Delaware and Raritan River Railroad-General Discussion

The grant doesn’t cover all the specifics but I believe it said Phase 1 was repairing the Southern and reconnecting the FIT to the Southern, as well as reconnecting Lakewood to Lakehurst. Phase 2 I think covers the work and materials needed to reopen both areas of track.

Matt Johnson wrote: ↑Fri Oct 14, 2022 4:17 pm Or reconnecting Farmingdale with Freehold?

Phase 1 is supposed to be reconnecting Farmingdale with Freehold.

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 14, 2022 4:21 pm The grant doesn’t cover all the specifics but I believe it said Phase 1 was repairing the Southern and reconnecting the FIT to the Southern, as well as reconnecting Lakewood to Lakehurst. Phase 2 I think covers the work and materials needed to reopen both areas of track.

Doesn't reconnecting imply that the track will also be reopened by doing so?

I'm pretty sure we had this discussion before on here. Phase 1 was supposed to be for reconnecting FIT-SOUS, and Phase 2 would be improving the tracks on FIT and SOUS, but it seems like they started with repairing the SOUS first.

@JohnFromJersey Considering that the Southern is in such bad shape it’s no surprise they got that done first. It’s bad enough that I’ve been hearing Tracks Unlimited has been derailing in certain spots throughout the process. (More specifically, between Miller and Squankum roads where the track runs through sand.)

I don't quite understand it but the grant request apparently refurbs about 2 1/2 miles of the Frhd-Fmdl connection in phase 1 and the remaining portion in phase 2. This does not seem to imply the Frhd-Fmdl will not be open after phase 1, just that it will not all be upgraded until after phase 2 (which sorta implies another grant or a large outlay by D&RR). We will see. All the clearing and roadbed prep is in phase 1.

I wonder what a hypothetical Phase 3 would be. TRIT?

I'm wondering about the turnouts. They have listed 6 new or refurb, plus pull and reset/relocate 2. Guessing some of them for Lakehurst to reconnect the mess down there and reconnect the TRIT. Maybe pull the 2 already on the TRIT at the team track and the next one down.

I’ve been repeatedly told that two of the new switches are for creating a wye in Farmingdale, but I’m not sure.

Yeah as discussed here before a Wye would be a natural but they may need to jump through hoops to get one as there never was one. New grade crossing. no previous ROW.

If at all possible, please be on the lookout for RB-1 within the next few days as I’m not sure if they will do second run this week.

It's been discussed before on here that many many years ago, the RR property was set up so that if they wanted/needed it, they could make a wye in Farmingdale, although the southbound wye would be very very tight when compared to the northbound one.

They will probably have more issues with the town/county to install the tracks than JCPL.

Not sure what the TRIT will be, short of putting a transloading yard there - there's not many industrial/commercial properties left alongside the TRIT that could put a siding in

Or if it will be reopened.

CharlieL wrote: ↑Fri Oct 14, 2022 6:19 pm Yeah as discussed here before a Wye would be a natural but they may need to jump through hoops to get one as there never was one. New grade crossing. no previous ROW.

Char;irL:
Gmaps nd zoom into the the NE cornerod the JCPL property until you see the property lines. The RR foresaw the possibility and anticipated an intersection to the CNJ Southern Division. Herce they purcased the properyu diagonally between the FIT - SOUS. The former PRR property now being owned by NJT.

If the TRIT was not going to be reopened, I don't think they would have mentioned it very specifically in all the legal matters pertaining to it.

The TRIT will definitely be used again, whether freight is involved or if they will just save it to make a rail connection to the Toms River Park and Ride (bus connections, giant parking lot already there - a no brainer), time will tell.

No guarantee it comes back. Let's not get our hopes up for that. They likely had to include it in the deal for it to go through.

JohnFromJersey wrote: ↑Fri Oct 14, 2022 9:04 pm It's been discussed before on here that many many years ago, the RR property was set up so that if they wanted/needed it, they could make a wye in Farmingdale, although the southbound wye would be very very tight when compared to the northbound one.

They will probably have more issues with the town/county to install the tracks than JCPL.

Not sure what the TRIT will be, short of putting a transloading yard there - there's not many industrial/commercial properties left alongside the TRIT that could put a siding in

Actually, John, if you do some cut-and-paste with the maps the new south leg would be less tight than the existing north leg, To go north requires about a 110 deg turn, south somewhat less than 70 and with much more distance to do it in.