CNJ mainline-west of High Bridge

[northjerseybuff]

I did some exploring west of High Bridge today. Some questions arose while out and about.
1. When was the last train west of High Bridge-scheduled or non scheduled
2. Why did NJT stop at High Bridge and not Hampton? Looks like there was a yard there?
3. Does NJT own the track west of High Bridge?
4. Looks like the track is intact all the way into Bloomsbury?
5. Looks like there are 2 possible park and ride locations on the line near 78..I'm assuming this is being discussed in the I78 corridor study?
6. Does NS still use the western end of the line with their connection to the Lehigh Line
7. Lastly. The line from Alpha into PBUrg is mostly abandoned..I would assume if NJT goes to PBURG they would use the lehigh valley mainline?
thanks for the help

[nick11a]

I did some exploring west of High Bridge today. Some questions arose while out and about.
1. When was the last train west of High Bridge-scheduled or non scheduled
2. Why did NJT stop at High Bridge and not Hampton? Looks like there was a yard there?
3. Does NJT own the track west of High Bridge?
4. Looks like the track is intact all the way into Bloomsbury?
5. Looks like there are 2 possible park and ride locations on the line near 78..I'm assuming this is being discussed in the I78 corridor study?
6. Does NS still use the western end of the line with their connection to the Lehigh Line
7. Lastly. The line from Alpha into PBUrg is mostly abandoned..I would assume if NJT goes to PBURG they would use the lehigh valley mainline?
thanks for the help

Let's see here:

1) Not sure
2) Not enough ridership to warrant it.
3) Yes, they own several miles west of High Bridge.
4) Indeed they are. The further west you get, the less maitained it is. Where the tracks get overgrow and unusable is about where NS owns the line. Don't remember the exact milepost.
5) Don't know.
6) The western end of the RVL is NS owned. They use their connecting track to access the "Center Secondary" (what NS calls the RVL) as there is customer they serve on the RVL in West Portal. The tracks in West Portal are usable, but are not in good shape.
7) Not sure. I would think that NS would want NJT to run on a seperate track wherever possible however to help with traffic flow.

[CAR_FLOATER]

In regards to question #7 -

The original ROW has really gone back to nature. The crossing at Warren Glen Rd/CR 639 was probably a bridge at one time, but since abandonment, the grade of the road was brought down, and when I saw it, the CNJ ROW was a water filled ditch.
There appears to be a few private ROWs in between there and I-78.
Of course, you'd also have to rebuild a bridge OVER I-78, and the grade crossing at 7th and 3rd Aves and Kent St., and any locals who have "squatted" onto the ROW where their backyards encroach upon it. THEN you have the problem of a separate ROW again in P-burg.

SO, if there will ever be service again, it'll either start in Bloomsbury (unlikely), or use the NS ROW, maybe with a second track dedicated to NJT (?)

Who knows......It'd be nice to see, but just like the DL&W Cutoff, NYS&W comutter service, and the MOM service, I am NOT holding my breath.

CF

[northjerseybuff]

Why would Bloomsbury be unlikely? seems like that could work with a park and ride next to 78? near the truck stop.

I find it amazing that there were F40s on this line 25 years ago and NJT running the service..and to see it now..unreal..

[CAR_FLOATER]

[quote="northjerseybuff"]Why would Bloomsbury be unlikely? seems like that could work with a park and ride next to 78? near the truck stop.
quote]

One word - NIMBYS

Oh, and not ONLY that, but the location you mention are both occupied by working farms, as far as I can tell....

http://tinyurl.com/ytpy6v

I know money talks, but as much as I like trains, I think farm fields should stay farm fields.

CF

[BlockLine_4111]

I rode the E8 powered 1985 excursion to Easton (originally planned to P-Burg) which was dubbed Farewell to the CNJ mainline, IIRC it was a TSRHS organized event. Does anyone recall this excursion? I have a 3-ring binder of literature from the event along with both Kodachrome slides and prints too. Would like someone from here to assist/help in getting it online here to share w/everyone. You can PM me below if interested. Thanx. 4111

[transit383]

Lots of info on the line between High Bridge and Phillipsburg in this thread:

New ties on the RVL between High Bridge and Glen Gardner

My avatar was actually taken at the grade crossing of Bell Avenue and the old CNJ main in Glen Gardner. Thats the only grade crossing in town, here's a pic:

Bell Ave, Glen Gardner

[CRB]

Does anyone recall this excursion?

Sure do. I was in HS when I took the trip.

What I remember most was that we were told that there wasn't time to get anything to eat in Easton because it was going to be a short stop then waiting for 45 minutes for the train crew to return from McDonalds.

[nick11a]

Does anyone recall this excursion?

Sure do. I was in HS when I took the trip.

What I remember most was that we were told that there wasn't time to get anything to eat in Easton because it was going to be a short stop then waiting for 45 minutes for the train crew to return from McDonalds.

Haha. I'm sure it was a nice excursion. Sorry I wasn't around to experience it.

[blockline4180]

The CNJ line was severed when I-78 was built. Part of the deal was that the overpass for the Lehigh Valley line would be designed for double track. The existing "Alpha Connection" was intended solely for "temporary" freight access to the western end of the remaining CNJ line and was designed and built according, however, I believe that NJDOT did the design work for a "permanent" connection with easier grades and curves that would allow Raritan Valley Service to be extended along the Lehigh Line to Phillipsburg.

GME

And I'm guessing most of this "severence" occured sometime between late 1985 and early 1987??

[Ken W2KB]

The CNJ line was severed when I-78 was built. Part of the deal was that the overpass for the Lehigh Valley line would be designed for double track. The existing "Alpha Connection" was intended solely for "temporary" freight access to the western end of the remaining CNJ line and was designed and built according, however, I believe that NJDOT did the design work for a "permanent" connection with easier grades and curves that would allow Raritan Valley Service to be extended along the Lehigh Line to Phillipsburg.

GME

I only looked at the connection in person once, about 5 years ago. I didn't think that the ramp/curve was significantly more severe than that at Aldene, so perhaps it could be used as-is? Though my perspective may not have been the best to evaluate it since I didn't enter the active track area. Or could the existing ramp fill be extended linearly somewhat to ease the grade relatively inexpensively? Fill could easily be transported by rail which would avoid NIMBY and environmental issues of trucking it to the site.

Above in this thread someone posted that NS owned that portion of the ex-CNJ. I have always been under the impression that the State purchased the entire CNJ mainline (excepting perhaps one track width in the former 4 track region JC to Raritan) from Hudson to Delaware Rivers. At the time about 5 years ago mentioned above, I did note some NJT MOW rail and road equipment near a grade crossing in "downtown" Bloomsbury apparently doing work there, which implies that NJT has at least some ownership of that portion of the ex-CNJ line. I've never seen definitive answer to this question. Thanks in advance if you can shed any light on the ownership question.

[transit383]

Another shot of the CNJ Main west of High Bridge, this time through Hampton:

Dual tracks, both abandoned

Not too many dual track abandonments exist around the state, especially in this condition. I was very surprised to see that the old main is in such good shape here. This photo was taken approximately half a mile west of the NJ Route 31 overpass.

[uhaul]

The shots are so intriguing and please shoot more if you can. I am interested in abandoned places/objects in general so this really caught my eye. I am surprised the tracks have not been removed.

HAPPY 2008

I type in Brown because I can.

[doctordirt]

Nothing over these tracks in a LONG time. This was taken last summer between West Portal and Hampton in Bethlehem Township.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/d ... pWest2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/d ... wpWest.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/d ... wpEast.jpg

Doc

[transit383]

Yet another shot of the CNJ Main west of High Bridge, this time at the Ludlow-Asbury Station:

Looking east from the Ludlow Asbury Station Platform

It appears this is the location where NJT stops maintaining the line, as the tracks are heavily overgrown from this crossing westward.