CONRAIL

  This page will cover the lower portion of the old West Shore from Northern New Jersey to the Bear Mountain Bridge area.

I should note here that despite visiting the line on many occasions, I never had the best of luck.  For every train you see below I probably missed three or more, or there simply was nothing running on the days I was there.  One must also be aware of the sun angles when visiting this line.  Since photography from the east side of the tracks is very limited ( unless you have a boat ), deciding where to be at a certain time of day is important.  As you will see, it is very easy to get less than desirable backlit shots if you don't plan ahead ( and get lucky! ).

  In the very earliest days of Conrail, pretty much anything was possible.  Here is an ex-Erie-Lackawanna switcher with a former CNJ (nee-Reading) RS-3 bumping along past 'TU' tower near Palisades Park.  The tunnel under the rock hill known as the Palisades allowed the railroad the reach the Hudson River waterfront.  Today NJ Transit is working on using this tunnel as part of their Hudson River Light Rail line to reach from Hoboken to the NJ Turnpike Park and Ride near exit 18.  Today through CSX freights stay along the edge of the meadowlands on a new alignment.  August 7, 1977.

  'TU' tower controlled movements out of the tunnel and toward the old waterfront terminal in Weehawkin, NJ.  Several freight branches reached along the waterfront to serve the many industries once located there.  Virtually all of this is long gone, replaced by deluxe housing and stores.

  Standing over top of the other side (west) of the tunnel we can see a Conrail freight parked at the east end of the North Bergen yards.

  The North Bergen Yards were primarily a trailer train loading site.  3-19-89.

This local is sitting between the mainline to the right and the Susquehanna Railroad tracks to the left.  69th Street in North Bergen.

  This rather depressing scene is a few miles north at Little Ferry.  The Susquehanna shops were to the right of this view.  Notice the poor condition of the track here.  This was 1975 and although the former New York Central lines were generally maintained rather well, this section of track is in need of work.  The swamps of Jersey take their toll on the roadbed with alot of settling.

  This early Conrail westbound is crossing Overpeck Creek.  The NYSW is on the right.  GP38 8077 leads another GP38 and a GP40.  February 26, 1981.

  Another GP38, 7983 brings a local west over the bridge.  8-25-1980.

  Things were improving here as the bridge was rebuilt in the early 1980's.  A set of lite units rolls west at dusk.

  Conrail relied on a fleet of GP40's to move both Trailer trains (TV trains to them) and general freight.  This view looks the other way from the same location.  The NYSW line is on the left.  June 11, 1988.

  One of the ill fated SD50's is eastbound.  The NYSW has moved out of their old shop complex.  1993.

  Another freight in the same location.  July 24, 1992.

  A pair of big GE's rumble over the Overpeck Creek bridge.  1992.

    A 1981 view of an eastbound passing the station at Ridgefield Park.

  On May 30, 1988 a fan trip was run from Hoboken to Selkirk using this trainset from NJ Transit.

  The station at Teaneck, August 1980.

  Bergenfield, 1980.  Note the wide former four track right-of-way.  The New York Central ran commuter service along this part of the route until the very early 1960's.

  Harrington Park, NJ.  August 25, 1980.

  Just over the state line is Orangeburg, New York.

  Congers, NY. 1980.  Both Orangeburg and Congers stations have received renovations recently.

  The station at Haverstraw, NY.  From here the railroad passes through a tunnel to the banks of the Hudson River.

  GP38 8148 lays over at West Haverstraw for the weekend.  October 1, 1988.

  West Haverstraw was the site of a modest freight yard.  This was the yard office.  1980.

    B-36-7 5041 rolls a long TV train at Jones Point, NY.  May 9, 1987.

C40W 6086 works hard pulling a very, very long train of loaded autoracks.  Iona Island, May 17, 1997.

  On August 1, 1976, ex-Reading 2101 disguised as the American Freedom Train #1 rolls north at Iona Island.  This view is from the Bear Mountain State Park. 

  One of my favorite shots is of train PYSE-5B with SD40 6483 crossing the trestle on August 25, 1980.

  Here is that fan trip again.  That was a banner hanging on the side of the 4117.

  6485 rolls an eastbound ( physically southward ) through the State Park.

  Early in the morning on February 2, 1974 a five-unit Penn Central freight rolls north under the Bear Mountain Bridge.

    As viewed from the walkway on the bridge, a Conrail train heads toward New Jersey in 1991.

Click here to continue north to Selkirk.