Middle Twsp BOH vs CMSL

[prsl7668]

Article in todays Atlantic City Press says Middle Twsp Board of Health is asking a Superior Court judge to help get the abandoned cars in Rio Grande removed. They say the cars create a public nuisance, have the potential to become a mosquito breeding habitat, are ugly and attract criminal activity.

[blockline4180]

Article in todays Atlantic City Press says Middle Twsp Board of Health is asking a Superior Court judge to help get the abandoned cars in Rio Grande removed. They say the cars create a public nuisance, have the potential to become a mosquito breeding habitat, are ugly and attract criminal activity.

The article is here
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/186/ ... 40927.html

I guess trucks will remove the cars and scrap them if Tony can't get them out of there by rail! Very sad times indeed!

[Jtgshu]

Are these cars owned outright by the CMSL or are they the URHS cars that are leased to the CMSL?

Personally i think that ugly movie theatre looks worse than the cars sitting there.............

[rrbluesman]

There is something I don't understand about this, well, there is a couple of things actually. The BOH is a govt orginization which means they must know who owns the tracks and by definition the condition the tracks are in. Knowing that for a couple of years now the tracks have been OOS, what do they expect the CMSL to do, really? Furthermore, what gives the BOH the right to make that kind of injunction? I don't know how many of you guys are from the south Jersey area, but somebody needs to expalin to me how those cars at Rio Grande are any more of a safety threat or hazard than ANY of the URHS/ARHS passenger cars at Winslow Junction, which also have grafiti, broken windows, animals, etc. This article sounds like a case of Rio Grande NIMBYism, and in my mind I think to myself 'The train track was there first' but then I am a railfan. I think this is a sad situation

[blockline4180]

There is something I don't understand about this, well, there is a couple of things actually. The BOH is a govt orginization which means they must know who owns the tracks and by definition the condition the tracks are in. Knowing that for a couple of years now the tracks have been OOS, what do they expect the CMSL to do, really? Furthermore, what gives the BOH the right to make that kind of injunction? I don't know how many of you guys are from the south Jersey area, but somebody needs to expalin to me how those cars at Rio Grande are any more of a safety threat or hazard than ANY of the URHS/ARHS passenger cars at Winslow Junction, which also have grafiti, broken windows, animals, etc. This article sounds like a case of Rio Grande NIMBYism, and in my mind I think to myself 'The train track was there first' but then I am a railfan. I think this is a sad situation

I agree with the above on all costs, but what can you do if you have a corrupt gov't(yes on the local level too!) with that Nimby mentality you speak of. It is very hard to get into the mind of a Nimby because nothing else matters to them except getting back their so called "way of life." This kind of mentality has also infested the police since they are siding with Middle Township on this issue. I bet it didn't even cross their mind that maybe the blame has to go towards the vandals/miscreants and NOT the railroad. I don't even think the local law even lifted a finger to try and find those juvenile delinquents that caused all this...That is what is sad!!!!

And trust me, URHS had a lot of similar NIMBY problems when their cars were in Morristown. Its not just Rio Grande!

[rrbluesman]

Blockline, if you live down in the Cape May county area maybe you can answer this, or someone who does besides you might be able to answer, any serious answers I could get would be awesome. Over the years, I have read many extreme positive and extreme negative comments about the CMSL and Cape May county, govt, police, etc., and I have no doubt there is corruption somewhere. Anyway, my question is what is the political attitude in Cape May/Atlantic Counties toward the CMSL? I recall a number of years ago reading an article about how the CMSL was going to be a key part of the 'revitalization' of the Cape May tourist industry and the same for the 'revitalization' of the Atlantic county tourist industry to places like Richland, Tuckahoe, Cape May City, etc. At that time it seemed like the CMSL had friends in the govt, maybe I was wrong about that. Is the recent NIMBYism in Rio Grande resident backed to the BOH or Govt backed to the BOH?

[blockline4180]

Blockline, if you live down in the Cape May county area maybe you can answer this, or someone who does besides you might be able to answer, any serious answers I could get would be awesome. Over the years, I have read many extreme positive and extreme negative comments about the CMSL and Cape May county, govt, police, etc., and I have no doubt there is corruption somewhere. Anyway, my question is what is the political attitude in Cape May/Atlantic Counties toward the CMSL? I recall a number of years ago reading an article about how the CMSL was going to be a key part of the 'revitalization' of the Cape May tourist industry and the same for the 'revitalization' of the Atlantic county tourist industry to places like Richland, Tuckahoe, Cape May City, etc. At that time it seemed like the CMSL had friends in the govt, maybe I was wrong about that. Is the recent NIMBYism in Rio Grande resident backed to the BOH or Govt backed to the BOH?

Unfortunatley, I cant answer that question with regard to the political attitude and the alleged corruption that may be going on down there. BUT, like you said, the CMSL did have a lot of friends down there back in the late 90's and they did play a large role in the revitalization of tourism and possible future commuter/tourist train use down there. I'm assuming now with all the enemies they have in Middle Township that has sadly changed.

I live in Warren County,(Northern) NJ so I regret that I can't help you with what exactly has been happening down there politically. Mike DiMunno(sp) or Bob(Chuchu) would probably be able to help you better as they live closer to the Cape May area.

[Douglas John Bowen]

CMSL still has friends (count NJ-ARP among them). CMSL has always had ... shall we call them ... "adversaries." These parameters haven't changed in a decade, though one can argue that the parameters of the dispute have intensified.

The metropolitan planning organization for New Jersey's four southernmost counties (Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem) has been markedly slow in grasping passenger rail trains of any kind, and by any entity, as a viable transport option within its jurisdiction. NJ-ARP has presented the case for such an option to the MPO, and will continue to do so.

[drifty1]

Why hasn't some of this equipment been moved South to Cape May City?
Why fault the CMSL who has to rely on NJT and DOT Funding to repair tracks North of Court House where the tracks are dangerous and unusable..........

[prsl7668]

Why hasn't some of this equipment been moved South to Cape May City?
Why fault the CMSL who has to rely on NJT and DOT Funding to repair tracks North of Court House where the tracks are dangerous and unusable..........

CMSL had 2+ years to move the cars but didn't. The tracks just became the so called problem last year as why they were still there.

[drifty1]

It would be easier to drag them South as soon as the bridge is functional. It may have to be done in several moves. How Many Cars are there? Is it 12 or more? If they can roll they can travel at slow speeds...........Even if it has to be 1 or 2 cars at a time.....................2 years after they said they can do it is spitting into the wind.... they are asking to be declared bad neighbors

[JJMDiMunno]

It would be easier to drag them South as soon as the bridge is functional. It may have to be done in several moves. How Many Cars are there? Is it 12 or more? If they can roll they can travel at slow speeds...........Even if it has to be 1 or 2 cars at a time.....................2 years after they said they can do it is spitting into the wind.... they are asking to be declared bad neighbors

1. The bridge is operational.

2. There are about a half dozen if I recall. I haven't been down that way in years.

3. It's going to have to be very, very slow, but it can be done.

4. The issue as per CMSL reports is now track in the area of Dennisville, which is reportedly washed out as a result of storm damage from some time ago.

5. The plan is that once that track is repaired (whenever that might be), to roll the cars NORTH to Tuckahoe for storage.

Mike DiMunno

[rrbluesman]

I was down in the Dennisville area at the end of January, I didnt wander too much but it seemed like there was still mud/sand over the ties and the line didn't seem quite straight to me. Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't/isn't some sort of a siding being built at Tucakahoe for storage/non-Beeseley's track running for the CMSL? I am going to raise the question again, if the knowledge is out there that the line is washed out and NJT is responsible for repairing it (correct me if I am wrong) what do they expect the CMSL to do?

[lv414]

A piece in the Opinion section of the Sunday Atlantic City Press from the editor has the quotes from the owner about moving the cars as he promised from the past 2+ years. Also has a picture of the trapped cars.

[rrbluesman]

Is there an online link to see that editorial article?