Old Reading Line east of Bound Brook NJ

[CPSK]

Hi;
I'm mapping out the NS Lehigh line, and accidentally got "switched" to the old Reading line to Port Reading. I realized I was on the wrong track when I reached Port Reading, and then went back to Bound Brook and followed the Lehigh Line to OI yard, Newark.

Is the line from Bound Brook to Port Reading still in use? It looks like it could be a good overflow route for trains between Newark, NJ and Allentown, PA, but I'm not sure what kind of shape it's in.

Anyone have anything on this?

Thanks

FW

[cr9615]

Hi;
I'm mapping out the NS Lehigh line, and accidentally got "switched" to the old Reading line to Port Reading. I realized I was on the wrong track when I reached Port Reading, and then went back to Bound Brook and followed the Lehigh Line to OI yard, Newark.

Is the line from Bound Brook to Port Reading still in use? It looks like it could be a good overflow route for trains between Newark, NJ and Allentown, PA, but I'm not sure what kind of shape it's in.

Anyone have anything on this?

Thanks

FW

It's Conrail SA's Port Reading Secondary. They get around 6-8 trains a day IIRC.

[CPSK]

Ok, sorry for the confusion, I thought because the Lehigh Line is NS, that the PR branch would also be. I have decided to include this branch in my Trainz layout.

FW

[Jtgshu]

From Manville Yard to Bound Brook, the line is OOS - Conrail built a connector so the Port Reading trains could run down the Lehigh Line and connect to the Port Reading Sec at Bound Brook - this saved Conrail from having to maintain two bridges that are literally right next to the Lehigh Line.

Back when hte line was used only by the Reading, it would have continued straight through Manville and over the OOS section and then through Bound Brook and on the way to Port Reading. But when Conrail took control of those lines, why maintain that section of track and those bridges when there is plenty of room on the Lehigh Line, 20 feet to the north?

[Mike77E9]

It's Conrail SA's Port Reading Secondary. They get around 6-8 trains a day IIRC.

There are some days they get a lot more than that. Getting about 10 - 15 in a day isn't unheard of every now and then. And boy does it snarl traffic for the area when one goes through.

Also... there's been grumblings from some people in a new development just south of the river that think that the horns should be eliminated for the crossing....

[Kaback9]

Ethanol Trains use it as do certain intermodal and garbage trains also the local out of Manville does head down to serve some customers. So the PRS can be busy however usually its pretty quiet. The PRS is kind of like a back door entrance to North Jersey if things get fouled on the Lehigh.