Delaware and Raritan River Railroad-General Discussion

CharlieL wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 4:22 pm That last sentence is perhaps one of the things that should not have been said. It's strictly conjecture without hard facts and may do someone harm. IOW, DON'T GO THERE!

I think he means it in the context that Lakewood drivers don't GAF, and regularly will run the crossings when the lights are flickering and dinging and whatever else they do, and the train is coming.

Anyway...

I went out yesterday to check some progress on the tracks. No update at Southard Ave beyond the switch being constructed. At Adelphia Rd looking towards Southard, it looked like they started to put gravel on the ROW, but with yesterday's torrential rain, I did not get a chance to get a great look.

At Railroad Ave, it looks like they did the markings for the turnout for the SB portion of the switch - it looks like the switch for it will be at what appears to be milepost 51. Here are some pictures:
https://imgur.com/a/api8oZx

Good pictures! JohnfromJersey.

Much thanks for the pix!

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 21, 2023 9:18 am I’ve already called before and every time the cops do nothing. I wasn’t out there, but one of my guys saw it and told me about it.

Call railroad police (Conrail/NS) and document it. Video it or get photos of them vandalizing/damaging railroad property/equipment. There's gotta be rail legislation somewhere for intentionally destroying property/safety devices.

Railroad Police have also tried very hard to solve the problems, and have documented countless incidents, but whenever they do show up no one gets arrested. As mentioned previously Lakewood Police are also completely useless in trying to stop this. They tell the troublemakers to knock it off, and then for a while no one bothers the train. Eventually they come back and start their garbage again in an endless cycle. No one is doing enough to prevent what goes on, and with almost everyone who can do something about this turning a blind eye to it is going to get someone killed eventually. How long before RB-1 tips completely over on its side because so many of the spikes between County Line and Seventh Street are gone?

Only other thing that hasn’t been tried is a full on public display of what happens when you get hit by a train. Maybe C&D should fill a JC Pennys mannequin with red food coloring and run it over with 752 as a demonstration. I hate to say it but I think that’s the only way anyone is gonna get through to these people at this point.

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:28 am Railroad Police have also tried very hard to solve the problems, and have documented countless incidents, but whenever they do show up no one gets arrested. As mentioned previously Lakewood Police are also completely useless in trying to stop this. They tell the troublemakers to knock it off, and then for a while no one bothers the train. Eventually they come back and start their garbage again in an endless cycle. No one is doing enough to prevent what goes on, and with almost everyone who can do something about this turning a blind eye to it is going to get someone killed eventually. How long before RB-1 tips completely over on its side because so many of the spikes between County Line and Seventh Street are gone?

Only other thing that hasn’t been tried is a full on public display of what happens when you get hit by a train. Maybe C&D should fill a JC Pennys mannequin with red food coloring and run it over with 752 as a demonstration. I hate to say it but I think that’s the only way anyone is gonna get through to these people at this point.

If the infrastructure is being vandalized notify NS and state police. Local cops can only do so much.

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:28 am Railroad Police have also tried very hard to solve the problems, and have documented countless incidents, but whenever they do show up no one gets arrested. As mentioned previously Lakewood Police are also completely useless in trying to stop this. They tell the troublemakers to knock it off, and then for a while no one bothers the train. Eventually they come back and start their garbage again in an endless cycle. No one is doing enough to prevent what goes on, and with almost everyone who can do something about this turning a blind eye to it is going to get someone killed eventually. How long before RB-1 tips completely over on its side because so many of the spikes between County Line and Seventh Street are gone?

Only other thing that hasn’t been tried is a full on public display of what happens when you get hit by a train. Maybe C&D should fill a JC Pennys mannequin with red food coloring and run it over with 752 as a demonstration. I hate to say it but I think that’s the only way anyone is gonna get through to these people at this point.

Have you put this to operation lifesaver's suggestion box?

For the vandalism, it should be documented and reported IMMEDIATELY regardless of what outcome you expect from the authorities. If something does happen, and federal investigators look for answers, they can handle the police not doing anything. Never assume they'll do nothing.

Did not know they have a suggestion box. Will give that a shot later today. Maybe they can give state police a heads up if state police doesn’t know about this.

You’d think the state would care more about this considering they technically own the Southern. No doubt Conrail has given them an earful in the past.

Kaback9 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 26, 2023 12:52 pm If the infrastructure is being vandalized notify NS and state police. Local cops can only do so much.

Agreed. Call NS PD (800) 453-2530 or you can go to the NS website to report property damage, it's right there under "Contact Us" They've got a form to report the damage as well on that page.

Why call the PD of the Norfolk Southern? What is their connection with the SOUS in New Jersey?


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C&D describes themselves as a holding line partner for NS and I’ve heard NS Police helps them out once in a while so maybe that’s why?

I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but what about the Federal Department of Transportation or Federal Railroad Administration? Maybe escalation is the way to go. My father always said, in life, to go for the top banana and work your way down until you get what you need.

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@CR2721 They’ve been down here too and that didn’t help much either.

Late summer 2021 I think it was? Me and my buddy were chasing the SA31 as usual. There was a black pickup at Second Street in Lakewood telling people to get off the tracks with his megaphone. His truck and uniform had a circular logo with an eagle in the middle. Top of the logo said “FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION” and the bottom said “RAILROAD POLICE”

Part 2. Have to split the post cause of technical problems.

So anyways, this guy is telling people to stand back and he asks what me and my friend are doing. We tell him we are filming the train like we’d been doing for years. He said it was fine as long as we stood back. We asked if he was down to try and stop the usual riff raff and he said yes. We told him some of what we had seen up to that point. Especially my friend who’s been out here since at least 1994 and remembers some of the more extreme incidents from back in the day. This officer knew there were problems but not to the extent we described, and he said he’d bring the issues up with his supervisor.

Once the head end of the train crossed he jumped back in his truck, put his lights on, and FLEW to Route 88 to block the road, after they crossed there he flew to Cedar Bridge. Never saw him again after that and the trespassing continued no better or worse than it was before…

I believe this guy was part of an enforcement agency described to me as “Federal Railroad Police” by my friend who has previously encountered them before. At some point a very long time ago a complaint was filed against him and an officer with the same uniform in his logo had showed up at his house to address what happened. They took his statement but he was never officially charged.

Very early on in the C&D days down here, the company superintendent had Lakewood PD ride on the front of 752 between Woodhaven and Squankum Road in response to the chaos and even had Lakewood Civilian Police block some roads. They didn’t do much, just scream at anyone nearby. Especially the one guy who was standing at Seventh Street. Apparently 30 feet away from the tracks while standing in a parking lot is “too close to the tracks”

C&D also had the Lakewood Mayor ask everyone to stop but his pleas have fallen on deaf ears so far.