KZread threw this one at me and I'm glad it did! I know the Northern Branch, my father grew up in Tenafly in the 1930's and 40's and remembers the line well when it was operated by the Erie Railroad, Dad said they called it "The Weary Erie!" Just to give you an idea of the intensity of operations in those days Erie commuter trains ran on the line, morning and afternoons, at approximately 20 to 25 minute intervals! Freight operations ran during the mid-day. Commuter operations ended in 1966. This is a sad end to a once-proud railroad that's been there since the 1850's but what can you do? When there's no business on the line anymore the line dies.

@christrembath1678

Жыл бұрын

Totally agree! Once the customers disappear, so does the line. My bother and I used to cut school and hang around the line in Northvale and there were many very active customers back then, circa 1983.

@wayneantoniazzi2706

Жыл бұрын

@@christrembath1678 There was a very good video DVD produced in 2006 by Wislew Productions called "The Northern Branch In The 21st Century." Maybe you've seen it or heard of it? I bought my copy in the "Old & Weary Car Shop" train store (sadly now closed) in Tappan NY not long after its release. I don't know if it's available anymore but it's a good one to keep an eye out for at train shops or shows! It covers CSX operations on the whole line from North Bergen to Northvale. Something else to keep an eye out for is a softcover published by The Railroadians of American in 1976 called "The Erie Northern Railroad of New Jersey and Piermont Branch," part of their "The Next Station Will Be..." series. It's an anthology of photos of stations along the line in 1910! Top-quality large format prints too. Obviously long out of print but copies do surface at train shows from time to time. Since you live in NJ (The wife and I are old Paramus kids) you're perfectly placed to find a copy. I lucked into a copy at a Greenberg trainshow in Edison in the early 2000's when we were up for a visit.

@christrembath1678

Жыл бұрын

Hi Wayne, yes I have the DVD. At least there's someone who really documented ops before the line died.

@wayneantoniazzi2706

Жыл бұрын

@@christrembath1678 Good man! That DVD's a keeper!

@jackcraig4268

Жыл бұрын

Wayne, I can appreciate your sentiments. It makes me sad to see lines like this where the trains have to crawl at 5 mph, no doubt because of track co.nditions.

Great stuff. I used to spend hours in my youth watching Conrail switching the Penetone facility on the Cresskill/Tenafly border and their excess tank car storage north of the plant in Cresskill.

I grew up in camden we lived right next to the train yard good old conrail

Such a melancholy feeling is evoked watching this old video. The feeling of loss and neglect and of times past when the railroad was king. I wonder if this can be transformed into a recreational/rail trail. Any news?

@christrembath1678

Жыл бұрын

I agree, it's very depressing sometimes thinking about what used to be with this particular line. I do believe they are considering it as a candidate for a rail trail.

@wayneantoniazzi2706

Жыл бұрын

"They" keep talking about revitalizing the line for Hudson-Bergen Light Rail commuter operations, at least up to the Engelwood Hospital area. But so far all there's been is talk and bureaucratic tossing-the-ball back and forth. A real believe it when it happens situation.

Nice video! I kived in Leonia in the early 1960's and had a summer job in NYC. If we had lived closer to this branch, I would have taken it instead of the bus. Between NJ's high taxes and CSX's high operating costs, this branch was doomed. CSX should have leased or sold it to a short line which probably could have retained some shippers. I worked part time in the early 2000's for a short line which was a branch which Conrail sold in the 1980's. It's still going stong today. Was engineer on teains that ran on a Conrail, then CSX main line into a Conrail/CSX yard.

Even can find videos of Conrail coming through North Vale on Northern Branch line and Norwood NJ by Railroad Ave by the Baseball field or CSX

With Conrail on the Northern Branch line

Nice old timer video

Do you think you can post more Conrail or CSX in 1990s on the North Branch

@christrembath1678

Жыл бұрын

Thomas, unfortunately, that's all the footage I have of this particular rail line. I might have some of the Admiration Foods siding in Englewood. Still active.

@wayneantoniazzi2706

Жыл бұрын

As I mentioned in an earlier post keep an eye out for a DVD that was produced by Wislew Productions called "The Northern Branch In The 21st Century." Wislew's out of business now so the video's not available but you MAY find a copy at a train show or possibly in a shop that sells used DVD's. It's a good one, I'm glad I got mine when I did! And it does cover CSX operations.

@thomasnativo6491

Ай бұрын

​@christrembath1678 ok no problem

@thomasnativo6491

Ай бұрын

​@christrembath1678 Where was Conrail coming from in 1994 because I was born in 1997 so Conrail might been around still for the Northern Branch was it coming from Piermont NY at a Small yard there

@thomasnativo6491

Ай бұрын

Conrail seems very slow were they switching into a siding infact there was one time I did see a Locomotive sitting in the siding in Closter NJ but I think it was Shut down and another time in Creskill I saw a Light engine on Chessie system and in the 2000s in 2002 Another Light engine movement with 2 engines by Madison Ave it was very Rare to see even I saw a earlier SD40-2 the classic CSX in Rockland County line at Norwood Nj

I hate Blue PennCentral 2.0 (Conrail) for what they did to Erie Lackawanna. Let's be honest. "Conrail was Penn Central under Gov ownership, given a new corporate identity & its competition (EL,LV,CNJ,LHR & AA ) incorporated. The exception being EL, which conrail sought to completely obliterate. They succeeded, especially west of Ohio . Despite EL lines having clearance for double stacks, Conrail chose to spend millions to to upgrade ex LV lines. Such was its hatred for Erie Lackawanna. All EL lines in New Jersey have been abandoned by Conrail, except for those used by NJ Transit commuter rail. I don't miss conrail at all. Good riddance.

@_SP64_

Жыл бұрын

The biggest blow would be how they fcked over the Lackawanna Cut Off leaving it almost unrecognizable and intended to see it completely gone. Thankfully that didn't happen, but now NJT now has to deal with it with restoring the whole cut off

Maybe like Demerest or Creskill Nj Englewood NJ Tenafly NJ like early 1990s because that was amazing what you did because for years the Northern Branch line in Bergen County that's been abandoned and never been used by Conrail or CSX coming in from North Bergen yard at CP5 on a Spur to Piermont NY and I know that The Northern Branch was in old Branch since CSX decided to help out and run Local freight services on Northern Branch to Piermont NY unfortunately they can't because they can't afford trains going to Piermont yard to pick up cars and return

@thomasnativo6491

2 жыл бұрын

Can you please Ridgefield and Leonia NJ in the 1990s yk posting

Dogs Barking 🐕

6:45 Were you scared at all by that dog barking at you? I would've been. LOL Didn't look like he or she was enclosed well. Cool video though crazy to think this was a year before I was born.

@christrembath1678

Жыл бұрын

I think I was taken aback when the dog first started barking, but after a while, I simply ignored him and moved on.