CONRAIL
Lehigh Line Page 1
This page will begin at the entrance of the Oak Island Yard in Newark, NJ. This page will be the first page to cover the mainline from Newark to Allentown, PA. This was the former Lehigh Valley Railroad. It was built much later than the parallel Jersey Central and the line by-passed most of the larger towns. While not good for passenger revenue in the past, it was an asset for Conrail being mostly free of commuter trains and downtown grade crossings. Conrail upgraded the line almost immediately after the takeover. In fact welded rail was already being set out along the line prior to the merger! The line was double track as far as Manville and single west to Phillipsburg, NJ. Conrail later removed the second track from Bound Brook east to the Inman Avenue crossing in Edison, NJ, known as "Potter". As of this writing (August 2004) this track arrangement remains in place. Passing sidings exist at Bound Brook and Pattenburg, NJ. The track speed was usually 50 mph.
NK tower was about 1/2 mile west of the Oak Island yard entrance. It
controlled trains into the yard, the main west to Bound Brook and the junction
of the ramp to the Amtrak mainline used by NJ Transit (nee-CNJ) commuter trains
from Newark. The tower was torn down a few years ago.
GP40 3351 approaches NK with a TV train. Conrail adopted the Penn Central
trailer train symbols using the TV ( Trail-Van ) name. During the 1980's
and early 1990's, the GP40's handled a good percentage of TV trains, while the
SD40's powered most everything else.
More GP40's on west and eastbound trains at Hillside, NJ. Route 22 runs
along the main here.
In 1982, a wreck at Union, NJ left quite a mess. Westbound 6506 slows
passing the repaired track. The train is at the present site of the new NJ
Transit station.
GP40 3212 roars eastward by the Roselle Park station in 1982. This island
platform station was built as part of the Aldene Plan which allowed the CNJ to
close their Jersey City terminal and reroute their mainline commuter trains into
the PRR Newark Penn Station. The freight you see here is on a gauntlet
track. This was put in to allow any wide loads to pass the platforms
without restrictions.
SD40 6311, leads an eastbound at Aldene. It is about to cross the bridge
over the former CNJ main. Signals here are for the junction of the ramp
track built to allow the commuter trains to reach the former LV main from the
CNJ main. It is common to see freights waiting here for a break in the
commuter schedule or for yard space at Oak Island. It is, however, rather
inaccessible.
In a view from 1983, a former Penn Central (nee-PRR) GP30 and the former Lehigh
Valley GP18 304 work the Staten Island Rapid Transit interchange lead in
Cranford. The SIRT was actually operated by the Baltimore and Ohio!
B&O, later Chessie System, kept a diesel on Staten Island and worked the
line from the interchange here, over the bridge and along the north shore of
Staten Island. The Susquehanna operated the line for a short time in the early
1990's, but the line has been dormant since. There is a possibility the
SIRT will be returned to service to move trainloads of garbage from New York
City.
Views from the Westfield Avenue overpass in Clark, NJ.
GP38 8143 leads a westbound at "Potter" in 1983. At this time,
"Potter" was a set of cross over switches. Today it is the end
of double track from Oak Island. There is a good probability the double
track will be restored west of here to Bound Brook due to a heavy volume of
trains. The location is at the Inman Avenue grade crossing in Edison,
NJ. I should note here that at one time the Lehigh Valley had four tracks
here! You can see it in the rather wide right-of-way and some old track is
still in place.
An eastbound also at "Potter" in 1984.
In one of my favorite shots, 6600 rounds the big curve at Oak Tree. About
3/4 mile beyond Potter, the railroad turns due west on a long curve. The
view is from the Oak Tree Road overpass. Unfortunately, due to new tree
growth, this view is almost impossible today. Hopefully if the second
track is restored, some of the trees will be removed.
SD40 6474 leads a solid coal train east at South Plainfield. Conrail
maintained a yard here on the old Perth Amboy branch ( it is still in service! )
and the point in which I am standing in this photo was the site of the LV
station. A grade crossing here does allow for photography today.
GP40 3386 leads a westbound just west of the above photo. Note the rather
wide right-of-way. 1983.
Westbound 3125 and eastbound 3367 meet along the pond at New Market, NJ in 1981.
GP38 8115 leads a Norfolk and Western lettered unit west along the pond.
6373 eastbound along the pond. Again, tree growth has now limited the
photographic possibilities here.
West of New Market, the railroad makes a big swing north and then a sharp curve
west to run parallel to the old CNJ main through the borough of Middlesex,
NJ. The center photo is of GP35 3645 heading east with train TV-4. A
curve begins at the Cedar Avenue grade crossing in which both mainlines cross at
grade. Some good photos can still be had in this area.
Here is 3645 again stopped briefly at Bound Brook. Quite possibly the best
location in New Jersey for action, Bound Brook has the former CNJ main ( now the
NJT Raritan Valley Line ) and the former LV main ( now CSX & NS ) side-by
-side. The CNJ station forms a good photo prop and the downtown area has
several food establishments to keep one full. Hourly passenger service
gives easy access even without a car. One note of caution here, freights
can sometimes sneak up quietly and quickly, use common sense here as in anywhere
along active tracks.
First some views from the late 1970's. The double track was still in place
then and in the last image looking west, you can see the layout of the
area. The other bridge and track to the left is that of the former Reading
Railroad Port Reading branch. The former LV freight station still stands
today!
In 1987 a major track change was made here. The second track was removed
east of here to Potter. The Port Reading secondary ( Conrail parlance for
branch ) was swung over to join the old LV main and a passing siding was created
using what was the eastbound main west from here to Manville. The
remainder of the Port Reading line from here west to Manville was
abandoned. Convenient for railfans, the signals placed here will warn of
westbounds, while the long straightaway to the west allows for eastbound trains
to be seen for several minutes prior to their passage.
Here you can see how the Port Reading secondary joins the main into what is now
the siding track. The bridge to the left is the now abandoned Reading
line. GP40 3291 leads a TV train east on February 19, 1989.
5070 leads Mail-9 west through Bound Brook also on 2-19-89. Mail-9 was
very punctual thru here on Sundays. It usually had up to ten units on
it. Most were enroute to Harrisburg for servicing. The units on the
left were assigned to locals operating the old CNJ and along the mainline.
Today these locals work out of Manville yard.
A few images from the late 1980's and early 1990's.
A brand new Septa control car enroute from the Bombardier plant in Montpelier,
Vermont to Philadelphia in 1987.
A caboose assigned to the locals at Bound Brook.
GP40 3121 hustles a short westbound across the diamonds at Manville Junction in
1981. The tracks crossing were that of the Reading main from Philadelphia
to the connection with the Jersey Central just north of here. The yard
visible to the right was used by the Reading for locals working the Port Reading
branch. It was rebuilt and is in use today for all local service in the
area. The diamonds and the track up to the CNJ junction were removed after
passenger service was terminated on the former Reading in 1982.
The changes are very evident in this photo taken in 1988. What is left of the
Reading line to the left is used for loading trash into containers for
shipment elsewhere. New Jersey garbage sure gets around!
In a later view a westbound passes through the junction. 1999.
GP38 8137 leads an eastbound passing the home signal for the junction in 1993.