Potential NEC alternative routes between NWK and PHL?

Gilbert B Norman wrote:
To my best knowledge, the Royal Blue Line remains intact and could be "pressed" into emergency NEC service. While the B&O Jersey City-Wash service was done during '58, the Reading "Crusader" and "Wall Street" hung on to A-Day.

Actually even beyond A-Day.

Actually up to sometime around late 1981. Tried to ride the old Reading RDC direct service but it was gone by then.

Amtk30 wrote:Actually up to sometime around late 1981. Tried to ride the old Reading RDC direct service but it was gone by then.

A30 (and Everyone:) The through RDC services from Newark Penn Station to Reading Terminal ran
for the final time on July 30, 1981. At that point NJT/CR implemented a one train each way per day
weekday service from West Trenton to Newark using two former CNJ push-pull cars and a GP7/9
unit requiring a change of trains at West Trenton. This revised service ran until December 3, 1982.

I have been following this topic from the beginning and wondered when anyone would mention the
former RDG/CNJ joint RDC trains which would continue being operated by Conrail on behalf of NJT
and SEPTA until the end of July 1981. I used the Wall Street and Crusader RDC runs on occasion
and found them to be a interesting alternative to the NEC and for me also provided another route
to visit relatives in Philadelphia's northern suburbs living near the RDG Lansdale-Doylestown Line.

8 Photos from the final day 7/30/1981: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiv ... x?id=62268" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(Randy Kotuby)
MACTRAXX

On June 22nd, 1977 a Conrail freight train derailed at Metuchen, NJ blocking the NE corridor. Some long distance Amtrak trains used the former Reading to Bound Brook, the former CNJ from Bound Brook to Aldene, and the former Lehigh Valley from Aldene to rejoin the NE corridor at Newark. I suspect it was easy to negotiate use of the detour route because it was all owned by Conrail whose train caused the blockage.

CL: Interesting recollect of the 1977 Conrail Metuchen Station derailment...

This was the pileup that occurred at the west end of Metuchen Station while it still had low level
platforms (high platforms constructed by NJDOT 1978-79) in which one boxcar fell onto its side
off of the Main Street overpass onto the street next to eastbound track #1. There was damage
to the steel/concrete girders on the overpass along with a noticeably twisted catenary pole that
has a long tall base just to the west of this overpass next to track #1 that is visible to this day...

From a internet search this added information about the Metuchen wreck was found:
http://www.jhalpin.com/metuchen/wreck.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://railfanning.org/2018/06/a-look-b ... erailment/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The train involved was Conrail MD-6 which was being pulled by two GG1s and the wreck was
caused by a hot box on a covered hopper about 17 cars in back of the two motors.

Having Conrail in charge of all these lines in North Jersey no doubt helped secure an alternate
route around the derailment helping some trains get through...MACTRAXX