It's too bad someone couldn't by the rights to that weyerhuaser siding in closter, then if they do build condo's there then at least the rails would have to stay. What I don't get, is that whole area is nothing but industrial and commercial businesses. Who'd want to put condo's near an industrial area?
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Closter northern branch observations...
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Today (Wed Dec 15) the boxcar was still at JJ Demarest. However, it is interesting that JJ Demarest is now Dykes Lumber! The Dykes sign was not there yesterday. It would only be speculative right now whether this change would have any affect on the amount of rail traffic going onto this siding.
I saw the boxcar as well, so that is a good sign. My guess is depending on amount of service they get/need. They may only go there when they service Cove as well. Do both customers at once. On the flip side, maybe we'll get to see a lumber car as well. 
Drove by the old wheyerhauser building in closter and it appears they may have a new tenant. Saw some tractor-trailers there and one was backed into the loading dock/receiving bay. Anyhow, across the street is another story. Used to be an empty lot where the rails came off the main. Thankfully it appears all the rails are still intact! However... half of that lot is used now by a garbage company for container and truck/trailer storage. And the other half, (closer to the rails) has some contruction going on. Looks like possibly housing of some sort?
But if the old wheyerhauser building has a tenant then maybe that would proclude the rails from ever being torn out, that being a potential future customer. (CSX should put a couple of boxcars or gondolas or flatcars there and call it car storage so that the rails are garunteed to stay. They couldn't rip up rails or else csx couldn't get the cars out) In any event though lots of work/stuff going on in that little area. In regards to that siding though, it goes (or seems to have gone at one point), alot farther than it does now. It goes to the end of the building and then there's a fence and the rails go on for a little longer. But it looks like it went alot further years ago. I've seen in the past 6-8 boxcars there when they got service, but with the old length of that siding, they could've got like 12+ cars easily. Must've been a big customer in it's heyday.
On another note, no cars currently at the "new" Dykes lumber. (formerly J.J. Demerast) So that one boxcar they had was gone, don't know if they've had any cars since then. What are the chances we might see a lumber car there? I bet the northern branch hasn't seen a lumber spine in years.
However... half of that lot is used now by a garbage company for container and truck/trailer storage. And the other half, (closer to the rails) has some contruction going on. Looks like possibly housing of some sort? But if the old wheyerhauser building has a tenant then maybe that would proclude the rails from ever being torn out, that being a potential future customer. (CSX should put a couple of boxcars or gondolas or flatcars there and call it car storage so that the rails are garunteed to stay. They couldn't rip up rails or else csx couldn't get the cars out) In any event though lots of work/stuff going on in that little area. In regards to that siding though, it goes (or seems to have gone at one point), alot farther than it does now. It goes to the end of the building and then there's a fence and the rails go on for a little longer. But it looks like it went alot further years ago. I've seen in the past 6-8 boxcars there when they got service, but with the old length of that siding, they could've got like 12+ cars easily. Must've been a big customer in it's heyday.
On another note, no cars currently at the "new" Dykes lumber. (formerly J.J. Demerast) So that one boxcar they had was gone, don't know if they've had any cars since then. What are the chances we might see a lumber car there? I bet the northern branch hasn't seen a lumber spine in years.
Dykes? They are a top supplier for crown moldings for contractors in NYC. Unless they are manufacturing specialty shapes there, they are probably trucking in finished moldings. CSX could go for that business but that would require initiative from their marketers. What marketer would want to focus on an occasional boxcar of business when they could claim to be a big part of an effort for a J.B. Hunt contract, or a big haul garbage deal?
But hey I'm not really a railroader, I'm just making suppositions.
But hey I'm not really a railroader, I'm just making suppositions.
I pass through Closter alot and it seems to have been a quite a while since any movements went up to Cove, or Dykes, so very quiet on the nothern branch up on the northern end of it. Not a good sign? Or maybe weather related problems, like frozen/snowed in switches?
i was in Demarest last week before this past snow storm and the pile of snow on either side of the hardenburgh ave crossing had not been plowed thru. Not sure if its still that way or not.
I found a few more old photographs including a partial of the Cresskill station.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiv ... x?id=64404
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiv ... x?id=64404
Interesting. Those gp7's look like EL heritage.
you are correct.
The EL ran mostly GP7's and switchers into the Conrail era.
Conrail ran the ex EL GP7's early on, then the floodgates of foreign power came in, which was nice.
Many of my HS classes '77-'81 were trackside and I would keep a log of the trains. Now if I could only find it!
The EL ran mostly GP7's and switchers into the Conrail era.
Conrail ran the ex EL GP7's early on, then the floodgates of foreign power came in, which was nice.
Many of my HS classes '77-'81 were trackside and I would keep a log of the trains. Now if I could only find it!
mainetrain wrote:you are correct.Any idea how often switchers were seen leading a train on the northern branch?
The EL ran mostly GP7's and switchers into the Conrail era.
Conrail ran the ex EL GP7's early on, then the floodgates of foreign power came in, which was nice.
Many of my HS classes '77-'81 were trackside and I would keep a log of the trains. Now if I could only find it!
Any idea how often switchers were seen leading a train on the northern branch?[/quote]
1st Nrr to Closter and north
1962-1966 400 series SW's mostly on saturdays. Gp-7's mostly M-F, although I remember
seeing 400's on weekdays a number of times. Most commonly used switchers were 432. 436, 452, 456, 460.
And on very rare occasions a Baldwin DRS 4-4-1500 would be on the 1st northern.
1966-1976..mostly RS-2/3's and GP-7's that were extra from the passenger pool.
2nd and 3rd NRR almost always operated with 400 series switchers.
1st Nrr to Closter and north
1962-1966 400 series SW's mostly on saturdays. Gp-7's mostly M-F, although I remember
seeing 400's on weekdays a number of times. Most commonly used switchers were 432. 436, 452, 456, 460.
And on very rare occasions a Baldwin DRS 4-4-1500 would be on the 1st northern.
1966-1976..mostly RS-2/3's and GP-7's that were extra from the passenger pool.
2nd and 3rd NRR almost always operated with 400 series switchers.
Today (Tuesday March 1) the local went up to Dykes Lumber in Closter this morning to set out a boxcar. The GP38 (short hood on north end) and the one boxcar went north from Englewood at about 9am. They set out the one boxcar and then headed back south. It may be that Dykes in Closter will be receiving inbound boxcars which is good! I don't know whether Cove in Northvale has rec'd any boxcars recently. The line north of Englewood was covered and blocked with piled up snow thru January and February. Only in the last few days has the line been clear north of Englewood with the rain and melting of the snow.--John
I think that's only the 2nd boxcar received by Dykes, since they took over for JJ demerast. Still a good sign though. As far as Cove, I drove by there last week and saw no boxcars there. Maybe they'll get service again as the weather improves? Hopefully they'll get service again, and with two customers, at least the northern end of line will still be active.
Something else to consider... it appears now that the old wyerhauser building has a new tenant and the rails are all still intact straight to the main. Maybe they might get service whoever they are? I know there's some kind of housing construction right across the street from them, but with a tenant now in that building that might ensure that siding stays intact and doesn't get ripped up, just because of the housing.