Conrail (former CNJ) Harsimus Branch - Abandonment (Freight rail line next to Rt 1/9 after Skyway)

Just a postscript. When I worked the Waverly operator jobs, the operators at WA2, WA3 and WA6 threw the hand switches and gave trains hand signals. At WA5 the operator had a switch tender (somebody off the conductor- brakeman's list) to line the switches. At WA5 the operator was on the second story like a tower, and had a loud speaker to tell the switch tender the moves to make.

Meghan,

In summary, Conrail sold the line to a private developer but never abandoned it with STB. Then the City of Jersey City (with prompting?) filed a motion to state the sale was illegal as the line was not abandoned and the City should have gotten first dibs on keeping the rail line in place.

But the end game for the City is that this would eventually become a trail as a rails to trails conservancy is part of the posse.

So what is CNJ Rails end goal?

I'm still waiting for him to respond to my offer for one of the better LIRR Ping-Pongs that he owns up in Boonton. Oh, too late...

Bayonne Area Rapid Freight? Be worth doing for the reporting marks alone.

Meghan,

Thanks for the analysis and the chuckles.

Looking at Google satellite images none of the bridges are left on the embankment or even leading to the embankment.

There are plenty of other dead rail lines that could be resurrected much easier but it seems as though CNJ likes to find the truly beaten to death and then some horses.

Maybe CNJ should consider becoming the freight arm of the HBLR......

I'm gonna have to say, if you're going to make a rail trail/linear park, this is a pretty good corridor to do it in. Since it's very unlikely that they will rebuilt the coal loaders and float bridges that Newport Centre & Harsimus Cove have replaced. Need some sort of lightweight truss frame bridges to drop in between the existing abutments, and one bridge across Marin Blvd to where the sign for Bed, Bath & Beyond is located (the Western end abutment on Brunswick St. looks significantly higher, but the lot across the street looks empty enough.

I knew somewhat of the wrangling for this corridor for years now, but I thought it was between one group who want to develop a trail/linear park on the corridor vs another group (ConRail?) who want to sell the corridor for redevelopment as housing - that a third party wants to reactivate the line for rail service actually kind of boggles the mind...

Back in my Black River days, 40-odd years ago, there was some light-hearted discussion about running a trolley car on the old CNJ between Turntable Junction and Flemington Cut Glass. Flemington Area Rapid Transit.....

Yes, wrong ROW quoted initially. Christopher Columbus Boulevard was once Railroad Avenue and ran under the PRR passenger line to Exchange Place. My mom grew up on that street. Those tracks were torn out before I was born.

There is still this organization: http://www.embankment.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; which continues to document what's going on.

There's also a Harismus Cove Association which held a "Walk Along the Embankment" earlier this year:

http://www.harsimuscove.org/event/a-wal ... 2014/05/17" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Since my early years were spent in sight of the Embankment (Fifth Street between Jersey and Erie!) I'm still interested in what happens to the ROW-- though I suspect resolution is still many years off. I'm glad I decided to walk the top of the Embankment before the bridges were taken out-- I think the Statue of Limitations is in effect for that admission now.

The Erie leads from their passenger terminal at Pavonia Avenue to the "Bergen Arches" through the Palisades were just south of the entrance to the Holland Tunnel, and north of 10th Street if I recall correctly. They crossed under the Turnpike just as the eastbound (toward the tunnel) roadway was making the hard right turn to align with the tunnel plaza.

One of the access roads to the Newport Center area was built right over the right of way, from Jersey Avenue eastward into the complex. Google Maps shows that road as "11th Street" but I'm not sure that's correct. I think there is a bit of the original ROW still visible just south of the cold storage facility.

umtrr-author wrote:The Erie leads from their passenger terminal at Pavonia Avenue to the "Bergen Arches" through the Palisades were just south of the entrance to the Holland Tunnel, and north of 10th Street if I recall correctly. They crossed under the Turnpike just as the eastbound (toward the tunnel) roadway was making the hard right turn to align with the tunnel plaza.

One of the access roads to the Newport Center area was built right over the right of way, from Jersey Avenue eastward into the complex. Google Maps shows that road as "11th Street" but I'm not sure that's correct. I think there is a bit of the original ROW still visible just south of the cold storage facility.

Including a signal bridge still extant next to the cold storage building.

Signal bridge mentioned above at N 40.73013 W 74.04837

Looking at http://www.historicaerials.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, and old Sanborn maps, it seems that the first few tracks on the south side of the cold storage warehouse, including the remaining signal bridge and the remaining piece of viaduct over Monmouth St adjacent to the south side of the warehouse, were freight spurs and connections (to the Weehawken branch, maybe to Long Dock tunnel,etc). See for example the 1966 photo at historicaerials. The 4 track passenger main and viaduct to the Bergen Arches was just to the south of that. The passenger viaduct over Monmouth St is no longer there.
JS
EDIT: the 1979 photo shows the passenger main/viaduct reduced to 1 or 2 tracks.

When did CR stop using it?
Historic aerials in 1979 shows cars there, and this (http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/rail ... 1-1980.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) schedule shows a train originating there...

Mr. Riffin, exit stage left (finally):
https://www.stb.gov/decisions/readingro ... enDocument" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fascinating reading (pdf too large) - follow the link:
https://www.stb.gov/decisions/readingro ... enDocument" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And a good slap on the wrist as well; Mr. Riffin usually loses these cases and goes away quietly, but here he has to pay attorneys fees to Jersey City as a result of his tomfoolery.

That second link is a huge PDF (653 pages!) but contains many interesting old photos/maps, like an 1870s photo of the original Bergen Cut, and a 1955 night view of Harsimus Cove Yard. Very cool stuff for the hardcore PRR fan and Jersey City natives....