The CNJ Seashore Branch in its final years (NATCO Secondary)

CNJ4104 wrote:To answer your questions.

1. Local service at this time was still out of Red Bank Yard.
2 and 3. The speed limit on both branches was 10 mph. Most of the time they went slower as all crossings had to be flagged over.
4. In CNJ days it was called QVX. Under Conrail I only heard it called the Cliffwood Local or the Bradley Beach Turn.

Thanks for the info.

I'm confused. If they locals came out of Red Bank yard, why would the "Bradley Beach turn" be in Matawan?
JS

He means the Cliffwood Local not the Bradley Beach turn that came from somewhere else, I think possibly Oak Island?

R36 Combine Coach wrote:The Garden State Parkway overpass still looks the same today, just more overgrown.

Yeah, it's not even part of the Henry Hudson trail - just a complete waste of a bridge now!

At the time of these photos both the Bradaley Beach Turn and the Cliffwod Local came out of Red Bank Yard. I'm guessing the name Bradley Beach Turn was a holdover from CNJ days. Originally it served industries on the NY&LB from Red Bank to Bay Head. As industries served declined it's terrritory grew to include Midland Glass in Cliffwood. The Cliffwood Local (ex CNJ local QVX) served the industries on the former CNJ Freehold and Seashore branches. The reason for this ,I believe, is again a holdover from CNJ days. Crews that worked the NY&LB were Central Devision crews. Crews that worked the Seashore and Freehold Branches were Southern Devision crews based out of Red Bank. Remember, all the industries in Matawan proper were not technically on the NY&LB and were served by the CNJ only. It was even more complicated in the PRR days when they had thier own NY&LB frieght. The PRR could not directly serve any industry on the NY&LB. They could take the cars to either Matawan, Red Bank, Point Pleasent, etc. but could not spot the car at the industry. Either a CNJ or NY&LB crew had to. Ever wonder why freight service dewindled? Try explaining to a customer that they couldn't get their car spotted even though they could see it.

I agree with CNJ4101.

As a kid in the early 60s, I remember seeing an occasional PRR freight (I lived in Spring Lake Heights, Neptune City, and Belmar during that time, within a block of the NY&LB at each house). They were rare, but they did come by sometimes. According to my Dad, PRR interchanged freight cars at Sea Girt, Bradley Beach, Long Branch, and Red Bank, and like mentioned in the post above, PRR couldn't service online customers. I remember the PRR unit trains of jetty rocks coming to Lewis Lumber Co's old lumber yard in Spring Lake.

Eventually, PRR freight trains stopped running the NY&LB and just brought cars to Sea Girt and Farmingdale. Pretty soon, even that dried up. The connection at Sea Girt was gone in 1964. Anything from that time on was delivered the CNJ at F'dale.

CNJ, thanks for explanation. Although there are perfectly good explanations on how and why we got to certain places, without all the history it is a little hard to understand sometimes why things are the way they are (understatement). And not just with RR's. JS

Yeah, I questioned the name as well at the time (I was 15). The crews explained to me that while in the past (pre 1977) most of their work was south (TT west) of Red Bank. When that volume dried up the largest shipper on the line was Midland Glass in Cliffwood. When I would see it come through just before the afternoon rush it could at times have 15 to 20 cars. Mostly old 34 foot covered hoppers in every conceivable pre Conrail roadname. LNE, NYC, CNJ, wish I would have taken more car photos but film and was expensive for a 15 year old. Oh yes if I remember correctly, those boxcars at the head of the train in the photo of the BBT are from Dixie Cup in Middletown.

Does anyone know when Midland Glass was built? That might be a good estimation as to when the BBT Started coming this far TT east.

CNJ 4104
Scott

Matt Johnson wrote:

R36 Combine Coach wrote:The Garden State Parkway overpass still looks the same today, just more overgrown.

Yeah, it's not even part of the Henry Hudson trail - just a complete waste of a bridge now!

Thats because there is active track at one end of the bridge, albeit used very infrequently.

Kaback9 wrote:

Matt Johnson wrote:

R36 Combine Coach wrote:The Garden State Parkway overpass still looks the same today, just more overgrown.

Yeah, it's not even part of the Henry Hudson trail - just a complete waste of a bridge now!

Thats because there is active track at one end of the bridge, albeit used very infrequently.

That picture is of the Cliffwood local crossing the GSP on the Coast Line not the Seashore Branch you can see how the abutments are wide for two tracks.

The main differences on the bridge today are electrification (added 1983) and the high wire fence.

Arrow2,
I know what the picture is of, however I am answering Matt's statement about the other bridge over the GSP.

R36,

I also believe its alot harder to actually get the photo from the exact location as the photo posted by CNJ4104 too.

Kaback9 wrote:Arrow2,
I know what the picture is of, however I am answering Matt's statement about the other bridge over the GSP.

R36,

I also believe its alot harder to actually get the photo from the exact location as the photo posted by CNJ4104 too.

Oh.

Yes, getting this photo would be problematical in this day and age. Never mind the vegetation growth. I believe i walked the NY&LB ROW from Matawan Station and then walked the GSP ROW. Try that now with a camera in hand without getting arrested and put on the naughty list.

CNJ4104

Gotta correct you on something, CNJ.

"Dixie Cup" would make my dad turn in his grave. He worked there the entire time the plant was open (power plant / boiler operator), and it was a Lily Tulip Cup plant. "Dixie" was a dirty word to the employees there! Later, Lily was bought by Owens-Illinois. They later closed the Holmdel plant, and it was occupied for a time by Frequency Engineering (of Farmingdale) before they too closed down. Dad loved working there. He was crushed when Lily closed down.

Lily did get a lot of rail traffic, and their siding was used to store first section cars when an eastbound freight out of Red Bank had to double Middletown Hill.