LHR and Bel-Del north of Pburg usage

Does the Bel-Del/LHR single track that runs north of P'burg along the river get any usage? The bel-del yard looks full of cars but the track, especially at the northern end, looks like it's in completely deplorable condition. The single track then continues north where a bridge carries it across the river into PA at the Martins Creek plant. The line also goes north and stub ends in Belivdere. The tracks north of the Martins Creek bridge don't seem to be in great shape either. Is this NS or a short line?

NS Portland Secondary

I was up there hunting a few weeks back, they have bundles of new ties laid out along the ROW from Hudson yard up. I don't know the line up there, when they cross at Martins Creek is that the old main line that runs up to the Gap on the PA side ? This is the route to interchange at Slaford with the DL ?

The cross over to Martin's Creek is still on the Pennsy, after getting into PA though the route is then on the DL&W's B&P branch (mostly) to a point not far from Slateford Jct.. A section of the old main is used from 'that point (not sure exactly what or where) to Slateford, where interchange with the DL occurs.

A few years ago Railpace had a really stellar feature on this piece of railroad..

-Micah

H76/74 goes up there several times a week to Portland to interchange with the DL. H71 is the evening job that usually goes as far as Con Agra in Martins Creek along the PORS. IIRC this is the local that on occasion goes towards Belvidere (Not sure if they even go that far up anymore). H78 is the night time local that usually goes up with the coal train when neccecary (either keeps half the train at Florence/Freemansburg or brings it up and sets it off at Hudson Yard).

H-74/76 usally run to the DL on Tues,Thurs and Sat. on Duty at Allentown at 730am
H71 on duty Allentown 500Pm does Conagra at Martins Creek and goes to Belvidere on Wed. night to serve DSM
H-71 taxi's to relieve the H=74,H76 on the days they go to the DL
H-78 will take coal trains to Portland Tues -Thurs if any are in area to run or pull mtys from plant. They will call an extra H-70 to run coal on other days.
The coal trains do not have any set schl. usally 1 or 2 trains a week. They will leave Allentown/Beth. with 130 loads and setout 65 cars at Hudson yd in P-burg and take 65 to the power plant and leave the power at Portland. After the Power plant empties the first 65 cars they will call a crew to pull those empties and then go to Hudson yd and get the remaining 65 loads for the power plant. Most of the coal runs at night usally on duty around 10PM

Sorry for my ignorance--But what is DSM? Is it the former Roche plant above Belvidere? This is above the L&HR cutoff?

Yes thats right DSM is the former Roche plant

I have been to the DSM plant.
In 2009 I purchased DSM's 9TM Trackmobile when they upgraded to a brand new Hercules Trackmobile.

Hudson yard isn't that bad. 1 and 2 recieved a good amount of work after a coal train wreck earlier this year. 3 and 4 don't see as much use, but I wouldn't use the term "deplorable" by any means.

Track 1 is usually used for coal train storage
Track 2 is usually used for grain (ConAgra) storage
Track 3 is usually used for overflow grain or coal
Track 4 is usually used for Belvidere & Delaware River RR interchange

Belvidere sees some service. The rest is as outlined in other posts.

Is coal still going to the power plant in Martin's creek?
Google earth august/2010 shows hopper cars there, but no one has mentioned coal going there.....

Also, with the DL having a bridge out, and interchanging in Scranton, has there been any change in the operation
of H71 to Con Agra and DSM?

pdtrains wrote:Is coal still going to the power plant in Martin's creek?
Google earth august/2010 shows hopper cars there, but no one has mentioned coal going there.....

Also, with the DL having a bridge out, and interchanging in Scranton, has there been any change in the operation
of H71 to Con Agra and DSM?

AFAIK, coal only goes to Portland Power Plant further down the line. I thought Martin's Creek switched to oil and gas.
The Con Agra Plant still gets cars via the H71.

That is all i know on this operation.

Would like to chase H71 today.
What kind of authority do they use for movement on the Portland Secondary?
Not Familiar with NS procedures on dark and non-CTC trackage.
Tracks Warrants? Form A?....and does the crew get the authority over the air,
or via computer before they leave the yard?

Is it still a 5pm go at Bethlehem? That would mean maybe a 7-8pm timeframe
at the LHR bridge?

Thx

blockline4180 wrote:

pdtrains wrote:Is coal still going to the power plant in Martin's creek?
Google earth august/2010 shows hopper cars there, but no one has mentioned coal going there.....

Also, with the DL having a bridge out, and interchanging in Scranton, has there been any change in the operation
of H71 to Con Agra and DSM?

AFAIK, coal only goes to Portland Power Plant further down the line. I thought Martin's Creek switched to oil and gas.
The Con Agra Plant still gets cars via the H71.

That is all i know on this operation.

And Portland may not be receiving coal anymore in the not too distant future. US EPA issued a very restrictive order mandating reduction in emissions of 81%. The economics might not allow for retrofitting controls; more likely outcome would result in a switch to natural gas if the station is to remain in service. Get your pix while you can.

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t1/fr_notices/126njnpr.pdf

Is the Gilbert Generating Station the power plant they are referring to?

Later!
Mr. Ed