CR on the Southern Secondary

Is Extech abandoning rail service altogether, or just on the Southern Secondary?
M&E has PTC equipment so could handle to run on the Shore line. Maybe they've learned a lesson or two about being competitive over the last few years?

Csx 4429 today with 10 cars...

4429 shf with 10 cars, 8 for Woodhaven and 1 for Brick and Bel-Ray. Cleared Patterson Street 4:24 PM

Caught it at Red Bank:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI0XD0MrT4w" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Playing catch-up with this thread from the past week. I am a bit surprised, but not shocked by the Extech news. I've seen many customers close, move and just cease rail shipments over the 20 years I've been aware of the train running on the ol' Southern.

Many of you also will remember Builders General getting rail shipments in their Little Silver and Toms River locations in addition to Freehold before all shipments were moved to Freehold. Deliveries are then trucked from Freehold to where they need to go. I don't know how many cars Little Silver got, but Toms River consistently got 2-3 cars via the SA35.

Not knowing how much effort NS/CSX (parents of Shared Assets) would put on recruiting customers for the Southern (guessing next to none) so getting a customer base built up can be a challenge. (I know NWS Earle and the joint base in Lakehurst can have rail shipments.) The big blow in my opinion was when PolyOne left their Farmingdale location followed by the many lumber companies closing in Howell/Lakewood. Don't really remember what happened with DiNaso getting rail shipments. Just remember the conductors complaining they needed waders for the switch every time we got some decent rain.

RailsEast wrote:

Remember, new railroad is a million dollars a mile to build, so even the five miles from Freehold (Prestone) to Farmingdale seems impossible without a 'very' generous state grant.

You are probably right Chris. And the only way the state will kick in any funds would be if MOM gets built and that route is selected. If L & L Paving gets their zoning variance for the property on Yellowbrook Rd (asphalt plant), they may want rail service for delivery of sand and stone. Just over a mile to re-build from Farmingdale.

OCtrainguy wrote:Playing catch-up with this thread from the past week. I am a bit surprised, but not shocked by the Extech news. I've seen many customers close, move and just cease rail shipments over the 20 years I've been aware of the train running on the ol' Southern.

Many of you also will remember Builders General getting rail shipments in their Little Silver and Toms River locations in addition to Freehold before all shipments were moved to Freehold. Deliveries are then trucked from Freehold to where they need to go. I don't know how many cars Little Silver got, but Toms River consistently got 2-3 cars via the SA35.

Not knowing how much effort NS/CSX (parents of Shared Assets) would put on recruiting customers for the Southern (guessing next to none) so getting a customer base built up can be a challenge. (I know NWS Earle and the joint base in Lakehurst can have rail shipments.) The big blow in my opinion was when PolyOne left their Farmingdale location followed by the many lumber companies closing in Howell/Lakewood. Don't really remember what happened with DiNaso getting rail shipments. Just remember the conductors complaining they needed waders for the switch every time we got some decent rain.

DiNaso moved from downtown Lakewood to a site in Howell near where Haddon Food is, but then stopped service altogether.
Gold Lumber Burned
US Components moved or closed.
84 Lumber closed, but Brick Recycling moved in.
Polyone closed
Ace Gas/Columbia Propane stoped service.
I forget the name of the guy who used to get pillings on the team track in Lakewood, but he stopped as well.

CSX 4452 shf with 9 cars today...

Train will be a bit late today, holding at LLOYD for NJT traffic at 4:40 in the pm, should be on the move shortly....

Clear of the Southern Secondary at BANK 5:14 PM

Approaching Maxwell Rd in Eatontown at 5:35 in the pm. 8 for Woodhaven and one tank this week; what a miserable weather day, any crazy, er, uh...dedicated fans out for video tonight?

Saw the train stopped at Hamilton Road with its lights off around 545 tonight. Don't know if it continued any further

Nasty storm yesterday, I was wondering about downed trees on the route and I didn't hear them return last night, so they may still be somewhere on the line.

RailsEast wrote:Nasty storm yesterday, I was wondering about downed trees on the route and I didn't hear them return last night, so they may still be somewhere on the line.

Was up until about 4am, can usually hear the horns on the return trip through Farmingdale. Didn't hear anything last night either

I didn't see them in a quick search this morning (Hamilton Rd., the auction, Farmingdale) so I'm not sure if they were in Lakewood or not.

Sskid, I'm sure they stopped at Hamilton Rd last night because the water was over the railhead at the west side of the crossing (water was barely below the railhead this morning); not sure about Conrail, but on the BDRR, the SBO goes like this...
"Diesel-electric locomotives shall not be operated (under load or drifting) through running or standing water which is above the top of rail, except under specific authority of the General Manager." They probably had to get permission to proceed...

Also, the power was out in Shrewsbury early this morning (I think from about 3:30am to 5:30am), so they may have snuck by; when the grade crossing protection is out of service and the conductor protects with fusees, the engineer does not have to sound the horn. The rumble of those 645's usually wakes me up, but I was really out last night.

That's all I've got for now......
Chris