High Bridge Branch / CNJ

I just was doing some research and in this book I got it says that the CNJ wanted to abandoned the HB branch in 1971 but the new Sears Warehouse threw a hissy fit and the ICC wouldn't allow them to abandon it. Then after 1972 when CNJ ended PA operations they kept the HB branch in place and used it to route their mainline trains north to the EL. The EL then took the CNJ cars to points north and west (Chicago) so the CNJ got a few bucks from western shippers.

The book also said the the HB branch was in such deplorable condition by '72 that the tracks were in the mud and 100-car freights would crawl at 10mph the whole way.

Is this accurate?

That was indeed case during the early/mid 70s (1972-75), with long trains operating between High Bridge and Wharton connecting CNJ and EL. After 1976, the line remained in service under Morris County DOT until 1981 (the line was not originally included in Conrail).

I believe the Sears warehouse may be the current Toys-R-Us warehouse off Bartley Road that received deliveries until a few years ago.

There was no Sears warehouse. There was a proposed Sears warehouse that was never built. It was supposed to be in Flanders where TRU is now.

The track was in bad shape but I have read there was some upgrading in the few years these trains ran. I have read some were 150 cars long too. Must have been something to see.

I was fortunate enough to see a number of the 100 car plus drags that came through Long Valley and across Rt 10. They took forever to cross. Back in 72 or 73 there was a lot of "work" done to the line to try to get the speeds up, but they were still slow. At the time I lived on Schooley's Mtn and you could hear the drags coming up the valley for a long ways. I remember seeing CNJ, EL and Reading units on the drags. The runs lasted up until Conrail took over then next thing we knew, the line was tore out. Sad thing as in the earlier days I remember Baby Faced Baldwins in the daily runs. Back in the mid 50's I even remember seeing a Camelback on the line, got yelled at by the Teacher to "Pay attention in class", How could I help it if the tracks were visible from class?

NYS&W142Fan wrote:I was fortunate enough to see a number of the 100 car plus drags that came through Long Valley and across Rt 10. They took forever to cross. Back in 72 or 73 there was a lot of "work" done to the line to try to get the speeds up, but they were still slow. At the time I lived on Schooley's Mtn and you could hear the drags coming up the valley for a long ways. I remember seeing CNJ, EL and Reading units on the drags. The runs lasted up until Conrail took over then next thing we knew, the line was tore out. Sad thing as in the earlier days I remember Baby Faced Baldwins in the daily runs. Back in the mid 50's I even remember seeing a Camelback on the line, got yelled at by the Teacher to "Pay attention in class", How could I help it if the tracks were visible from class?

Unfortunatley, I was born 2 years after the last train, so sadly I missed all the fun!
Great story tho, thanks!!

There were a couple of derailments of those 100 car trains too.

I have also seen photos of N&W F-units on some trains.

NYS&W142Fan wrote:I was fortunate enough to see a number of the 100 car plus drags that came through Long Valley and across Rt 10. They took forever to cross. Back in 72 or 73 there was a lot of "work" done to the line to try to get the speeds up, but they were still slow. At the time I lived on Schooley's Mtn and you could hear the drags coming up the valley for a long ways. I remember seeing CNJ, EL and Reading units on the drags. The runs lasted up until Conrail took over then next thing we knew, the line was tore out. Sad thing as in the earlier days I remember Baby Faced Baldwins in the daily runs. Back in the mid 50's I even remember seeing a Camelback on the line, got yelled at by the Teacher to "Pay attention in class", How could I help it if the tracks were visible from class?

Probably early 50's as steam was gone from freight operations in 1953 and passenger opertiaons in 1954.

That was indeed case during the early/mid 70s (1972-75), with long trains operating between High Bridgetoyeri and Wharton connecting CNJ and EL. After 1976, the line remained in service under Morris County DOT until 1981 (the line was not originally included in Conrail).

I believe the Sears warehouse maybe the current Toys-R-Us warehouse off Bartley Road that received deliveries until a few years ago.

The line (what's left to Flanders) remains in service. It's owned by Morris County and is operated by the Morristown & Erie. Contain operated it under contract for some time post 1976 while the county solicited proposals and selected an operator. M&E was selected and held the contract since.

M&E has operated and maintained the line since 1986, however there has been no service south of Kenvil (U.S. Route 46) for over two years.

Not sure what the Sears warehouse is/was, but there was nothing but farmland where the Toys R Us warehouse is until it was built in the mid 90's.

The Sears warehouse was only a proposal, as it was never built

If I remember correctly, the Sears Warehouse was proposed for the area East of the Toys R Us. Also at one time there was talk of a trans-load or truck to train facility in the same general area. I remember the residents in Flanders putting up quite a stink about it so it was never built. They were worried about trucks on Rt 206.

NYS&W142Fan wrote:If I remember correctly, the Sears Warehouse was proposed for the area East of the Toys R Us. Also at one time there was talk of a trans-load or truck to train facility in the same general area. I remember the residents in Flanders putting up quite a stink about it so it was never built. They were worried about trucks on Rt 206.

That is too bad!! Some sort of trans-load facility would be nice in that area as freight trains haven't been south of Route 46 in at least 2 years(not counting the Toys for Tots).

NYS&W142Fan wrote:I was fortunate enough to see a number of the 100 car plus drags that came through Long Valley and across Rt 10. They took forever to cross. Back in 72 or 73 there was a lot of "work" done to the line to try to get the speeds up, but they were still slow. At the time I lived on Schooley's Mtn and you could hear the drags coming up the valley for a long ways. I remember seeing CNJ, EL and Reading units on the drags. The runs lasted up until Conrail took over then next thing we knew, the line was tore out. Sad thing as in the earlier days I remember Baby Faced Baldwins in the daily runs. Back in the mid 50's I even remember seeing a Camelback on the line, got yelled at by the Teacher to "Pay attention in class", How could I help it if the tracks were visible from class?

Ah the memories . I also remember counting 100+ car trains thru the valley and remember on a few occasions when in the morning the school bus would be held up by the train at the Schooley's mountain road crossing. I've got pictures somewhere I took (with my pocket instamatic) of a derailment just up the road from my house at the Rt 513 crossing in Middle Valley. I don't remember the trains moving quite as slow as 10 mph but to a kid they probably always look fast. Some of my friends used to hop the train into Long Valley so I guess it moved slow enough at times. We used to dare each other to stand under the trestle with the train approaching, it was kinda scarry. Little did we know at the time how dangerous it really was considering the condition of the branch. The train didn't come by our house all that often but we had become so used to the train's sound that when it stopped running in April of 76 the silence was defening .

Railjourner wrote:
Ah the memories . I also remember counting 100+ car trains thru the valley and remember on a few occasions when in the morning the school bus would be held up by the train at the Schooley's mountain road crossing. I've got pictures somewhere I took (with my pocket instamatic) of a derailment just up the road from my house at the Rt 513 crossing in Middle Valley.

Could these pics be from the same wreck?? I got them just in off of 513 across from where the tracks end now?

Could you post those pics?