Passarelli Siding, and Gates Siding?

[JJMDiMunno]

Hi guys,
Any ex-PRSL employees or knowledgeable PRSL folk know of a location on PRSL timetables known as Passerelli Siding? Or, how about Gates Siding? Check out the internet timetable available below...interesting stuff, even if you don't know the answer:

SOUTHWARD:
http://prrfreight.trainstuffllc.com/PHI ... STRICT.htm

NORTHWARD:
http://prrfreight.trainstuffllc.com/PHI ... CT%202.htm

Now if I had to guess, I'd say that Gates Siding had to do with one of the racetracks...possibly Atlantic City, but I could be way off. And I have no clue where Passerelli even MIGHT be. Anyone have a clue? Were these industry names?

Mike DiMunno

[JJMDiMunno]

Hi guys,
Any ex-PRSL employees or knowledgeable PRSL folk know of a location on PRSL timetables known as Passerelli Siding? Or, how about Gates Siding? Check out the internet timetable available below...interesting stuff, even if you don't know the answer:

SOUTHWARD:
http://prrfreight.trainstuffllc.com/PHI ... STRICT.htm

NORTHWARD:
http://prrfreight.trainstuffllc.com/PHI ... CT%202.htm

Now if I had to guess, I'd say that Gates Siding had to do with one of the racetracks...possibly Atlantic City, but I could be way off. And I have no clue where Passerelli even MIGHT be. Anyone have a clue? Were these industry names?

Mike DiMunno

Ah I got one of them...I was correct in the assumption, GATES SIDING as they list it was actually GATE SIDING, which I have heard of, minus that "S" in the website timetable...

Still no idea on Passerelli...

Mike DiMunno

[Steam man]

Mike,
My track charts don't show anything by that name, but I do remember hearing it. Now if I could only remember exactly where it is or was. I'm thinking somewhere down on the Leesburg or Manumuskin Secondary.

[JJMDiMunno]

Mike,
My track charts don't show anything by that name, but I do remember hearing it. Now if I could only remember exactly where it is or was. I'm thinking somewhere down on the Leesburg or Manumuskin Secondary.

I think you're on the right track (no pun intended) with Manumuskin...I have a Train Dispatcher 2.0 track territory based upon the PRSL in my posession, and upon referring to it, I see train WY-343 as originating at Millville Yard, and terminating at the end of the line in Manumuskin. I'm guessing Passerelli Siding is down at the end of what is now the W&W's Seashore Branch (Millville - Manumuskin)...and curiousity has me wondering if the physical siding still exists...

Interesting stuff...

Mike DiMunno

[TR-00]

Mike, GATE wasn't a siding, but an interlocking on the mainline between Tilton Road and Cologne Avenue. It allowed access to the Atlantic City Race Course. Along the track were two other control points MIDWAY and TURF.

[JJMDiMunno]

Mike, GATE wasn't a siding, but an interlocking on the mainline between Tilton Road and Cologne Avenue. It allowed access to the Atlantic City Race Course. Along the track were two other control points MIDWAY and TURF.

But was there not a siding that existed just north of that interlocking on the Main Line? I was thinking of that as GATE siding...don't know if it technically was that name or not though...

Mike DiMunno

[PRSLTrainman]

Mike,

I'm drawing strictly upon first-hand memory here, no researched facts, but ....

"Passarelli Siding" was located a little south of Manumuskin on the former track to Woodbine. I believe it was named for the sand company that at least at one time was named "Passarelli Sand Co." or something similar. I can't remember what the name of the company was when I was on the P-RSL from 69 through the mid-70s. It looked pretty much like the photos of other nearby sand plants that are pictured in the Stroup book or WJ Rails II.

By time I worked there, 351-352 (more usually referred to simply as the "sand hog") was the only job south of Millville, and it signed up in Millville around dark and did not return until the early morning hours. It headed south of Manumuskin a couple miles to Passarellli's, then back-up to Manumuskin before heading down the Leesburg Secondary to work the sand plants on that branch. Hence, as advertised, the turnaround point became Dorchester and the location Passarelli seems to have dissappeared from official documents.

I wish I could be more helpful, but the times I worked 351-352 it was it was pitch dark and I was in a part of south Jersey very unfamiliar to me (quite frankly, I would drive to Millville to the yard office, but once we headed south on the train into the darkness I never really knew where I was other than a few yards on either side of the track whenever we stopped.) I was much more preoccupied with swatting mosquitos and getting out of there as quickly as possible.

Regarding GATE, I never remember a passing siding either north or south of the block station.

Maybe the above will jog some memories from others who can correct some of the details.

[TR-00]

The only sidings near GATE were : Douglass Industries (Absecon Mills), which was north of Cologne Avenue, and Lennox China, south of Tilton Road.

[JimBoylan]

With some (I hope) logical guesses and looking at the footnotes and date on the link, I think this is the answer:
CA-297 PAVONIA 4.00 AM GATES SIDING 7.30 AM DAILY EX. SUN. 4
4. LOCAL WORK PAVONIA TO GATE SDG. VIA VERNON ROUTE.

CA-299 PAVONIA 9.45 AM WINSLOW 12.45 PM DAILY EX. SUN. 9
9. LOCAL WORK CLEMENTON ROUTE TO WINSLOW, INCLUSIVE.

CM-91 PAVONIA 10.00 PM CAPE MAY 4.30 AM DAILY EX. SAT. 13
13. LOCAL WORK WINSLOW TO CAPE MAY, BOTH INCLUSIVE. WOODBINE - SUN. & WED.

CA-289 PAVONIA 11.45 PM ATLANTIC CITY 2.45 AM DAILY EX. SAT. 14
14 LOCAL WORK EGG HARBOR TO ATLANTIC CITY, VIA CLEMENTON ROUTE.

REVISED JAN. 17, 1958

"GATE SDG.", misspelled "GATES SIDING" is probably either the Atlantic City Race Track siding or the connection West of Egg Harbor City to the Reading's Atlantic City RR. track along Reading Ave. and Broad St. I lean toward the old Reading line because otherwise CA-297 and CA-299 would both do the same local work between Egg Harbor and Gate. However, on the return trips, they both do local work between Gate and Winslow Jct.! See the 2nd page of the link.
Back then, "road" crews had a non-stop ride with no switching to perform until they reached their "local work" territory. If 2 crews served the same place, which does happen, they might each try to leave the cars for the other crew!

[JJMDiMunno]

Check out this track diagram guys...wondering if what's shown just north of GATE rings a bell for anyone? In fact, this siding is part of GATE interlocking or so it appears...

http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/M ... k/gate.gif

Could that be what they're talking about? Or maybe it is the AC Racetrack spur itself that they're referring to, as Boylan suggests...

Mike DiMunno

[Steam man]

It headed south of Manumuskin a couple miles to Passarellli's, then back-up to Manumuskin before heading down the Leesburg Secondary to work the sand plants on that branch. Hence, as advertised, the turnaround point became Dorchester and the location Passarelli seems to have dissappeared from official documents.
Maybe the above will jog some memories from others who can correct some of the details.

There's two sidings south of Manumuskin,one just below Mays Landing Rd (MP47.2 or so) and one a bit farther down at nearly MP 47.7 just across Jones Mill Rd., now we have to decide which one it was. But as PRSL Trainman indiates, Passerelli's siding wasn't an official timetable location so we never used it for train movement purposes. I can still hear conductor Harry F. Arms when he'd call in the movements to Woodbury or Brown for us put on the train sheet, he had a very distinct voice with a speech impediment. Between that and the infamous bad quality of the railroad phone system, it was difficult to figure out what my trains were doing down in the swamps sometimes.. And people ask me why I talk so loud when I on the phone to this day.

[JimBoylan]

wondering if what's shown just north of GATE rings a bell for anyone? In fact, this siding is part of GATE interlocking or so it appears...http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/M ... k/gate.gif

The freight schedule that started this topic is from 1958. The diagram shows single track labeled as such under Tilton Rd. I think the Atlantic City line was double track until at least 1962. The siding just North of GATE is probably the remainder of the crossover to get trains from the racetrack onto the Northward track. Notice that there is a freight customer off the Race Track spur!

[Steam man]

OK.. This is about as official as I can get as to a referance for Gate Siding. According to my last updated PRSL timetable (Timetable No. 4 -In effect 4.10 A.M. Monday June 14, 1971) with all the addendums and General Orders. It reads:


Camden ,N.J. July 29, 1971

General Order No. 403

Effective 10.01 A.M., Thursday, August 5, 1971

(a) MAIN LINE
EGG HARBOR - GATE

Gate Siding between MP 42 and MP 44,out of service.
Special Instructions 1103-A1,pages 29 and 30 changed.




Special Instructions 1103-A1 refer to the operation of the spring switches and the "Route for which sprung" and "normal position". The spring switches were for tracks 1,2 & 3 at A.C Racetrack Station. The above General Order is the only place I found where the actual name " Gate Siding" in all the PRSL papers I have. Hope this answers this question.

As an aside, please note the use of a period instead of the colon in between the hour and minutes. This is a normally European way of writing the time, but all times are written this way in the time table. Another classsic influance of " The Standard Railroad of the World"?

[PRSLTrainman]

A few more questions arise from Steamman's post and quote from the 1971 timetable.

1) General Order 403 is written in manner that would normally apply to passing siding. Note that it defines "Gate Siding" as "between MP 42 and MP 44", and the Order is titled for "EGG HARBOR - GATE". Also, the GATE block limit station, where the spur to the racetrack entered the main, was at MP 44.4, which would be outside the range of the Out of Service Gen Order.

2) In your timetable No. 4, dated June 14, 1971, does the "Main Line" chart of block stations in the front of the timetable show a siding between Egg Harbor and Gate? If the General Order took it out-of-service after the timetable was issued, it should be listed there as either North, South, or No Assigned Direction.

3) The only timetable issued to me that I saved was No. 5, dated June 18, 1973. (I know, looking back I was dumb to throw out No. 3 & No. 4 when they were replaced.) In timetable No. 5, Special lnstructions 1103-A1 cover rules for "Public Crossings at Grade", a rather lengthly list of individual crossings. Is this different from timetable No. 4? The special instructions for spring switches is published in timetable No. 5 as Special Instructions 1105-A1. I might note that in timetable No. 5, Spec Inst 1103-A1 for grade crossings does has a reference for "all crossings" between Gate and Turf (the racetrack spur) indicating that they are all flagged crossings. So the racetrack spur was still in service as late as 1973. (Actually, it was still in service as of my last Gen Order dated 3/21/75).

So, maybe there once was a passing siding north of GATE, probably preserved when the second track was torn up.

Very interesting.

[glennk419]

So when was the siding taken completely out of service? As a kid traveling to the shore, I remember seeing the diagonal grade crossing at Aloe and Hunterdon Avenues while traveling along Tilton Road. It's amazing how much of the ROW is still intact and visible from the AC Expressway overpass, although the south side is quickly disappearing.