The Freehold Secondary Mystery

Since 6/6/08, there hasn't been a lumber load for Builders' General in Freehold, a normal plastics load for Lesco in Tennant, or stone load for Reed & Perrine also in Tennant. The only thing I saw tonight were 2 red boxcars on the team track at BG's yard filled with bricks for Clayton Masonry. I think they were put there yesterday, they were stocked pretty well (The slide door was open).

These are three very important customers on this rail line. Why wouldn't there be any delivery for 2 weeks? Low demand?

I have an unsolved story that might help you out. When I saw the train on 6/6, it was going over the Monmouth Battlefield trestle heading towards Jamesburg (I wasn't on Throckmorton but the road that goes directly under the trestle). I came upon a Norfolk Southern GP40-2 pushing 3 hopper cars and assumed they just finished drilling Builder's General but how come there were no lumber cars? Maybe they came from Prestone/Honeywell on Halls Mills Rd? Nope that couldn't be it because the guys put the three cars on the Lesco siding.
Very weird. Anyway I followed it to Lesco in Tennant. I saw the train putting the cars onto the Lesco siding onto only about half of the regular 15-20 hopper car load it usually has. I saw a full load the day before. Now I was getting really confused. I then decided to follow it up to Jamesburg since I missed it in Englishtown. When I saw run by Lake Manalapan, it was running light back to Browns Yard. How were these damn railcars disappearing? THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY PLACES RAILCARS CAN GO!!!

Let me know what you guys think. Maybe I'm clueless about something new happening on the line. That's what usually happens...

Did they go to North American Reese. Plastics Molding Facitity on Mt. Vernon Road in Manalapan, MP 11.3. Lesco Siding? Were is that? The only place Hoppers could have been delivered are North American Reese MP 11.3, Reed & Perrine MP 13.5, Bayside Vinyl MP 13.79 or HoneyWell MP 19.30. As for no Lumber loads, I guess not much orders for Lumber due to the housing slump.

Sorry about the "Lesco" reference. Yes I meant Bayshore Vinyl. Lesco was a company at the industrial complex next to Bayshore and isn't there anymore but I still refer to that area by that name. Old habits...

Builders General finally got a few cars in this week. Eric, as far as Lesco goes , They are still there but never got rail service as you said, but back 10 + years ago they were the last customer on the Camdon & Amboy in E Windsor and recieved nemerous hoppers of fertilizer .They have sinced closed that facility and tore down the brown buildings on the edge of Rt 130.
Jim H

I was in Freehold this week on Wed, 7/2/08 and saw the SA-31 in Freehold. The cars were on the siding but, the locomotive was down switching the Honeywell plant. I forgot my camera so I didn't get any pictures.

Yes, I finally saw some cars at Builders' General. I was getting worried. Maybe the whole lumber delivery hiatus has something to do with our slowing economy.

What is the usual schedule for SA-31 in Freehold? I'd like to catch it once this year, and if they operate on Wednesdays, I'm usually in town.

Blackseal Jim, if you see or hear the train, run over to the uplink at the track and get me!

Gary

I've caught SA31 twice this year, both on Wednesday evenings in Freehold, 3/26 and 7/2. I know they run down to switch the Hightstown Industrial Park on Fridays (usually) but there is no pattern on the Freehold Sec. With my success on Wednesday evenings and my school schedule working out this semester I may try my luck some more while the days are still long. It took them two and a half hours to go from Freehold to Helmetta last Wednesday which is an average of 5.3mph.

Gary, send me an email if you want a heads up on the '31 in the future: [email protected]

Gary, They came through today( Wed ) around 4:30. I heard lots of horns so it sounded like the went all the way to Prestone. Glad to see there were 3 center beam, 1 boxcar and 1 car of bricks in Freehold yesterday morning. Looks like Builders is picking up.
Jim H

That figures, I left for home about 4:00. Thanks anyway, Jim.

For the sake of being nosy, I just drove over to Builders. There's a tuscan red boxcar half into the bushes inside the yard, can't make out reporting marks. Not sure what else is in the yard, can't really see anything from the road. Very interesting paint job on the boxcar right at the entrance to BG. "Urban artwork" LOL

The train usually is in Freehold on Monday afternoon around 4:00 . The schedule has been different lately, but seems to be returning to the norm.
Jim H

The local ran down the Freehold Sec. shortly after lunchtime on Tuesday Aug. 12.

it was at Builders today around 4:15 got some pics

here are some pics:

http://s523.photobucket.com/albums/w353 ... CN7309.jpg
out side builders

http://s523.photobucket.com/albums/w353 ... CN7317.jpg
heading back to Jamesburg and beyond

http://s523.photobucket.com/albums/w353 ... CN7319.jpg