New Jersey Seashore Lines: was CNJ being cleard Woodmansie>N

[Splatz]

Ha-ha the verb is a perfect description of what term we would apply to the aforesaid. Well so much for my survey crew, but what i eventually discovered was even odder to use an expression. The survey stakes go quite a distance along 539 tho i thought they stopped at 72' which sports like 70 a new paved surface. Now where it gets weird is that the survey markers are also along Lacey Road and the last discernible one at the point where the former ROW of the Tuckerton RR makes a bend to the southeast toward Lacey Materials. Whats that a bid to renew our thought about Oyster Creek decomissioning, a survey three to fours years out within the realm of the possible?

They have GPS locators. I am not a plum bob and transit man so someone else will have to figure it out. Repaving a road that was just done a few years ago. An OC Republican party version of the WPA making work for the paving company?

All the while our last tie in at 539 looking like who did it and ran. Putzing around indeed

[bluedash2]

So is rail service there ever going to happen?

[RailsEast]

Unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

Brother GME...earlier this year (2/24), the Manchester town council endorsed an agreement between NJDOT & Conrail (resolution 14-092), but I have no further information. I know you do not live in the immediate area, but, through your contacts, would you have any insight as to what this agreement might entail?

Chris

[jrzwalker86]

I am being a bit facetious asking.......but......Any chance Clayton is having the line rehabbed so it can be sold to NJ Transit for a higher price? Afterall, NJ Transit owns much the tracks south of Clayton (to a point I do not where) and NJ Transit owns where the Southern Secondary begins in Red Bank.

[bystander]

...because he Already has a proved track Record.

[Splatz]

GME cuts to the quick when he invokes the lot of high speed rail to AC on the same order of magnitude to describe the effort to resuscitate that which was once was a "high speed" connection to the now again dowager resort. Sad to know too, that once an electrified line approached triple digit speeds to that city on the Jersey flats, when the Japanese were using rickshaws.

However he may be holding up a Dewey Defeats Truman newspaper when he gets a load of this article published today. Our principals, in the context of what our next potential potentate sees, seen as nothing less than visionaries.

http://link.nyobserver.com/4d82f1e6cc0c ... nARbyB0271" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bmwr12]

I must say there is a lot of mystery with this section of the line and few answers. The line has been cleared 3 times in the last 10 years and the most recently this year.

1.Does anyone know where Clayton's sand used to go when the line was still in use? I know it was roughly 25 years ago. I am sure that NJSL had to supply the state with the 2 proposed customers they listed on the grant application.

2.Why would Clayton/NJSL spend the money to clean the trees and brush if you were not going to follow through with the state grant? They needed to show a real need for the money to get the grant. Why would you make the state redo all of the crossings if you had no intention of reactivating the line?

3.Why has Conrail not done any of the work in the Manchester area that they received a grant for? I understand they would not want to have to spend there 10% stake of the repairs if they have no reason to. If I remember correctly this is the first time this project(Conrail) appeared on the eligible NJ rail plan since the line was cleared for the first time since it was out of service. I highly doubt Conrail would have spent the time and resources to apply for this grant if they didn't have a good reason too. In the time since the grant was awarded one of the Rt571 2 large crossing signals was removed that needed only minor repairs and the Whitesville Rd. crossing had a flasher assembly removed. It looks like this operation will not happen anytime soon with the current trend.

Conrail has just as much to gain as NJSL to get the line running again. If the line starts going again it might be feasible for one of the 2 operators to run on the Toms River Industrial track. They could possibly get Dinasos & Sons and Builder's General back as a customers if you can lower the cost due to increased volume. The NJSL could possibly operate a Blue Comet tour on the Clayton trackage to help offset operating costs.

[Greg]

GME cuts to the quick when he invokes the lot of high speed rail to AC on the same order of magnitude to describe the effort to resuscitate http://link.nyobserver.com/4d82f1e6cc0c ... nARbyB0271" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What does that article have to do with the topic?

Don't bother answering, that was rhetorical.

[wolfboy8171981]

3.Why has Conrail not done any of the work in the Manchester area that they received a grant for? I understand they would not want to have to spend there 10% stake of the repairs if they have no reason to. If I remember correctly this is the first time this project(Conrail) appeared on the eligible NJ rail plan since the line was cleared for the first time since it was out of service. I highly doubt Conrail would have spent the time and resources to apply for this grant if they didn't have a good reason too. In the time since the grant was awarded one of the Rt571 2 large crossing signals was removed that needed only minor repairs and the Whitesville Rd. crossing had a flasher assembly removed. It looks like this operation will not happen anytime soon with the current trend.

Conrail has just as much to gain as NJSL to get the line running again. If the line starts going again it might be feasible for one of the 2 operators to run on the Toms River Industrial track. They could possibly get Dinasos & Sons and Builder's General back as a customers if you can lower the cost due to increased volume. The NJSL could possibly operate a Blue Comet tour on the Clayton trackage to help offset operating costs.

Its possible Conrail's motive for the trestle repair has nothing to do with the NJCL, or the Toms River Ind, and everything to do with "that other" customer in Lakehurst off Ridgeway Rd.....

[R&DB]

3.Why has Conrail not done any of the work in the Manchester area that they received a grant for? I understand they would not want to have to spend there 10% stake of the repairs if they have no reason to. If I remember correctly this is the first time this project(Conrail) appeared on the eligible NJ rail plan since the line was cleared for the first time since it was out of service. I highly doubt Conrail would have spent the time and resources to apply for this grant if they didn't have a good reason too. In the time since the grant was awarded one of the Rt571 2 large crossing signals was removed that needed only minor repairs and the Whitesville Rd. crossing had a flasher assembly removed. It looks like this operation will not happen anytime soon with the current trend.

Conrail has just as much to gain as NJSL to get the line running again. If the line starts going again it might be feasible for one of the 2 operators to run on the Toms River Industrial track. They could possibly get Dinasos & Sons and Builder's General back as a customers if you can lower the cost due to increased volume. The NJSL could possibly operate a Blue Comet tour on the Clayton trackage to help offset operating costs.

Its possible Conrail's motive for the trestle repair has nothing to do with the NJCL, or the Toms River Ind, and everything to do with "that other" customer in Lakehurst off Ridgeway Rd.....

Having a longer run-around than Cross Street wouldn't hurt either. No more double run-arounds when the consist is more than 10 cars.

[RailsEast]

The other customer would have some trackwork to do if they wanted service again, unless they would only receive 5 or 6 cars at a time in a transload type of operation. The current siding ends just a couple of hundred feet inside the gate. The current runaround there is significantly longer than Cross St. in Lakewood.

There have been rumors of downsizing or closing altogether, although it wouldn't happen anytime soon. I'm sure that there are some large items in there that could only be moved by rail.
http://www.thedailyjournal.com/story/ne ... /12289183/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(Disclaimer: the above is just speculation, don't get crazy spreading rumors & such)

[jrzwalker86]

I just drove around the Lakehurst and Whiting areas with no exciting news what-so-ever except regular gas at Wawa is at 2.899. I notice the ROW between Rt. 539 and Diamond Rd. (Whiting) does seem very clear. I am afraid 2011, 2012, and 2013 were teaser years. A lot of progress was made but other than than the reported cleanings, I am afraid 2014 is a bust. It would probably be a big step to see the Rt. 539 crossing bolted to the rest of the tracks.

[Matt Johnson]

So, I check in here from time to time but scrolling back I can't seem to find any definitive posts. Is this all still a mystery? Obviously something spurred the ROW clearing and crossing work, but this is indeed somewhat bizarre. Sorry to learn that 2014 seems to be a bust year - I thought for sure something was happening down there!

[jrzwalker86]

One can never be disappointed by the fact that the railroad R.O.W. is being rehabbed, albeit very slowly, as opposed to the rails being taken up for scrap and the houses (or utility poles like that on the nearby P.R.R, R.O.W.) being built on top of it. However, a lot of money from the state/county governments has been spent or requested (despite these governments are cash strapped) on the improvements we all have seen over the last few years. If trains do not roll through, than it would all be a waste and that would be disappointing.
No matter what the true answer is to all of the work being done, it is certainly being done to increase the value of Clayton's property, one way or the other.

[Splatz]

To the rhetorical question, a few rhetorical answers.

-the NJDOT grant has been applied for and set aside in budgetese.
-the 13 mile ROW has been cleared several times more to forestall any large clearing project before tie replacement and track work. That would shorten the project time line.
-major road crossings have all been brought up to compliance.
-proceedings have been brought forth to obtain local municipal permissions.
-safety lectures have been given at all adjacent senior communities.

So the announcement prioritize rail freight projects via the TTF revitalized with a gas tax mentioned in the article could mean rhetorically speaking those projects fully funded and ready to go would be prioritized. Try to think these rhetorical questions before not asking for answer.