US Navy Earle Railroad

I was temporaryly assigned to NWS Charleston. I think they service smallboys and tin cans. But the one thing I know they load/unload there is the Roll-on/Roll off ships. They bring in "lots" of vehicles and containers by train then drive them to the pier and onto the ship. They have a pretty extensive railroad there.

Here's an interesting article I found describing rebuilding Earle's box cars, they need to keep rebuilding these older cars because of their wooden floors which are hard to find these day. Wooden floors are preferable to metal floors as there's less chances of sparks.

http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/succes ... 0/0107.pdf

I'm sure though that some of the Earle box cars are new, last year I was driving past Browns Yard and spotted about 5-10 of the all White box cars with "US Navy" on them parked on a siding. They were no doubt waiting to be transported down to the base, to me they looked brand new. They were spotless.

Anyone around the Bayshore, I hear the Earle train at this moment out on the pier Im guessing they are heading back to shore, as i heard them earlier, im guessing they were going out to the end, and are now coming back.

I saw a train early this morning on my way to class in Lincroft(I take back roads to waste time especially on test days ), I don't know whats going on but two sightings in less than a week for me is a first!

What is the status of Normandy Road? Is that just for official vehicles or can anyone drive on it. I couldn't see very much in the way of access control to the road at the grade crossings in the aerial photos. If that road were usually open it looks like a great express shortcut to get around up there.

You can drive on it, but when you end up going to trial under a federal court was it really worth saving the five minutes in traffic, they actually do patrol the road constantly. There was a time where folks with DOD decals on their windshield could use the road but since 9/11 that has been long since gone.

Jersey_Mike wrote:What is the status of Normandy Road? Is that just for official vehicles or can anyone drive on it. I couldn't see very much in the way of access control to the road at the grade crossings in the aerial photos. If that road were usually open it looks like a great express shortcut to get around up there.

Local PD and FD and EMS forces can use the road for offical business as well. However, its not open AT ALL to civilians. You might be able to sneak inbetween two roads and not get caught, but inbetween the roads that folks usually try to sneak on it, the MPs sit and wait. They don't usually sit any place where you could see them before turning on either. When you get to where they are, you are done, there is no escape! hahah

It would be a GREAT shortcut - You could get from Route 36 in Leonardo to Route 34 in Colts Neck/Howell in like 20 minutes on that road! In real life, its closer to 35-40 minutes to make that trip

Every once in a while, if there is going to be a major road construction project on a major road (public) in the area, and the detour would be very out of the way and cause bad delays, the Navy will allow the use of the road, inbetween 2 certain points ONLY. For example, when Middletown Lincroft Road was rebuilt inbetween the GSP and West Front St. in Middletown, the Navy allowed use of Normandy Road from W. Front St. to Nut Swamp Road. This was in 1996 or so. I was in High School at Middletown South, and I remember the horrendous traffic jams getting in and out of school, but more importantly being able to take a ride down Normandy Road and seeing the crossovers that are located inbetween that stretch on the RR, the tell tales at West Front St. and the pretty massive fill that the RR is on in a few places, as the road is pretty hilly through that stretch.

Last week there was one of these ships in Port at Earle for a few days:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasp_class ... sault_ship

Then it left and one of these ships pulled in:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whidbey_Is ... nding_ship

There are probably a few more ships as these type of ships belong to Marine Expeditionary groups and there are several of them, they are either on their way to or coming back from a major deployment. I'm telling you Earle is going to become very active in the next couple years as the draw of US Forces in Iraq kicks into gear, there's a lot of stockpiled equipment and munitions over there that is going to be making it's way back to the US.

Earle should be safe unless the Navy decides to replenish the Amphibs at sea like they do the carriers, but that is a lengthy and dangerous evolution, and we don't have as many ammo ships anymore and most are deployed.

Indeed, they just completed a major pier replacement and dredging operation that cost Hundreds of MIllions. They tore down the middle finger pier, dredged it out to allow for bigger ships and rebuilt the pier.

when I was in high school in the mid '90's, my freinds and I would drive on the roadway to see if we could get away with it.
We did. We would drive right past MP's. We would also go on there with our bicycles. Nothing happened.
That was many moons ago, and we were kids, so thats probably why they never stopped us.

There was a time where folks with DOD decals on their windshield could use the road but since 9/11 that has been long since gone.

So you can drive on base, but can't use the road. Go figure.

So anyway I assume there are do not enter signs or something on the road where it crosses regular roads?

If you have EARLE NWS DECALS and its work hours yes you can, but there was a time where all DOD decals were allowed, such as people from near by Ft. Monmouth, that however has all changed.

Indeed, at each public road crossing, there are two LARGE signs that say NO TRESPASSING and then has lines of legal ease and restrictions below it.

Goo - I think everyone who lived near the road has tried to drive on it as kids, and I think that was part of why they left us alone. However, that was pre-9/11 of course, and they don't take as kindly now to folks going for joy rides down it.

There is also a section of 34 that is patrolled by Federal cops, and if you get caught speeding there by them you have to go before a federal judge. Speaking of Earle and their law enforcement.

During the late 70's and early 80's long before security was stepped up, we would pace trains along Normandy Road. Back in the day, they would really notch out the Baldwins between grade crossings. I once clocked the 2 (SN 65-00368) doing 60! Of course, given the current climate this is no longer a recommended activity!

Earle