Hampton Junction "Blue Coal" Yard

[CGRLCDR]

Today a guy came in the office and was telling me about the "Blue Coal" yard that used to be located in Hampton Junction (now just Hampton) along the CNJ Phillipsburg line. If you look on Google Earth or Bing Maps you'll see a series of circular impressions adjacent to the track about a half mile west of the old CNJ shops, now Hampton Borough DPW yard, on the north side of the tracks. There was a fairly long siding there for the delivery of Blue Coal from PA. The coal was evidently stored and washed at this facility. I can see that it existed back as long ago as 1931 in historic aerials.com. Does anyone have any information on this facility? Specifically I'm curious if there was a coal gassification plant there. Also, I'd like to know what dye was used to color the coal blue. From what I understand the site is still covered in blue dirt - residue from the blue coal wash.

[Ken W2KB]

Today a guy came in the office and was telling me about the "Blue Coal" yard that used to be located in Hampton Junction (now just Hampton) along the CNJ Phillipsburg line. If you look on Google Earth or Bing Maps you'll see a series of circular impressions adjacent to the track about a half mile west of the old CNJ shops, now Hampton Borough DPW yard, on the north side of the tracks. There was a fairly long siding there for the delivery of Blue Coal from PA. The coal was evidently stored and washed at this facility. I can see that it existed back as long ago as 1931 in historic aerials.com. Does anyone have any information on this facility? Specifically I'm curious if there was a coal gassification plant there. Also, I'd like to know what dye was used to color the coal blue. From what I understand the site is still covered in blue dirt - residue from the blue coal wash.

Probably was no manufactured gas plant there. Hampton and its environs are in Elizabethtown Gas' service territory and E'Town and its predecessor companies had 6 such plants according to this ALJ Initial Decision: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 7178,d.cWc

See also: http://www.hatheway.net/28_locations_of_gas_plants.htm Don't know how accurate this is.

[wis bang]

Those circular remains are the site of the 'Changewater' Getty Oil storage facility. The pipeline used to bring crude to Newark from NW PA. Later it was reversed and sent refined products outward. Changewater was changed from crude storage to heating oil. A truck loading rack was installed off Asbury Rd. I worked for a local tank transporter who's interstate authority was haulign #2 from Getty Oil, Changewater to Pulici Gas and Oil in Hawley, PA. The last time I looked at Google I noticed it had been removed leaving those circles.

[CGRLCDR]

Thanks, for posting. I am very familiar with the Changewater tank farm and pumping station. It is currently owned by Chevron. I'm working with the National Park Service to get Chevron to remove their pipelines that ran between the tank farm and pumping station in the Musconetcong River. There are 5 of them still in place and they are a hazard to navigation. In addition, Chevron claims that the pipes are inert and filled with concrete - I am doubtful. The whole site is still under remediation and won't be cleaned up for years. The primary issue is that there was never any bottom on those tanks allowing oil to seep into the ground for almost 100 years. They have equipment on site that continually pumps the oil out of the ground and stores it in a large tank for disposal.

The circles that I am referring to here are just west of the Hampton DPW yard on the CNJ Phillipsburg line. They are located on the north side of the track. If you look in Google Maps you'll see what I am talking about.

[CNJ Fan 4evr]

I remember when I was about 5 there was a fire call at that Getty "farm". My dad was on the Washington Twp(Warren Cty.) Fire Dept.and was one of several that responded. Nothing major that I recall. I went snowmobiling not far from there when I was in high school.
My aunt lived right along the Jersey Central main near the lumber yard in Hampton. That is where my "love affair" with the CNJ began.My God, has it really been 40 years this spring? Wow!!!