Arthur Kill Lift Bridge

Here's a photo from Front Street in Elizabeth:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1444221

This train is run by a Conrail crew, usually "PN8" Hang around the Port Newark/Eport area (without arousing too much suspicion) and listen to the scanner. Put the marine drawbridge channel into your scanner (sorry, don't have number handy right now); AK broadcasts alerts to marine traffic of upcoming bridge closings when a train is due.

Sorry I don't know the NY side.

NJTArrow2 wrote:Is there a place to photograph trains on the bridge? What time do Q195 and Q196 operate? How often is the lift bridge up?

Q195 and Q196 terminate in Port Newark, despite any CSX press releases that say other wise. Conrail on behalf of its owners recrews the Q196 and makes a pick up at E-rail and takes the entire train to Arlington Yard. Usually around 7am BY-1 makes a quick trip to Arlington Yard to pick up and set out DOS trash cars to take to Oak Island later in the day. The AK Bridge is in the up (open) position at all times except for "scheduled openingins". I dont know the freq, but If you listen to the Marine radio channel AK announces its closings starting at a 90 minute notice and every 15 minutes after that.

Found this while searching for the scanner frequency (156.600 MHz, 156.700MHz) for the bridge and thought it was pretty interesting.

§ 117.747 Raritan River, Arthur Kill, and their tributaries.

The draws of all bridges shall open on signal; except that, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the draws may be opened for the passage of vessels for periods no longer than 10 minutes or remain closed for the passage of land traffic for no longer than 10 minutes. Public vesels of the United States and state or local vessels used for public safety shall be passed at any time. The owners of each bridge shall maintain a tug at the drawbridge to control and aid in the passage of vessels. The owners shall provide and keep in good legible condition two board gages painted white with black figures not less than eight inches high to indicate the vertical clearance under the closed draw at all stages of the tide. The gages shall be so placed on the bridges that they are plainly visible to operators of vessels approaching the bridges either up or downstream.

From: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/te ... 0.2.83.314

Thank you for the information.

So conrail and NJdot kepp tugs at these bridges? Intresting- Wonder if they kenw they were supposd too-

Thats a nice shot from elizabeth. I tried it down there and didn't feel comfortable for some reason. Not for the neighborhood, but i just felt like i was beeing watched from all over. But i will try it again in a few weeks.

bystander wrote:So conrail and NJdot kepp tugs at these bridges? Intresting- Wonder if they kenw they were supposd too-

I'm sure there is a fee involved to a local Tug operator incase there is a problem.

Wolf,

Noticed that the trash cars from Staten Island were stopped on the Port Reading Secondary over the Garden State Parkway in Woodbridge one afternoon this past week.

What train would be taking them either in or out that would use the Port Reading Secondary?

thks
killer

Q706 when he has cars for Staten Island will run the Port Reading Sec/Chemical Coast and set them out in Bayway.

I noticed they've replaced the ties and put down new ballast in Bayway yard. Where have they been storing the railcars while this has been taking place?

gravelyfan wrote: Put the marine drawbridge channel into your scanner (sorry, don't have number handy right now); AK broadcasts alerts to marine traffic of upcoming bridge closings when a train is due.

Here is the frequency: 156.650 This channel is used for ship/drawbridge communications. In addition to AK I've heard Upper Bay (known as "Lehigh Valley Draw" on the marine band) and Hack (known as "Triple Bridges" on the marine band). You'll also hear broadcasts of ships, tugs and ferryboats as they depart from their berths.

For some reason, all transmissions are prefixed with "Security, Security" as in "Security, Security, AK Railroad Bridge will be closing in 90 minutes"

gravelyfan wrote:For some reason, all transmissions are prefixed with "Security, Security"

It's something like saying "Power Emergency" or "I have a Train Order to transmit" on a railroad radio. There are 3 prefixes of different ranks of urgency, "Pan", "Security", and "Mayday". I'm murdering the Emperor's French, these aren't meant to be English words.

Are they automated announcements?

I was in the area last Thursday and heard the warning go off. Went over and found a NS SD tucked onto the bridge approach tracks with a string of tank cars. Seems the dispatcher put the train over there to clear up a Gradall doing ditching along the Chemical Coast. Hung around for a bit, but the bridge never lowered and the train headed north after the Gradeall cleared up.

jtunnel wrote:Are they automated announcements?

I was in the area last Thursday and heard the warning go off. Went over and found a NS SD tucked onto the bridge approach tracks with a string of tank cars. Seems the dispatcher put the train over there to clear up a Gradall doing ditching along the Chemical Coast. Hung around for a bit, but the bridge never lowered and the train headed north after the Gradeall cleared up.

That was a Fun day. The BY-1 ( on the connector) couldnt get to Bayway Yard untill the M/W was done. They had gone to Staten Island to pick up cars that were in Storage due to the M/W work at Bayway. They sat at CP-RI from 10am to about 3 or 3:30. The Bridge was supposed to come down at 4pm for the PN-8 who was waiting on the NY Side since 2pm.

I would love to catch a train on AK soometime myself. I also noticed the work being done in Bayway Yard. In addition, traveling north up the Turnpike, I've noticed crews working on a small bridge between Carteret and Bayway at MAKO, for at least 2 months now. Looks like thier eaither replacing of re-enforcing the old wooden structure?