Delaware and Raritan River Railroad-General Discussion

JohnFromJersey wrote: ↑Wed Jul 05, 2023 8:46 pm IIRC, the bridge over the Southern on 33/34 (if that is the same bridge you are talking about, @AceMacSD) used to have a sign that denoted that Blue Comet passed under it. This is going back to the 30's/40's of course, but in a couple of books I have, "Railroads of Monmouth County" and "The New Jersey Central's Blue Comet," there is a picture of this sign. I will try to find it and get a picture of it.

In addition, when was the last *weapons* shipment into Earle? It's been said that the last time Earle received massive amounts of anything was during Vietnam, and I know the last time Earle got anything period, it was some new engines and new boxcars for their railroad. I am curious to know, when was the last time any sort of ordinance came in. Someone may have answered this question before, but I don't know.

Not the same bridge. Earle RR crosses over the southern by the Tinton Falls dump. They've another bridge looks like for auto traffic bout 200' south of the RR bridge. These bridges are well north of 34&33 bridge. 31 would take a siesta in that stretch since it's away from prying eyes. Only had to make sure your hind end was clear of those Earle bridges or Earle PD'd drive up and tell you to move along or they'd call OI and ask why there's a train parked next to the base.

Per my guys there at Earle, the connections been severed for years, well before they got there. Earle RR put there missing rail back in place to get a couple of engines in bout 10 years ago. They pulled that rail off once they got there engines. That was some kinda drug deal to get those engines from CR and the Navy shafted CR in that deal. There was a guy at a train show with pictures of NS at Earle maybe 20 years ago. Conductor I was with bought all the pictures. Think they were dated 2003 or 4. Had a caboose on the train with armed guards FWIWT so I'd say it was an ammo load.

Per my guys there, they move munitions that are being retired. Those munitions are brought in by ship, hauled to the base by train from Leonard, disassembled then trucked out for disposal.

AFAIK they never severed the connection at the south side near the 33/34 bridge before the engine delivery or after it. Rails are still there and connected to Earle but haven’t been used since the engine delivery.

Acemac, would you happen to know who comes in and cleans the rails up at McGuire-Dix in Lakehurst every now and then? Is that the military doing that or Conrail? I’ve never gotten a clear answer.

I took two special movements to Earl in that time period.

I took a Navy 44,65 or 70 Ton Center Cab down to Earle From OI. My power was a GP40 and an SW1001 towing the GE. The SW1001 was just there as a rider as the GE couldn't be mu'd nor the brakes set up, wild.

I also took a train of Ammunition down from Oak Island, maybe 25-30 cars, we had RR police escorts at just about every crossing.

I remember the passing siding at Roosevelt when I hired out, but i think it was removed in the '03 time frame.

7876, what was the power for that ammo train? At some point in the 2000s they got a train in there pulled by an ex CR SD70 and a CSX GE engine. (Dash 8?) There’s a picture of the power sitting near the bridge. I think it was a shipment of new boxcars?

The road bridge is Asbury Ave. which started at the Asbury circle, went through what is now Earle, and terminated near the junction of rte 33 and Halls Mill / Kozloski rd. Actually starts at Ocean Ave in Asbury Park.

It was a primary road between Asbury Park and Freehold before Earle was created and performed roadus interruptus (1943).

I'm wondering if that Roosevelt field was maybe a small airport back before the war

JohnFromJersey wrote: ↑Wed Jul 05, 2023 8:57 pm I've also never heard that story of Nestle and Earle's shipments being mixed up. Sounds like an urban legend to me, but I'd believe it, especially if it happened during the days of the NYC and the PRR merging into Penn Central, which was a logistical nightmare.

It's not true. As stated earlier Nestle Freehold only dealt in coffee. My guys at Earle did say there were guys who were scrapping old rocket containers and brought one with a live rocket to a scrap yard. When the scrap yard guys began torching the container it blew. Think two scrap yard workers were killed in the blast.

Who the hell came up with that story then?

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 8:32 am AFAIK they never severed the connection at the south side near the 33/34 bridge before the engine delivery or after it. Rails are still there and connected to Earle but haven’t been used since the engine delivery.

Acemac, would you happen to know who comes in and cleans the rails up at McGuire-Dix in Lakehurst every now and then? Is that the military doing that or Conrail? I’ve never gotten a clear answer.

My guys there said it's been severed on the Earle side since the early 2000s. There's a piece of rail about 3 or 6' long they cut out on the lead to the CR connection and lays on its side. When those new engines were brought in, the Earle guys righted the rail then dropped it once CR left. It was 5 mph into the property, cut away and go for 31. My guys said it's to show the navy higher ups they don't use the connection to CR. This justified not paying CR for switch.

The Nestle story sounds like a railroaders tale.

Ooooh you mean severed beyond the fence there? I gotcha. Must be severed somewhere around that curve there. I’ll take a look next time they got a tank to drop off.

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 30, 2023 2:54 pm Two more things before I forget.

1. The Jewish security firm was not seen today.

2. Sycamore Ave is having issues now too. Lights come on only seconds before the train crosses. Two people stopped abruptly but then floored it across. 3 seconds later and they would’ve been hit.

Poor shunting. Rust buildup and/or overlay circuit needs to be adjusted.

AceMacSD wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 8:28 am Not the same bridge. Earle RR crosses over the southern by the Tinton Falls dump. They've another bridge looks like for auto traffic bout 200' south of the RR bridge. These bridges are well north of 34&33 bridge. 31 would take a siesta in that stretch since it's away from prying eyes. Only had to make sure your hind end was clear of those Earle bridges or Earle PD'd drive up and tell you to move along or they'd call OI and ask why there's a train parked next to the base.

Sounds like that guy who was on the bridges taking pictures was an officer of some sort. I doubt an enlisted man would be allowed to go trainspot like that. Likely, that guy retired, if he hasn't been seen atop those bridges in a while.

IIRC, there was a guy in the old "CR on the Southern Secondary" thread that was in the military somewhat recently. I don't think he browses this thread though. Whoever that guy was, likely was checking out these forums and/or had a scanner.

AceMacSD wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 8:28 am Per my guys there, they move munitions that are being retired. Those munitions are brought in by ship, hauled to the base by train from Leonard, disassembled then trucked out for disposal.

I believe that has been stated by someone else on these threads before. A shame Earle doesn't deal with bulk ammunition loads anymore, but as I said before in one my previous posts, the US military is not in a scenario where massive amounts of conventional, unguided ordinance is necessary.

CR7876 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 8:41 am I took two special movements to Earl in that time period.

I took a Navy 44,65 or 70 Ton Center Cab down to Earle From OI. My power was a GP40 and an SW1001 towing the GE. The SW1001 was just there as a rider as the GE couldn't be mu'd nor the brakes set up, wild.

I also took a train of Ammunition down from Oak Island, maybe 25-30 cars, we had RR police escorts at just about every crossing.

I remember the passing siding at Roosevelt when I hired out, but i think it was removed in the '03 time frame.

Do you have a time frame for when you did those deliveries to Earle, particularly the ammo delivery? It sounds like that was done at the tail end of Earle's rail delivery days

CharlieL wrote: ↑Thu Jul 06, 2023 9:04 am The road bridge is Asbury Ave. which started at the Asbury circle, went through what is now Earle, and terminated near the junction of rte 33 and Halls Mill / Kozloski rd. Actually starts at Ocean Ave in Asbury Park.

It was a primary road between Asbury Park and Freehold before Earle was created and performed roadus interruptus (1943).

And you can still follow that road's path from Asbury Park to Freehold. You just can't drive it, of course, there are 2 or 3 portions of the road where there is a very large physical barrier closing it off from the base.

They have about half the ties/track placed between the Prestone switch and Okerson Rd. The roadbed prep seems to be complete Fairfield-Yellowbrook rds, as does the ballasting Yellowbrook-Adelphia, except for the last 200 ft. They have begun roadbed prep, proceeding from Adelphia toward Southard Ave.

I strongly suspect the 3 week delay in the pipework along Southard Ave put a crimp in their schedule. Still wondering when the Fairfield and Adelphia crossings will get done. All the work on Fairfield Rd (water, sewer, gas lines and utility work) may have delayed that one. Nothing happening between Railroad and Southard aves.

Got Sand?

https://www.nj.com/news/2023/07/hudson- ... rward.html

I have been told that the sand from Clayton is meant for this tunnel.

I’m not gonna hold my breath though.

The whole sand from Clayton for the tunnels has been going on for decades now at this point. That being said, these tunnels under the Hudson thing has been on and off for quite a while too.