Railroad Forums
Trains and operations in Browns Yard
- Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New Jersey
Moderator: David
SA-31 is lined up and ready to enter the Heightstown Industrial Track @ 2:25pm.
Our old friend 3429 is back in service as I heard it's number called in Port Reading. Heard it on the Central Jersey scanner which is a blessing for me as I can only get Coast Line !
Mike K2MMM
MP 78.4 on the CNJ Barnegat Branch
MP 78.4 on the CNJ Barnegat Branch
Pinewald Station wrote:Our old friend 3429 is back in service as I heard it's number called in Port Reading.Been going back and forth to Browns for at least a week now. Caught it and 1700 on OI-82 last Saturday.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=297999
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=297821
- Chris
Christopher Blaszczyk
My photos at Railpictures
My photos at Railpictures
NJtwoM and I were on hand when 1701 and 3428 pulled her out of Browns almost a month ago....
Mike K2MMM
MP 78.4 on the CNJ Barnegat Branch
MP 78.4 on the CNJ Barnegat Branch
I was by the yard a few weeks ago on a Tuesday in the afternoon. The yard seemed very crowded with a lot of freight & one or two locomotives if I remember correctly. Is the yard normally crowded or has the traffic there picked up?
Yes when there are lots of empties for the OI train or inbound loads.
Moderator:NJT Rail
Just over the scanner. There's a train w/ 22 cars on the chem coast heading to essay for the amboy secondary to browns yard. 2:14pm
painterman wrote:Just over the scanner. There's a train w/ 22 cars on the chem coast heading to essay for the amboy secondary to browns yard. 2:14pmYes thats the OI train it had 3429 and unknown other unit.
Moderator:NJT Rail
I see posts about Browns concerning places to be to photograph and railfan. Isn't the yard plainly visible from the road, without entering railroad property? Is it advisable to mention to the yard office that you are there, even if on public land? I've only driven by the place, only stopped along the road and shot pics from the car, never stepped on their land. What would you guys advise? And where should I NOT be?
BE THE ONE to help prevent veteran suicides. Need to talk to someone? Call 9-8-8 all day, every day, 24/7. BeTheOne.org
Hello,! Just found this site, can I jump in? Saw a reference to a BROWNS connection with the RARITAN RIVER. Little bit of the remains are still there. If you look at the chain link fence around the old glass factory, 50s and later the sunshine biscuit plant, in the 60s, you will see a dogs leg like break that is or was a gate. This was a connection from the east end of the yard crossing bordentown ave. As a child in the 50s all that remained of it was the track crossing the road and never paved over. Rails to it had long disappeared.
Also there was a spur that crossed the road at the west end of the yard. From the map on page 5 of this post, what is now RIVER BEND BLVD at winding woods was a crossing that was approached from the west. Went back to a factory that was by the river called TECHNICAL TAPE. They made that nylone reinforced shipping tape. Pass maby no more than 50 to 75 ft. of the old 2 story house there. Never saw it used and that goes back to 51. Track and rails to that place remained there until I guess sometime in the 80s.
People talking about the stations on the C&A always forget to mention OUTCALT. Was between SPOTSWOOD and HELMETTA. Part of MONROE TWP, was a nudest camp back at the turn of the last century. Search PHYSICAL CULTURE CITY. Run by a health guru named Mc FADDEN. Was 2 tracks under the wires from SPOTSWOOD to BROWNS YARD. Second track was occasionally full of loaded coal cars when I guess they ran out of room for them at BROWNS and the yard that began under the RT. 9-35 bridge in SOUTH AMBOY. Believe they were stockpiling coal in anticipation of a threatened miners strike. Power thru there was always P-5s and later E-44s. Last time I saw steam was around 57 or 58. When they came thru they were always light. Just equipment moves.
OLD BRIDGE station was directly across from the KIELBASI store. OLD BRIDGE was a section of MADISON TWP until the name change. Remember passenger service. Came from JAMESBURG in the morning and back from PERTH AMBOY in the evening. Was maby 3 or 4 MUs and ended up with one car at the end. Also remember a day or two when passenger traffic returned. Barge damaged the raritan draw and somehow or other they got the NY&LB switched off the main at MONMOUTH JUNCTION and down thru JAMESBURG. Remember my shock when I had to stop for a passenger train in SPOTSWOOD right by the cigarette paper factory ( P J SCHWEITERS ). Was also a BUDWEISER yeast plant in the east brunswick section. Finally torn down a few years back. Was in front of DUHERNAL LAKE. Do they still use the spur going to the factory as you pass from old bridge crossing the south river into SAYREVILLE? Was a place called QUIGLEYS, dont know what they made.
Was also there for the last revenue run of the GG-1. Was 4879. Chilly dark friday evening. Was to dark to take pictures. Kids were angry at dad for dragging them out that evening. Please excuse my mistakes. I type with one finger if I dont have to use the capitals button. Thanks for listening. FRED
Also there was a spur that crossed the road at the west end of the yard. From the map on page 5 of this post, what is now RIVER BEND BLVD at winding woods was a crossing that was approached from the west. Went back to a factory that was by the river called TECHNICAL TAPE. They made that nylone reinforced shipping tape. Pass maby no more than 50 to 75 ft. of the old 2 story house there. Never saw it used and that goes back to 51. Track and rails to that place remained there until I guess sometime in the 80s.
People talking about the stations on the C&A always forget to mention OUTCALT. Was between SPOTSWOOD and HELMETTA. Part of MONROE TWP, was a nudest camp back at the turn of the last century. Search PHYSICAL CULTURE CITY. Run by a health guru named Mc FADDEN. Was 2 tracks under the wires from SPOTSWOOD to BROWNS YARD. Second track was occasionally full of loaded coal cars when I guess they ran out of room for them at BROWNS and the yard that began under the RT. 9-35 bridge in SOUTH AMBOY. Believe they were stockpiling coal in anticipation of a threatened miners strike. Power thru there was always P-5s and later E-44s. Last time I saw steam was around 57 or 58. When they came thru they were always light. Just equipment moves.
OLD BRIDGE station was directly across from the KIELBASI store. OLD BRIDGE was a section of MADISON TWP until the name change. Remember passenger service. Came from JAMESBURG in the morning and back from PERTH AMBOY in the evening. Was maby 3 or 4 MUs and ended up with one car at the end. Also remember a day or two when passenger traffic returned. Barge damaged the raritan draw and somehow or other they got the NY&LB switched off the main at MONMOUTH JUNCTION and down thru JAMESBURG. Remember my shock when I had to stop for a passenger train in SPOTSWOOD right by the cigarette paper factory ( P J SCHWEITERS ). Was also a BUDWEISER yeast plant in the east brunswick section. Finally torn down a few years back. Was in front of DUHERNAL LAKE. Do they still use the spur going to the factory as you pass from old bridge crossing the south river into SAYREVILLE? Was a place called QUIGLEYS, dont know what they made.
Was also there for the last revenue run of the GG-1. Was 4879. Chilly dark friday evening. Was to dark to take pictures. Kids were angry at dad for dragging them out that evening. Please excuse my mistakes. I type with one finger if I dont have to use the capitals button. Thanks for listening. FRED
Fred,
Thanks for all that great info, very interesting about Station locations, I may have to pick some new spots from which to shoot the line now!
Thanks for all that great info, very interesting about Station locations, I may have to pick some new spots from which to shoot the line now!
Moderator:NJT Rail
Hope you people might be able to bring me up to speed. Left SPOTSWOOD for the last time in 95. When I left there was very little traffic coming thru, figured it originated in DEANS or DAYTON. Local pedeller, maby every second evening. Would occasionally stop past summerhill road and do some switching at the small industrial plants there. Would admonish the crews as they usually failed to turn on the marker light on the last car and since it was dark, the summerhill crossing would get backed up as the warning lights would be flashing. Was also possible a bit of business came from the FREEHOLD branch as there was still ocassional business at a feed mill in ENGLISHTOWN and a lumber yard in FREEHOLD.
Where is all of this traffic you talk about now comming from? Am sure the connection by MIDWAY tower on the NEC is still not used or did they reactivate it? Here mention of HEIGHTSTOWN traffic, thats a new one on me. Whats up there? I remember a crossing heading in that direction on the road between JAMESBURG LAKE and exit 8-A. Never saw it used in all my years. Always thought it was part of the C&A. Never had wires. Things must have really changed since I left. Moved to MORRISVILLE PA. and my haunt became the TRENTON cut off until I was asked to leave when they were setting the area up for the SEPTA night layovers. Paranoid people, things were safer if they let me hang around there.
Been 20 yrs so I guess it can be told now. Memoriable night started at BROWNS. Met the crew and followed the jitney, taxi cab, to LAKEWOOD. Parked the car and went with them to TOMS RIVER. Was dark and chilly. Boarded a pair of GP-38s with a few empty car and proceded to a chemical factory and did some drilling on 2 adjacent tracks. Switched engines, left the property. Was a great cab ride which I had not done since the 50s when I road RS-3s on the ERIE with my uncle. Crossed this main road and the train was stopped. Was instructed to take over the engineers seat and proceded to drive that baby back to LAKEWOOD. Never went over 10 mph but it was great. After that as being nice to people and giving them a thrill like I had, if I had to do some taxeing of a DC-9 or 727, ( at night naturally) would grab a compitent person who was cleaning the cabin and put them in the pilots seat and let them drive. Would even switch drivers at the end of the taxiway. In hindsite, that being nice to people went a long way for me. Was always a hero.
Always enjoyed talking trains. Very good friend of mine is RICHARD HASSELMAN, if you ever heard of him. Started with the BOSTON-ALBANY, then the NYC, on to PC and retired as the vice president of operations at CONRAIL. We can sit on the beach all day long and talk trains, he has one sharp memory. Nothing to watch down here except the SEMINOL-GULF and there is no action there. Trip coming up in a week or so will give me a chance to watch some coal drags thru BLUEFIELD WVA. , then up to SPOTSWOOD and make a big haul from the kielbasi store in OLD BRIDGE. If anyone is familiar with the area, use to live in SPOTSWOOD in the 2 tone blue bungalo across from the EXXON station, main st. and summerhill road. Breathed a lot of diesel smoke when we lived there. Not a residentual neighborhood. Anyone going to be around in a week or so??? regards FRED
Where is all of this traffic you talk about now comming from? Am sure the connection by MIDWAY tower on the NEC is still not used or did they reactivate it? Here mention of HEIGHTSTOWN traffic, thats a new one on me. Whats up there? I remember a crossing heading in that direction on the road between JAMESBURG LAKE and exit 8-A. Never saw it used in all my years. Always thought it was part of the C&A. Never had wires. Things must have really changed since I left. Moved to MORRISVILLE PA. and my haunt became the TRENTON cut off until I was asked to leave when they were setting the area up for the SEPTA night layovers. Paranoid people, things were safer if they let me hang around there.
Been 20 yrs so I guess it can be told now. Memoriable night started at BROWNS. Met the crew and followed the jitney, taxi cab, to LAKEWOOD. Parked the car and went with them to TOMS RIVER. Was dark and chilly. Boarded a pair of GP-38s with a few empty car and proceded to a chemical factory and did some drilling on 2 adjacent tracks. Switched engines, left the property. Was a great cab ride which I had not done since the 50s when I road RS-3s on the ERIE with my uncle. Crossed this main road and the train was stopped. Was instructed to take over the engineers seat and proceded to drive that baby back to LAKEWOOD. Never went over 10 mph but it was great. After that as being nice to people and giving them a thrill like I had, if I had to do some taxeing of a DC-9 or 727, ( at night naturally) would grab a compitent person who was cleaning the cabin and put them in the pilots seat and let them drive. Would even switch drivers at the end of the taxiway. In hindsite, that being nice to people went a long way for me. Was always a hero.
Always enjoyed talking trains. Very good friend of mine is RICHARD HASSELMAN, if you ever heard of him. Started with the BOSTON-ALBANY, then the NYC, on to PC and retired as the vice president of operations at CONRAIL. We can sit on the beach all day long and talk trains, he has one sharp memory. Nothing to watch down here except the SEMINOL-GULF and there is no action there. Trip coming up in a week or so will give me a chance to watch some coal drags thru BLUEFIELD WVA. , then up to SPOTSWOOD and make a big haul from the kielbasi store in OLD BRIDGE. If anyone is familiar with the area, use to live in SPOTSWOOD in the 2 tone blue bungalo across from the EXXON station, main st. and summerhill road. Breathed a lot of diesel smoke when we lived there. Not a residentual neighborhood. Anyone going to be around in a week or so??? regards FRED
Fred,
Just some additional info for you if you are interested.
The Budweiser yeast plant was bought and run by Gist-Brocades until it closed in the early '90's. I heard they tore it down finally a few years ago.
When you went down to Toms River on that cab ride, that was the Toms River Chemical Company, later bought and operated by Ciba-Geigy until they closed it down in the early '90's too.
Just some additional info for you if you are interested.
The Budweiser yeast plant was bought and run by Gist-Brocades until it closed in the early '90's. I heard they tore it down finally a few years ago.
When you went down to Toms River on that cab ride, that was the Toms River Chemical Company, later bought and operated by Ciba-Geigy until they closed it down in the early '90's too.
Fred,
All cars come in on OI 16 or a JR/PR named transfer train from Oak Island, first stopping usually at Port Reading but not always. Final destination is Browns. The train usually goes back out to Oak Island with empties late at night or early morning. The locals out of Browns are
SA2: works the yard and customers with in yard Limits and runs down the old Raritan River Railroad to East Brunswick
SA3: follows the same pattern as SA2 working opposite days I believe.
SA22: works the Steel Mill in Sayerville.
SA33: runs down the Dayton Branch serving the various industries along it and goes down as far as Monmouth Junction but does not go on to the NEC.
SA31: works The Hightstown Industrial track, twice a week to Freehold and also heads down the North Jersey Coast Line to the Southern Secondary as far as Lakehurst, for now pending any more info on these sand trains there may be more symbol trains coming for this line.
Hope this brings you up to speed. I will not put down times or days for security reasons as I know we have some lurkers here with whom some of the crews have had problems with.
All cars come in on OI 16 or a JR/PR named transfer train from Oak Island, first stopping usually at Port Reading but not always. Final destination is Browns. The train usually goes back out to Oak Island with empties late at night or early morning. The locals out of Browns are
SA2: works the yard and customers with in yard Limits and runs down the old Raritan River Railroad to East Brunswick
SA3: follows the same pattern as SA2 working opposite days I believe.
SA22: works the Steel Mill in Sayerville.
SA33: runs down the Dayton Branch serving the various industries along it and goes down as far as Monmouth Junction but does not go on to the NEC.
SA31: works The Hightstown Industrial track, twice a week to Freehold and also heads down the North Jersey Coast Line to the Southern Secondary as far as Lakehurst, for now pending any more info on these sand trains there may be more symbol trains coming for this line.
Hope this brings you up to speed. I will not put down times or days for security reasons as I know we have some lurkers here with whom some of the crews have had problems with.
Moderator:NJT Rail