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  • Toys For Tots Train 12/12 and 12/13 Reminder

  • Discussion related to New York, Susquehanna & Western operations past and present. Also includes some discussion related to Deleware Otsego owned and operated shortlines. Official web site can be found here: NYSW.COM.
Discussion related to New York, Susquehanna & Western operations past and present. Also includes some discussion related to Deleware Otsego owned and operated shortlines. Official web site can be found here: NYSW.COM.

Moderators: GOLDEN-ARM, NJ Vike

 #719331  by Phase Gap
 
Will I have not seen much of anything about the “Toys for Tots Train” on here so I went out and got some information to share with everyone. This is the official/ unofficial schedule of the 2 day trip the “Toys for Tots” train will take. As always the schedule is subject to change at the last minute. As far as I can tell the consist will be as followed:

2 engines NJT/NS/NYS&W(NS,CSX or True NYS&W)
2 coaches
1 Box Car
1 M&E Cab # 100

Now the schedule as followed:

Saturday, December 12,2009
LV-Morristown 830am(following NJT 6913 at 827am)
ARR- Chester Jct 900am
ARR- Flanders(Fire House) 1000am Main Street Flanders
LV-Flanders 1100am
ARR-Roxbury (Sleep's) 1130am RT 10 West Bound Side
LV-Roxbury 1230pm
ARR Dover (Sack's Paint) 130pm North Sussex Street
LV- Dover 230pm
ARR- Rockaway (Probuild) 300pm Main & Franklin Street
LV-Rockaway 330pm
ARR-D&R Jct 400pm
ARR-Dover 430pm
ARR- Morristown 500pm
ARR-West End 600pm
ARR-BT(Saddle Brook) 700pm

Sunday, December 13, 2009
Depart Fuel Track at Little Ferry at 815am
Maywood Station from 900am – 10am
Hawthorne Station from 1030am – 1130am
Wortendyke Station from 1145am – 1245pm
Wykoff Station from 100pm – 200pm
Pompton Lakes Station from 230pm – 330pm
Butler Stationfrom 345pm- 445pm (Run around train and Deadhead East)
Maywood Station at 545pm drop off Marines and Santa
BT (Saddle Brook) 730pm (Interchange Back to NJT)
Morristown 900pm.

OK I hope this helps everyone out. Please get out and SUPPORT the “TOYS for TOTS TRAIN” it is for a good cause and Happy Holidays......
 #719672  by blockline4180
 
Sounds like a fun time, a good cause and rare mileage with rare power to boot!! Good to hear and see this happening!

How do we donate??
 #725706  by doctordirt
 
Military Transport Association
P.O. Box 393, Budd Lake, NJ 07828

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact: John Sobotka, 862-266-6284

ACTUAL RAILROAD TRAIN TO COLLECT TOYS FOR TOTS IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY DECEMBER 12-13

On December 12-13, 2009, the Military Transport Association (MTA) will run a special train in Northern New Jersey to collect donated toys for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation. Along the route, the train will stop at ten locations where members of the public can drop off toys, board the train to see Santa Claus, experience a variety of working railroad equipment, and meet members of the Marine Corps, MTA and the Volunteer Railroaders Association.

Four railroads are loaning engines, rolling stock, and use of their tracks to Operation Toy Train. They are the Morristown & Erie, New York, Susquehanna & Western, Norfolk Southern, and New Jersey Transit. In addition to the Marines Corps Reserve and Military Transport Association volunteers from the Volunteer Railroaders Association will help run the event.

Members of the public are encouraged to drop off new, unwrapped toys at various collection points along the route in the first two weeks of December. At each stop, one or more businesses or organizations has a large collection box. The web site lists all the toy drop-off locations. http://www. njoperationtoytrain.com

On Saturday, December 12, the train will stop in Flanders, Ledgewood, Dover, and Rockaway. On Sunday, December 13, the train will stop in Maywood, Hawthorne, Wortendyke (Midland Park), Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes, Pompton Lakes, and Butler.

The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November, and December each year and distribute those toys as
Christmas gifts to needy children in the community where the campaign is conducted. The Toys-for-tots website is: www.njtoysfortots.org



Train Schedule
Saturday, Dec 12 ~ Morristown & Erie Tracks

Flanders Firehouse, 27 Main St 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Ledgewood Sleepy's, Route 10 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Dover Sack's Paint & Wallpaper 62 N. Sussex St. 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Dover Lakeland Bus Depot Pickup only

Rockaway Pro-Build, 27 E. Main St. 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec 13 ~ NY, Susquehanna & Western

Maywood Maywood Station 269 Maywood Ave. 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Hawthorne VRA Railway Station 80 Royal Ave. 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Wortendyke 275 Newtown Rd. Midland Park 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Wyckoff 399 Main Street 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Pompton Lakes 1 Station Plaza 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Butler Butler Museum Main Street 3:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
 #746507  by rcbsd45
 
Just a reminder that this weekend will have the Toys for Tots Marine Corps train, sponsored by the Military Transport Association, as well as support from the NYS&W, NJ Transit, and the Morristown and Erie Railroads. Saturday, December 12 the train schedule and locations are as follows:

Flanders Flanders Firehouse
27 Main Street 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Ledgewood Sleepy’s
365 Route 10 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Dover Sack’s Paint & Wallpaper
62 N. Sussex Street 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Dover Lakeland Bus Depot Pickup only

Rockaway Potbelly’s Riveside Cafe
26 E. Main Street 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.


On Sunday Decmber 13, the train will operate over the NYS&W, and the schedule there is:

Maywood Maywood Station
269 Maywood Avenue 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Hawthorne VRA Railway Station
80 Royal Avenue 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Wortendyke 275 Newtown Road 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Wyckoff 399 Main Street 12:50 p.m. – 2:20p.m.

Pompton Lakes 1 Station Plaza 2:40 p.m. – 3:40 p.m.

Butler Butler Museum
Main St (NOT 1 Ace Road as the web site indicates) 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.



If you have the time to chance and take photos of this special train, PLEASE find the time to purchase and donate an unwrapped toy for the drive this year. This is a worthwhile cause and deserves nothing less than our full support. You'll be making someone elses holiday better, feel better about yourself, and truly living the spirit of the season. This year more than ever, it would do someone good to know that they are cared for.

Complete info can be found at the following site:

http://njoperationtoytrain.com/
 #746684  by SemperFidelis
 
And please remember that the Marine Reserves aboard Picatinny Arsenal and any other Marine Reserve location (including recruitment offices) will accept gifts if you are unable to make the train.

It is an excellent cause that reflects true American values of giving.
 #746972  by rcbsd45
 
Here's the consist for the train: NYSW 3634(SD45-2), NS 3010 (GP40-2), followed by ME # 1775, specially painted boxcar in Camoflauge. (Note that 1775 also is the year the Marine Corps was founded.) This will be followed by cars ME 2001, the open-ended observation car the "Ohio River"; ME ----(dont have the #) The Birken, a diner, and bringing up the rear will be the ME 100, a caboose. Power will be back-to back, although i would have to assume the 3634 would lead westbound anf the NS unit eastbound. train will be secured under watch saturday and Sunday nights on the property, before going back to the M&E via NJT on Monday, Dec. 14. these plans are subject to change, of course and are tentative as of today(thurs, 12/10.)
 #747180  by cjvrr
 
From a very reliable source.

The 3634 WILL be leading westbound. NS engine will be spun on the turntable Saturday night so it can run eastbound once they finish in Butler.
 #748157  by sullivan1985
 
 #748293  by rcbsd45
 
OK, here's the "summary" (from my perspective, anyway) of the T4T special from Sunday Dec 13. I encourage and expect others to add their comments as well(and images if they have them).

I should note out the outset, however, that this train ran the previous day on the Morristown and Erie, and was sponsored by the Military Transport Association( MTA), whose site can be found here:

http://www.mtaofnj.org/

There are two individuals whom I would single out here for there efforts, although there are others whom I don't know by name. these two individuals are John Sobotka, NS engineer and MTA member, and Frank Eichenlaub, NYS&W Trainmaster and MTA member. they are to be commended for helping to get this off the ground, both on the M&E as well as the NYS&W.

Sunday Dec 13 dawned cloudy and cool with a forecast of cloudy with afternoon showers. the crew, Engineer Steve Weiss and conductor Julio Ovalles reported for duty at 7:45 AM, but there was already plenty of activity ongoing at the NYS&W's Ridgefield Park, NJ facilities. the train had arrived from the M&E via NJT and Passaic Jct the previous night, and preparations ran until midnight and even a bit beyond. that said, here are some images fro Ridgefield Park prior to departure:

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871249

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871250

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871253

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871252


At about 8:10 AM, the train got under way. After a brief stop at Cross St in Bogota to accept some donations for a local merchant, it was on to the first stop of the day, Maywood, at the historic station.
Wile the crown was a bit light, many donations were accepted, and Ed Kaminski, the curator of the museum, graciously opened the doors to allow some interior pictures as well as show off the station to some of the on board persons.

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871254

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871255

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871258

And here the "informal" crew portrait was taken. These guys made it a safe and enjoyable day for all and were extremely gracious in there duties and contact with the general public:

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871256


After departing Maywood, the next stop was Hawthorne, the last "dry" stop of the day, as the rain arrived not long after the train itself. here's a couple of images from there, as well as one upon departure:

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871259

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871260


En route to Wyckoff, the next stop of the day:

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871261


The next stop was at Wycoff, and this was a bit extended in terms of time allotment, but despite the rain/freezing rain mixture, people still came out to donate, include the bulk of the Wycoff Fire Department. Here's some images from there, as well as a peek at the "photo line":


http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871266

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871263

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871264

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871262

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871265


Next, it was off to Pompton lakes, the next to last collection point. The heavens had pretty much opened up at this point, several local highways were closed account of the freezing rain, but still, what greeted the train was amazing. the local radio station, WGHT (1500 AM) was there, doing a live broadcast to encourage people to come and make a donation. Well, the advance publicity for the cause and the train must have been something else, as over 1000 toys were donated here!!! the box car was seriously running out of space, and toys were being stacked into the caboose for overflow. the amount of donations was far beyond what anyone had anticipated and it was heart warming beyond belief that people were so generous, especially in the current economic climate. here are a couple of images from there:

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871272

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871273

http://rcbsd45.rrpicturearchives.net/sh ... id=1871274


At this point the heavens would not cease to pour rain/ freezing rain, and the train still had one more stop to make, Butler. by that time there wasn't enough light to take pictures(without a tripod), but still after stopping just clear of the Park Place crossing, donations were once more received, and the Kinnelon FD came into town to drop off their donations(the fact that one of their members is an NYS&W fan certainly didn't hurt things!(Thanks again Terry, to you and ALL your guys!!).

After taking donations for a specified period of time, the train was then pulled up to just past the Butler station, where the power was run around the train, and the NS 3010 would now lead the train back east, non stop to Ridgefield Park, arriving just after 6 PM.

For the record, cash donations were over $400 dollars(including a single $100 donation en route), and the toy count was over 4500 toys, and including donations from the previous day's run on the Morristown and Erie, totaled over 600 items. that's a LOT of happiness to a LOT of children that otherwise wouldn't have it this Christmas/Hanukah season. My personal gratitude is extended also to those railfans who in addition to chasing, also donated to the cause. This looks like it may well be an annual event, but that's a long ways down the road.

Everyone who assisted, from the MTA membership, to the on board staff and ground crew as well as the NYS&W and M&E personnel have a lot to be proud of ! Here's to next year's trains!!
 #748582  by rcbsd45
 
Probably the same kind of guy who would come out with a hangover and have someone's front lawn feel the leftover effects of it while chasing, i guess.... I guess his T shirt with the fake tuxedo on it was out being dry cleaned!