U.S. Gypsum Clark

What days of the week do they deliver cars to USG? Are they delivering material or loading outbound freight?

What time of day is it?

So they still deliver there???
I remember when the LV used to drop off cars way back when. Wow!
I know the crossing is still there, I always MOW equipment back behind the ShopRite or the golf course...

I've not seen a delivery there in ages. If anyone knows I'd love to find out as well.
BigDell

The last delivery I can recall is some kind of dirt train which was back in 1999.
I assume that was for the construction of ShopRite?

The other day there was a railbox car in the woods between the plant and the shop rite driveway.

I didn't realize that the track there was still used on occasion.
That's good!!
I hate to see tracks that are in good condition sit there and do nothing.

Yes, that crossing is WELL-maintained, I figured they still used it for more than just parking MOW stuff. Its just that I never see anything go by anymore. I used to love the old days of seeing a little LV engine pushing cars into the Gypsum plant.
Anyway, kudos to anyone who captures a current photo of action at that crossing! :-)
BigDell

The dirt train was for the building of a golf course where the Hyatt Plant was. Power was usually a 4-axle GE with the labor managemnet sticker on the nose.

Thanks for refreshing my memory regarding the use of the dirt train in 1999.

I know that in 2001 when I worked for CSA we had a job out of Manville that served the "Gyp" in Clark. If I recall correctly the customer was a shipper of recycled paper, and not US Gypsum itself... but that might not be right. Senior moments happen at age 37 I guess. At the time the ShopRite crossing was manually activated, but I think its automatic now... that infrastructure investment must mean they still use that siding.

Haven't been around there in a couple months now but that spur is actively used. I used to work in the Mac-cali building behind shoprite with windows facing the plant --- great view (no joke), very interesting. They were always loading pallets by forklift into 50ft box cars. The spur comes right along the back of the building. It only appears to be two cars but it actually goes inside the building and then emerges another 50ft or so straight through to continue on the whole length of the building. The company would always push the cars out themselves to the wood line with a tractor. It was a small front end loader. they would raise up the front scoop and then push the cars with it. I counted the cars whenever i saw this and there were always 9-12. Once I saw them spotting a tank car in the track (this is from behind shoprite). They just re-did everything about 2 years ago on the spur -- the track, switch, brand new signals. That was after the dirt trains so it had to be for US Gypsum. They ripped out the old leads that went into gysum. They actually used to go in front of the building if you look closely. The switch was in the street (raritan) before they re-did it. There was another old switch 10-20 ft beyond that and then there's the current one. If you look at the fence you can see the gates for the old two. Also along the front there are bricked up doors spaced for railcars.
Another interesting thing about that line is that it used to continue on behind shoprite (then the Howard Johson hotel) and go under the parkway. Maps in the library show that it went across the street (walnut) to serve a mill there (now a series of differnt businesses). I think that was some sort of textile mill; can't recall now. Anybody out there remember this? Always wanted to walk under the parkway bridge for the tracks and check it out but never had the guts.

Another interesting thing about that line is that it used to continue on behind shoprite (then the Howard Johson hotel) and go under the parkway. Maps in the library show that it went across the street (walnut) to serve a mill there (now a series of differnt businesses). I think that was some sort of textile mill; can't recall now. Anybody out there remember this? Always wanted to walk under the parkway bridge for the tracks and check it out but never had the guts

That is amazing, I had NO IDEA!!!! I grew up in the area, too!

Take some photos next time you see action at the crossing!
BigDell

Question? What is the name of the company that uses the front end loader to move cars? Is this company still receiving railcars?

Thankyou for the info.

On 8 Nov 2002 I visited the spur, and recorded in RR diary the following:
------
visited Clark Industrial Spur via Raritan Rd.; turned right into Shopright access road parallel to spur, then parked car in Shopright lot. From LV line, spur goes by golf course curving left (some track dated 1928, 1929, with newish ties; track mostly rusted with some use)
Track passes in back of Karnac Chemical (phew! stinks), Bally Sport (where Clark Lanes used to be), crosses Raritan Rd- 50 meters later switch (dated 1998) set to siding into Private Property. Straight line goes into grass after 50 more meters and stops. I followed ROW (with track removed) through Shopright Truck service area in back of Shopright; ROW then goes under a bridge under the Garden State Pkway. The roof has a smoke deflector (steam roof protector) for a single track, but splits 2/3 of way under the bridge into 2 deflectors. Other side of bridge has open parking lot to the right, covered parking lot to left.

There's an actual name for this spur versus the "clark spur". It's been bothering me since the day I posted above. Can anyone think of it---I think I starts with an A....

I think it was known as the Bloodgood Branch, named after a prominent Clark resident with substantial land holdings back then. I believe he was responsible for developing the original industrial site served by the rail line.