December 2011 - Page 10 of 13

CSX locomotives push on through appointed rounds

CSX

Inclement weather does not stop the railroads from their ‘appointed rounds’, as evidenced by these CSX locomotives working through the weather in Port Reading, NJ. CSX 8829 (ex-CR 6433, blt 9/77) and CSX 8886 (ex-CR 6661, nee-Erie Lackwanna SD45-2 3676) are seen on the Port Reading Secondary, crossing the CR Chemical Coast Secondary at grade, backing into Port Reading yard with Conrail Shared Assets train OI-16. This train has just come south (towards the photographer) on the Chemical Coast line from Oak Island yard, and has swung around the western leg of the wye to access the yard on a reverse move. OI-16 will eventually come out again to reverse back onto the Chemical Coast, and head south to CP-WOOD at Perth Amboy, where it will enter the NJ Transit North Jersey Coast Line for the short trip across the Raritan River, and then immediately onto the CR Amboy Secondary for its trip west to Browns yard in Sayreville, NJ.

Fortunately, the highway overpass overhead kept the photographer from getting buried in the snow, unlike the ties & rails (and everything else) in central New Jersey on this extremely cold, cloudy and gloomy day.

Image recorded February 13, 2010.

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Gliding through the snow in a Norfolk Southern train

Norfolk Southern

With the road crew in the hotel by now, Conrail Shared Assets local crew JR-4 is in charge of today’s Norfolk Southern train 68Q. Gliding along the rails still covered in snow from the latest storm to hit this region, this train is actually backing the 1.3 miles from the holding siding in Carteret, NJ, to the unloading facility in Sewaren, NJ. NS 9853 (C40-9W) and BNSF 5239 (C44-9W) are shown here passing CP-PD and the excessive height detector on the Conrail Shared Assets Chemical Coast Secondary. This has been an extremely rough winter in central NJ, and kudos are extended to the train crews who keep the freight moving in this tough time.

Image recorded February 13, 2010.

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Kids cover their ears for locomotive’s 5-chime air horn

Guest Images, NJ Transit Rail Operations

Two local children get an earful of a westbound New Jersey Transit commuter train, as it slows to a stop at the newly re-constructed Manasquan, NJ, station. As we can all attest to, standing this close to a locomotive’s 5-chime air horn can be almost painful, so these youngsters are most likely following dad’s orders to “cover your ears!” This train, led by NJT 4203 (GP40PH-2B, ex-PC, blt 11/68), is just a few miles from Bay Head Yard, the southern terminus of New Jersey Transits North Jersey Coast Line, where it will negotiate the loop track and prepare for its next run to North Jersey.

Image recorded by Tony Krslovic on July 1, 2008. Click on the image to display it at a larger size. Use your browser’s Back button to return to this page.

New Jersey Transit order up!

Guest Images, NJ Transit Rail Operations

Doing things the ‘old fashioned way’, a New Jersey Transit employee hands up train orders at Manasquan, NJ. This is a highly unusual moment in 2006, and must be something urgent, perhaps a last minute Form D for the conductor to pick-up in between Bay Head and Long Branch, the two yards on the NJT North Jersey Coast Line. NJT 4205 (GP40PH-2B, blt 4/69) looks impressive in her new paint, while sister 4217 behind could use a good cleaning by the forces at the Meadows maintenance facility.

Image recorded by Tony Krslovic on April 6, 2006. Click on the image to display it at a larger size. Use your browser’s Back button to return to this page.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe units ready to head west

Conrail

Staged and ready to head west to hopefully warmer weather, these two Burlington Northern Santa Fe units sit in extremely cold Carteret, NJ, on the Conrail Chemical Coast Secondary, awaiting a fresh road crew. BNSF 4614 and 1101 likely came east to coastal NJ on yesterdays Norfolk Southern unit ethanol train 68Q. The railroad has been expanded in this area from two tracks to three to accommodate the daily ethanol trains from the Midwest, as well as the numerous daily local freight movements to and from busy Oak Island yard, just 10 miles to the north.

Image recorded January, 30, 2010.

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