: ↑Mon Jul 11, 2022 11:27 am Is this something C&D/DRRR is doing?

It may be. May be not. You are just going to have to wait on all involved parties. C&D is not the only carrier shared assets interchanges with.

Who are the involved parties? Is Raritan Central one of them? I’ve been hearing that Conrail wants them to run ME-2 and the Metuchen transfer for a while…

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 12, 2022 11:07 pm Is Raritan Central one of them? I’ve been hearing that Conrail wants them to run ME-2 and the Metuchen transfer for a while…

Raritan Central on Amtrak? I think not.

AceMacSD wrote: ↑Wed Jul 13, 2022 5:16 am Raritan Central on Amtrak? I think not.

Sounds like NYSW will be involved then, since they already pretty close in proximity to there, and have good relations with Amtrak and Class I's IIRC

I’m not sure about that. NYSW mainly deals with CSX out of North Bergen. Stiles Yard is farther away from their mainline. They’d have to go over the NEC to reach said line from there, or over Conrails Garden State Secondary…

What could this be for…

While we are speculating and dreaming, here is some more foam, involving 2 semi-obscure branches connections.

Suppose Conrail dropped off cars for DRRR, Raritan Central, and any other operators in the mid NJ area at Stiles St Yard, using the NEC to get there from Oak Island (sort of the equal of CR using the NEC now to get to Metuchen, but much shorter distance on the NEC, and maybe staying on the same track and not having to foul all the Amtrak tracks twice, perhaps currently crossing all the way over and then back again, although I really don't know how they do it.)

Then, there is a "back door" from Stiles St Yard to the Chemical coast (heading compass south, timetable west) on the Chemical Coast (is the Chemical Coast officially called Garden State Secondary?) So DRRR, Raritan Central, etc, could perhaps pick up and drop off their cars there at Stiles St yard using this back door to the Chemical Coast.

Second, there is an unused (not sure if officially OOS) connection from the Chemical Coast just north of Perth Amboy over a short stretch of the old LV Perth Amboy branch (the original LV freight main in NJ) into an active rail-served business park, connected to what at one time was called Heller Biz park or similar. The larger complex of tracks has a modern name I can't recall. I think Raritan Central serves it. From there you can get to the Metuchen branch and Metuchen yard, etc, w/o going on Amtrak. (I think that is how cars get to RC now, coming the other way on that branch. So that takes care of ME-2, Raritan Central etc.

Regarding DRRR, if (and a big if) they had rights to get from Browns Yard over the Raritan River Bridge to the Chemical Coast (which would involve 2-3 miles over NJT, probably requiring PTC, admittedly), then they can get to/from Stiles St yard for interchange with CR as well.

So these freight short lines could interchange w/ CR at Stiles St Yard on the NEC, w/o going on the Amtrak NEC or NJT (except for DRRR on the Raritan River bridge). They would need rights on the Chemical Coast, etc, which is CR.

OK, I'll put on my flak jacket and you can start shooting me down
JS

One more thing. My COVID -weary and age-weary brain forgot that the connection between the Chemical Coast on the north side of Perth Amboy and the old original LV freight main to get to Raritan Central business park, which was refurbished perhaps 10-20 years ago, but not really used since if at all, requires a reverse move just after coming off the Chemical Coast. However, looking at Google Maps, a new connector of only ~500 ft would solve the problem.
https://goo.gl/maps/wRvk5fpcXBZJrKXg9
JS

The western end of that track hasn’t been used since the early 2000s. Last customer out there dealt with gondolas. PR20 brings tankers to the two remaining customers.

I’ve been wondering why the transfer to Metuchen doesn’t go that way. No Amtrak fees or operating windows to worry about.

Bracdude wrote:

I’ve been wondering why the transfer to Metuchen doesn’t go that way. No Amtrak fees or operating windows to worry about.

May be a toss up between Amtrak fees and longer distance time and fuel cocts.

Class I's handing over carload traffic to shortlines is the only way freight traffic in Central Jersey can stay afloat. Class I's really have interest in it...

JohnFromJersey wrote: ↑Wed Jul 13, 2022 10:51 pm Class I's handing over carload traffic to shortlines is the only way freight traffic in Central Jersey can stay afloat. Class I's really have interest in it...

End of the day, that still benefits railfans. Its reaching the point where if you were determined you could see a dozen different railroads operating in the same day.