Freight on the Bergen/Main Line

Anybody know when is the best times to see freights through Ridgewood?

Thanks

Jim

You can usually find the Croxton local NS H82 at Ridgewood any time between 10am and 1pm. In that time you may also be able to catch the Suffern local NS H55 on their way to or from Paterson Yard. During the night you would see the Campbell Hall/Croxton transfer job H07 heading to Croxton anywhere from 9pm-1am then heading back to CH between 1am-3am. The H07 is the biggest freight on the line, although there have been days where it would runs with just a handful of cars. H07 power is usually road units that come in on the 32A then return the following night. There is also the yard/local jobs H80 & H8K, which will run just about any time between 7:30pm-4:30am.

So NS isn't running anything beyond Port Jervis anymore ? I miss the days of TV's, stacks, and manifests headed to Bingo and beyond. sad !

NolifeCRchaser pretty much hit it on the head. I worked on the NJT Mainline dispatch desk during most of 2002 and that's pretty much all we had. Between Suffern and Port Jervis there was HO-8/HO-9 that worked during daylight hours between Port Jervis and Harriman. HO-7 worked the night shift out of Campbell Hall. I never worked the overnight shift so I don't know if HO-7 left Campbell Hall, but on the 2nd shift we would hear them switching the Campbell Hall yard. The only through freights were the NYS&W's SU-99 and SU-100 that ran between Hudson Jct. and Binghamton and the NS's 42A and 43A (the former OIBU/BUOI). The NYS&W trains usually ran late in the evening or very early in the morning, while 42A and 43A were almost always overnight trains.

East of Ridgewood, on the Pascack Valley Branch, H80/H81 were the daytime freights. They would work the branch after the morning rush, usually combine their trains, and then head for Croxton. They usually were ready to return to the branch about the time that the afternoon rush started.

Double-stacks left the Tier a long time ago, except for the occasional detour train. It's a shame, but at least the Tier is still active east of Port Jervis. After all, commuter or freight, a train is a train is a train....

Joe P :D
Long Live The EL

I went railfanning for the first time on the M/B lines and stopped at Ridgewood for an hour a few weeks back. I saw a Conrail train at around 11ish south of Ridgewood.

There are reports in the NY Railfan forum that NS MAY reinstitute through freights west of Port Jervis. I won't believe it till I see it, but with the new segment between Hornell and Meadville restored I can see why NS would be looking to use the whole Tier as a through route......

Steve

If NS does re-instate west of PJ service do you think they'll use the NYS&W in NJ to by-pass NJ Transit ?

I think it would be in the best interests of all involved to run any new freight down the NYS&W. Since NJT plans to (or already has) increased the number of trains between Port and Hoboken, any new freights would be much better off running on the NYS&W. Cars that the old 42A/43A dropped off or picked up at Suffern could now be dropped/picked up at Passaic Jct. H55/H56 go by there in the course of their day so it wouldn't seem to be a hardship for them.

The NJT Hoboken Mainline dispatchers might have a different take on the additional trains. We didn't have that much in the way of freight when I worked there in 2002, and we were able to run most of it during midday or overnight when the commuter schedule was lighter. Port Jervis to Hudson Jct. is a relatively short run and there are several passing sidings available if you need to stash a train out of the way of a commuter run.

From a railfan point of view, of course, it would be great to see new trains, freight or passenger, be introduced. Having the new freights run down the NYS&W would just be icing on the cake, as I live very near their mainline.

There are many different scenarios that could be played out here....this is just my take. Let's just hope it happens......more trains is good news.

Joe P :D
Long Live The EL

Using the "Q" can one go to/from Croxton and Oak Island ?

BlockLine_4111 wrote:Using the "Q" can one go to/from Croxton and Oak Island ?

Freight can run up NYS&W trackage through North Bergen, but it would require use of the Northern Branch to get to Marion yard as we do when interchanging with the NYS&W. NS seems to be on good terms with NJT because we never have any problems running our trains on NJT rails, so why not run our trains on NJT? NJT would be a more direct route and it is faster. As far as going from Croxton - Oak Island, NYS&W has no tracks going into Oak Island. All trains going to Oak Island from Croxton use the National Docks or the P&H.

OCtrainguy, the PRR 3000 now sports a fresh coat of black and white, because you like it so much.

NJT and NS did work fairly well together, at least in my limited experience on the Mainline desk. They understood our need to get our trains over the line on schedule and we understood their need to get their work done in as timely a fashion as possible.

While it is true that running freight all the way down the NJT mainline is a quicker, more direct route I'm not sure it would be in the best interests of NJT or NS to do it that way. NJT is planning to (and probably already has-to some extent) increase service on the Mainline all the way from Hoboken to Port Jervis. When I was on the Mainline desk in 2002 trying to run NJT's commuters and the exisiting NS locals around the daily track and signal maintenance could be a handful at times. Adding new freight trains, especially if they run daylight or early evening, probably won't help keep the Mainline dispatcher in a good mood.

Letting the new freights run only between Port Jervis and Hudson Jct. is a better idea, as there are several long passing sidings and the freights will still be able to access the metro area via Passaic Jct (BT) on the NJT Bergen County Line. They could also connect to the Mainline at Hawthorne via Suscon......IF they ever complete that connection!

Anyway, just my opinion.....and some food for thought. It would be nice to see more freight action on the NYS&W, regardless of whose trains they are.

Joe P :D
Long Live The EL

BlockLine_4111 wrote:If NS does re-instate west of PJ service do you think they'll use the NYS&W in NJ to by-pass NJ Transit ?

I really cannot see NS reinstating through service on the tier between Port Jervis and Binghamton. They want to have as little to do with NJTransit and thier commuter trains as possible. Thats why most of NS's freight now terminates at Allentown or Bethlehem. The only traffic that goes east of there is only the traffic that HAS to go to New Jersey. Any traffic that would originate west of Binghamton to head east such as traffic from the WNY&P (Meadville Line) would likely run down to Allentown via the D&H. The only saving grace for the "Tier" is the fact NS doesnt anyone else to get it so they will keep it with the NYSW as a tenant. As for the unlikely possibilty that NS would put through traffic on the Tier, I sincerely doubt that NS would use the NYSW. The route is FAR TOO S-L-O-W. It takes 3-4 hours just to get from Little Ferry to Warwick and then another 1/2 hour+ to get to Campbell Hall.

......and that, unfortunately, is why you probably won't see any new trains on the Tier east of Binghamton.

As railfans we can draw logical reasons as to why service should be started or restored on whatever line. Then reality slaps us in the face.

Oh well, time to board the BUOI (Buffs Using Overactive Imaginations)......


Joe P :D
Long Live The EL

There's been some scuttlebutt about NS restoring the now dormant Suffern to Spring Valley connection and running through freights on NJ Transit's Pascack Valley Line at night.

In fact, many municipalities in the Pascack Valley are protesting NJ Transit's plan to construct passing sidings claiming that the sidings will do nothing more than facilitate NS's through freight plans.

Is this indeed nothing more than scuttlebutt or would NS benefit by having a connection from Suffern to points in Hudson County using the PVL?