Tag: CSX 8886

Still together after all these years

, , ,

It’s hard to find two locomotives built for the Erie Lackawanna Railroad still in daily use, but it is a common occurence in central New Jersey. Although now de-rated to 3000 horsepower after being rebuilt to SD40-2 specs, these November, 1972 products of GM’s Electro Motive Division still retain their as-built carbodies, and will always be an ‘SD45-2’ to me. With newer road units hauling the freight out on the mainline, these older six-axle locomotives are perfect for the lower speed transfer runs for which they are utilized, mainly due to their tremendous tractive effort and power. There are presently 6 ex-El units lurking in central/northern NJ, operating out of the Oak Island terminal, and the daily Oak Island transfer to Port Reading Yard and Browns Yard will almost always have at least one of the SD45-2’s on the head-end, and as many as three! In the scene below, we see the daily OI-16 (frequently classified as JR-2 on Mondays) southbound on the Chemical Coast Secondary after working Pt. Reading Yard, with NS 1702 (ex-CR 6659, nee-EL 3674, blt 11/72) and CSX 8886 (ex-CR 6661,nee-EL 3676, blt 11/72) in the lead. The conductor gives a friendly wave to the flagman at MP18.5, after confirming by radio that it was safe to pass through the area, with local utility work being done trackside. In another 2 miles, the crew will enter the New Jersey Transit North Jersey Coast Line at CP WOOD for the short jump across the Raritan River; they will then access the Amboy Secondary at SA Tower and head 6 miles west to Browns Yard in Sayreville for the last set-off. These old girls are still together after all these years, and hopefully will be around for many years to come.

Image recorded on August 7, 2010.

Conrail train OI16 southbound on the Chemical Coast Secondary at Sewaren

Click on the image to display it at a larger size. Use your browsers Back button to return to this page.

Frigid temperatures no problem for Conrail heading south

, , ,

Oh, what a brutal winter it was! The winter of ’09/’10 was the worst on record for New Jersey, but, in the words of the rock group Aerosmith, “trains kept a rollin’ all night long”, and all day long for that matter. On a frigid February afternoon, we find Conrail Shared Assets symbol OI-16 heading south on the CSAO Chemical Coast Secondary, passing over the drawbridge at CP-RH in Carteret, NJ.

To the right in this image we see the Port Reading Yard track (aka the ‘east siding’), with the switch for the Carteret Industrial Track beside the lead unit. To the left, we have the ‘west siding’, used mainly to stage the daily unit ethanol trains from the midwest, destined for the numerous refineries in the immediate area. Also of interest here is the way the bridge painters worked around the old ‘Conrail’ logo, seen just above the train.; we appreciate their regard for the former, but also current (in a smaller capacity), operator of these rails.

The crew aboard CSX 8829 (ex-CR 6433, blt 9/77), with CSX 8886 (ex-CR 6661, nee EL 3676, blt 11/72) assisting, has the heat turned up, I’m sure, to high as they make their way down to Port Reading yard, just a mile and a half away, for a set-out before continuing further south to Browns Yard in Sayreville.

Image recorded February 14, 2010.

Frigid temperatures no problem for Conrail heading south through CarteretClick on the image to display it at a larger size. Use your browser’s Back button to return to this page.

CSX locomotives push on through appointed rounds

, , ,

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.

CSX locomotives push on through appointed roundsClick on the image to display it at a larger size. Use your browser’s Back button to return to this page.

Former Erie Lackawanna locomotives provide transfer power for Conrail

, , ,

Conrail symbol OI-16 travels southbound on the CR Chemical Coast Secondary through Sewaren, NJ, enroute to Browns Yard in Sayreville, NJ. This train operates daily, transferring cars from the sprawling Oak Island classification yard to the smaller yards at Port Reading and Sayreville. Power for this train frequently includes one or two of the former Erie Lackawanna SD45-2 locomotives, as evident on today’s run, with NS SD40-2 3426 (ex-CR 6962, nee-KCS 602, blt 10/66) and CSX SD45-2 8886, now rebuilt to SD40-2 standards (ex-CR 6661, nee-EL 3676, blt 10/72).

Image recorded December 23, 2009.

Former Erie Lackawanna locomotives provide transfer power for Conrail Click on the image to display it at a larger size. Use your browser’s Back button to return to this page.

Veteran power leads transfer train in Port Reading

, , ,

With what is usually Conrail symbol OI-16, we find crew JR-2 in charge of the daily Oak Island-Bayway-Port Reading yard-Browns yard transfer train, heading south on the CR Chemical Coast Secondary approaching CP-PD and Port Reading yard in Port Reading, NJ. Veteran power leads this train today, with NS 3426 (ex-CR 6962, nee-KCS 602, blt10/66) and CSX 8886 (ex-CR 6661, nee-EL 3676, blt 11/72) sounding as good as ever, resplendent in the mid-day sun.

Image recorded December 21, 2009. Veteran power leads transfer train in Port ReadingClick on the image to display it at a larger size. Use your browser’s Back button to return to this page.