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  • Ford Plant Yard in Linden still in use?

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New Jersey
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New Jersey

Moderator: David

 #1501074  by planespotting
 
This past Saturday I saw a cut of six GATX tanker cars right in the middle of the old Ford plant yard in Linden next to the NEC. I didn't think they still used that trackage. Maybe they were defective and were going to be sent out for repairs...who knows. Anyone know what they are planning on doing with that yard? Rip up for scrap metal or keep a few tracks in operation?
 #1501114  by Sir Ray
 
Did you mean the former GM plant in Linden off Rt 1? The Ford plant was in Edison (Metuchen), also off Rt 1.
Via Google Aerial view, GM plant site is light industry/distribution centers, Ford plant may be retail (Top Golf?)
lots of empty land around both, kind of a meh state of reuse for both sites...
 #1501151  by kilroy
 
Stiles Street Yard has been used as an overflow yard for Port Reading in the past. I guess it could even have been excess cars for the tank car facility on the line there.
 #1501201  by planespotting
 
Thanks, guys. Yes, I meant the GM plant (sorry). Glad they are still using some of the tracks even if it is just for overflow. I hadn't seen any real rolling stock on there for many years when passing by except for occasional MOW equipment and the Norfolk Southern emergency response training train (once about 2 or 3 years ago).
 #1501328  by pumpers
 
Since Hurricane Sandy, NJ Transit has been developing storage sites to stash trains to keep them high and dry in the next big one.
Anyone know if Linden Yard figures into these plans? Maybe it's not "high and dry"?
 #1501377  by Komarovsky
 
pumpers wrote:Since Hurricane Sandy, NJ Transit has been developing storage sites to stash trains to keep them high and dry in the next big one.
Anyone know if Linden Yard figures into these plans? Maybe it's not "high and dry"?
It's quite high, ~30 feet above sea level, and 20 feet above Morse Creek(nearest waterway), and it's outside of a 500yr NFIP zone(all of MMC is within the 100yr zone). If I was planning for places to stash trains based on vulnerability, this would be a good choice.
 #1501397  by pumpers
 
I hope some of the NJ transit experts here can answer that one. I've read they are planning to rebuild a semi-abandoned industrial single track running west on the westbound side of the NEC (west from Jersey Ave station) for stashing trainsets, but LInden Yard sure seems easier. Don't know who owns it though...
 #1501410  by planespotting
 
I'm not expert but you should read NJT's Emergency Management Plan for Rail. I believe NJT is planning to build out and own the Delco Lead area but the plan appears to still call for asking Conrail's permission to use the Linden yard should it be needed as well.

"The Director, Rail Contract Administration is responsible for managing the business relationship between NJ TRANSIT rail operations and its freight and passenger partner railroads. The position supports interactions with other railroads including contacting Amtrak and Conrail about use of Linden/Metuchen Yards when equipment must be relocated to safe haven locations."

http://njtransitresilienceprogram.com/documents/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1501413  by kilroy
 
Dig around on the site here, there was a whole tread devoted to this subject. NJT was going to use it then didn't because it was flood prone (lived all my life in Rahway and never saw any flooding in the yard).
 #1501500  by pumpers
 
Here's the thread, which you started!
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=166003" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Stiles St Yd as the GM Linden Yard, is that right?

Also, the track I was thinking about was the Delco lead, they want to double track it for several miles.
http://njtransitresilienceprogram.com/w ... ebsite.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://njtransitresilienceprogram.com/d ... doverview/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is any of this actually happening? The plan in the link was from 2015, and one of the articles says (at the start of the linked thread) says they got some federal $$ in 2017, but maybe it all got sidetracked by PTC and trying to hire engineers