The freeze and thaw routine of winter weather can cause numerous issues on a railroad. Frequently, electrical continuity is not possible due to oxidation of the steel rails leading to a condition referred to as ‘rusty rails’ (a common railroad term). On this lightly-used line the train can not complete the electrical circuit and the gates & flashers will not activate properly. When this occurs, the conductor must protect the grade crossing with short burning (usually 5 minute) flares, or ‘fusees’ as they are known on the railroad. On this cold and snowy February day in Shrewsbury, NJ, the conductor has performed his duties according to rule 138c in the rulebook (Malfunction of Automatic Highway Crossing Warning Devices) and has thrown several fusees to warn oncoming vehicular traffic, giving the illusion of the streets being on fire in this scene about an hour after sunset. This Conrail Shared Assets train is on it’s regular Thursday afternoon run, but without it’s regular Browns Yard crew (SA-31). A shortage of crews based in Sayreville, NJ, has necessitated borrowing a crew from Metuchen Yard in Metuchen, NJ so this movement carries the symbol of ME-2 as it makes it way southbound on the Conrail Southern Secondary with additional lumber for Lakewood, NJ, some 20 miles away.
Image recorded February 11, 2021.
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