CONTEMPORARY MATERIAL
Most of my site has been of images from the 1970's and 1980's.  This page will consist of current material from 1998 to the present.  Owing to family obligations, I don't do the traveling I used to do when I was single. Sound familiar to anyone?
One of the best places for freight activity in New Jersey is the former Lehigh Valley mainline, particularly east of Manville.  It is at Manville that the former    Reading (now CSX ) from Philadelphia and the former Lehigh Valley from Allentown ( now NS ) join.  Trains head east to Oak Island yard or to various trailer and container off load facilities in North Jersey. NJ Transit Raritan Line trains off the old CNJ main use the Lehigh Line from Aldene to Hunter tower in Newark.
  I have created a basic map of the Central New Jersey area for the following pages that were once all crowded and unorganized on this page.  Simply click on the name of the location you wish to view on the map.  Scroll down below for other things.
For images from Newark, NJ to the Manville, NJ area click on "Bound Brook"
For images from the former Reading mainline through West Trenton, NJ click on "Trenton"
For images of the Easton to Allentown, PA area click on either "Allenton" or "Easton"
For images from the Lehighton and Jim Thorpe areas click on "Lehighton"
For images from Scranton, including Steamtown click on "Scranton"
                                                                                               Go to the Map!!!
Other things........
    Some NS units rest quietly on Labor Day 2010 at Browns yard in Sayreville, NJ.
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  CSAO train SA-35 at Farmingdale, NJ 
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  GP40 4405 with 12 cars at Larabees crossing, Howell, NJ, October 18, 2006
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A trip out to Long Island, NY on 2-28-06 netted these views of the now gone position light signals at the Patchougue, NY station.  This town is on the Montauk branch and is at the end of service for several locals.  That leaning tower wasn't long for this world.  It is now gone. The  new color light signals were installed in spring of 2006. 
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  An 'Elvis' with new Bi-Levels pulls into New Brunswick station.    Another 4600 pushing south at Matawan on the NJCL.
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Link to a 2008 short trip from New York to Burlington, Vt. Click Here
A summer 2007 vacation trip to Florida included a ride on the Auto-Train.  This trip was much better than the 2005 ride.  CSX has improved the track, especially on the former R,F&P.  We were a mere 15 minutes late into Sanford owing mostly to meeting fewer trains enroute.  Again, the crew and meals were really good.  
Another trip in July of 2010 yielded a very similar experience.
During my visits to Florida I ventured around a little.  Here are a few images:
One of the best locations is Plant City.  Located about 20 miles east of Tampa it is the junction of the two mains out of Tampa and the depot now houses
a terrific museum.  It is well worth a visit any time of year.
    Amtrak and CSX on the "A" line. "A" being the former Atlantic Coast Railway.
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  Plant City looking north (east) on the "S" line.  "S" being the former Seaboard Air Line Railroad.  This is freight only.
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  Inside the station among the many exhibits is this real-time ATCS monitor.  You can sit in air-conditioned comfort and watch for the next train.
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  SD40 8004 is rather rusty, but has A/C !  Mulberry, FL  7-21-07
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  A unit molten sulfur train at Winston Jct. near Lakeland.  A Union Pacific GE leading three leased units, including.....
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  a former Wisconsin Central in full WC colors!!  Former SP SD45 3131 also in the consist.
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  Just west of downtown Lakeland stands this now mostly demolished station.  Looks to have been built in the 1960's.  
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  Amtrak has a new station on the other side of town.  
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    Having made the turn around in Tampa in very short order, number 91 heads back toward Lakeland and then south to Miami.
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  A pair of GE's leaving Uceta yard in Tampa in a typical Florida thunderstorm.  7-21-07.
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  Tampa Union Station      Interesting history     Beautiful interior !
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  1176 at Baldwin, FL, 7-23-07    5475 also at Baldwin.
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  7753 and that CEFX 3131 leased unit heading north thru Callahan, FL.  This the bottom of the well known Florida Funnel.
Trains to Jacksonville and "A" lines through Orlando head off to the left.  Trains to Baldwin Yard, Tampa and the "S" lines bear right.  For those not familiar with the letters, "A" is the old Atlantic Coast Line and "S" is for the former Seaboard.  
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  7753 again at Folkston, Georgia.    557 running solo at Folkston.  7-23-07
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Images from an earlier June 2005 visit to Florida and north Georgia.
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The above four images are from Folkston, Georgia, June 2005.               
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For images from Port Jervis, NY, click on Port Jervis