Railroaders' Nostalgia > An Interesting Hi-Rail Trip on the Bordentown Secondary

In 1999, the State of NJ offered to purchase the Bordentown Secondary (Trenton to Camden, NJ) from Conrail for use as a light rail line. Conrail needed an independent valuation, so my firm was asked to do the work. I met an Asst. Division Engineer in Pavonia Yard on a fine May morning, and off we went to Trenton (by road). Our plan was to hi-rail soutn from the end of the line in Coalport Yard, north of the Trenton Amtrak station (although the last mile and half through downtown Trenton was not included in the sale).

We got a Form D, set on at the north leg of the wye with Amtrak's NEC, and off we went through downtown Trenton. At Cass Street, just south of the NEC bridge, we came to an abrupt stop. A portable truck-mounted drilling rig was on the ROW, stabilizing jacks out, right up against the gauge of the rail. No way even a hi-rail could ease past. Asst. DE to drill foreman, "Anybody know you're out here?" Answer was no. Foreman was told to pack up, clear ROW, and ask for permission to come back on -- and flag protection.

Off we went again. At Crosswicks Creek, there's a substantial trestle. Right in the middle, two fisherman were sitting, rods in the water, tackle boxes open. We stopped short of them. Asst. DE got out. "It's a cold morning for a swim, and that's what you guys would be doing if we were a train". With some grumbling, they packed up and cleared the bridge, and we went south.

The bridge over Rancocas Creek was a swing bridge. To the Asst. DE's astonishment, it was in the closed position (operator only worked midnights, when the trains ran -- apparently maintainers were working on the bridge machinery). After getting permission, we crossed, a real bonus since the ADE thought we'd have to set off and drive around.

But the show wasn't over. We continued south to Pennsauken Creek. Just south of the bridge, a surveyor's transit was set up in the gauge of the track, nobody around. One of the guys in the hi-rail joked, "Let's just toss it in the back and get going". But we waited, and in a few minutes the surveyor appeared out of the brush on one side of the ROW. He got a lecture from the ADE, and removed the transit. Again, we headed south.

We set off at Cove Road in Pennsauken, south of "CP Hatch", which is the start of CTC govering the approach to Pavonia Yard. The connection from the Delair Bridge joins here, speed is 25 MPH, and the line carries maybe 20 MGT -- a lot busier than the rest of the railroad.

We had just gotten clear, and the ADE had picked up his radio mike to release his Form D, when a freight came around the bend, making about 20 MPH heading for the Delair bridge -- and on the track we had recently occupied. Our Form D should still have been in effect!

After the trip we'd had, I said to the ADE, "I think I'll just let you handle this one, too."

I hired out in 78 for SP in the Sacramento yard. One of our jobs went west from Elvas Tower down to Brighton and on to Florin. It was a typical winter night with a dense cold fog. I was the field hand. We got time from, CTC at Brighton to Florin. We had working for about an hour. We had the mainline switch open and the engine was fouling the main. We had a hold of a jumbo propane tank car and were going to shove it into the clear to spot. Remember now, it was foggy and we could see no more than a couple car lengths. Then we heard a train whistle and it was close. I knew there was a crossing about 100 yards to the east of us and I figured it had to be what they were whistling for. I immediately gave a BIG come ahead sign and the engineer responded quickly, I don’t remember if he heard the whistle or not. As soon as he was clear of the mainline switch I lined it back and ran away from the jumbo tank car, little good it would have done because there were more propane cars stored in the siding in the direction I ran. It seems like about 30 seconds later a west man came by at track speed.
We still had our clock time. We called the dispatcher and he said he had not given the west man a signal. When they interviewed the crew they said they had a high green. The next night the regular foreman on the job layed off. So I was the foreman. When I called the dispatcher and asked for time to do our work he was mad. It took me about 30 minutes to calm him down so we could get back to business. Never heard what they determined what happened. Sure glad we got the jumbo propane car off the main in time.
Dave

I guess those incidents are better that the one I read about, maybe a year or two ago. I think it happened around Chicago. The guy got time and put his hi-rail on the track and started down the track. Only probem was, he was on the wrong railroad. He met a train head on. He got out in time but the hi-rail didn't fair too well. His excuse... he was from out of town and not familiar with the area. His railroad and the other railroad crossed the same road, not too far apart.

John

Which is why we now see the names of multple tracks painted on the web at many road crossings?

wa4umr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I guess those incidents are better that the one I
> read about, maybe a year or two ago. I think it
> happened around Chicago. The guy got time and put
> his hi-rail on the track and started down the
> track. Only probem was, he was on the wrong
> railroad. He met a train head on. He got out in
> time but the hi-rail didn't fair too well. His
> excuse... he was from out of town and not familiar
> with the area. His railroad and the other
> railroad crossed the same road, not too far
> apart.
>
> John

That was the one thing that really pissed me off about the LA basin. One hand not knowing what the other is doing.

I had one trip on an extra Atk equipment move from SLO to LA. It had employees on it and they had been filming commercials between Salinas and San Ardo. Coming through Gemco, Burbank called us and said they were going to run us the wrong way from Allen St. X-overs to the Top End of "A" yard. I was to call the top end when I got stopped at Allen St. I did as instructed and the Top End YM told me he had the flag from Allen St to the Top End on the west bound main. Burbank gave me permission to go by the red interlocking so off we went. We had a brand new RFE riding with us from Texas. He said to pick it up to 59 mph (non block territory for passenger). I told him I would rather just take my time even though it was daylight out. Well, we started around the right hand curve down at the Water & Power plant and there sat a cut of cars on the main. I went to full service and got stopped about 20 cars from them. It was the Burbank switcher doing their usual work, heading towards Burbank and the branch. Had I been going 59 or 49 for that matter, I would have run into the cut. If I had a heavy freight I never would have got stopped in time. Turned out the YM forgot about the switcher.

On another trip I was on the Smokie and stopped at Allen St. The 1st LA was ahead of us, we had caught him out of Chatsworth, and he was stopped at the Top End of "A" yard. Burbank called me and said he was going to run us against the grain to Main Line Tower, where we would change out crews. We were told to take the switches in hand throw and line ourselves down the westbound main. Well, the hoghead on the the LA called me and said I might want to hold off on that move, a westbound just went by him at speed headed my way. Sure enough, around the curve comes a headlight and the pigs went by us at 50 mph headed for Bakersfield. We would have knocked the signal down on him when we started to line the switches but he never would have been able to stop in time. (I had to buy him a few when we got to the hotel)

Its a wonder wrecks were not more common in the basin.


Nudge

I recall hearing a "close call" on the old WP around Hayward, CA around 1990. I was living in Hayward at the time across from the old WP mainline. It must have been a Saturday or Sunday afternoon as I was at home listening to the scanner. I could hear the UP local switching (LW-10 or 11) down around Carpenter (South Hayward area) and they asked the dispatcher for permission to head back to Fremont.

The dispatcher gave them permission to hand throw the switch to enter the mainline and head east to Fremont. There was a few second pause and the dispatcher came back and asked "Confirm that the stack train is by you?"

Another short pause and then the engineer of the westbound stack train radios that they are "approaching Carpenter".

After a few more seconds of silence, the local engineer reports that they will be standing by for the stack train.

Gary

Another trip on the Zipper (#374)and I was getting back up to 60 leaving Chatsworth and I just happened to glance up at the signal before we went by. It flopped to red. I called the caboose and told them to hang on and I plugged them.

I knew what was going to happen. As we came around the left hand curve, there was the Gemco Flyer trying to get in the clear at Sears. They had gone to beans and were going back to work and had pulled out about 5 car lengths. We finally stopped about 10 cars past them. They had forgotten about 374 and didn't even check with the dispatcher. I kicked the brakes off and we went on to the shops. I found out later who the Conductor was and called him later on at home. I tore him a new one and he started to give me a bunch of lip. I told him one more word and I would turn it in and let powers to be decide what was what. Why take 3 other people on a unpaid vacation when he was the one that screwed up. He never said another word.



Nudge

shoretower Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In 1999, the State of NJ offered to purchase the
> Bordentown Secondary (Trenton to Camden, NJ) from
> Conrail for use as a light rail line. Conrail
> needed an independent valuation, so my firm was
> asked to do the work. I met an Asst. Division
> Engineer in Pavonia Yard on a fine May morning,
> and off we went to Trenton (by road). Our plan
> was to hi-rail soutn from the end of the line in
> Coalport Yard, north of the Trenton Amtrak station
> (although the last mile and half through downtown
> Trenton was not included in the sale).
>
> We got a Form D, set on at the north leg of the
> wye with Amtrak's NEC, and off we went through
> downtown Trenton. At Cass Street, just south of
> the NEC bridge, we came to an abrupt stop. A
> portable truck-mounted drilling rig was on the
> ROW, stabilizing jacks out, right up against the
> gauge of the rail. No way even a hi-rail could
> ease past. Asst. DE to drill foreman, "Anybody
> know you're out here?" Answer was no. Foreman
> was told to pack up, clear ROW, and ask for
> permission to come back on -- and flag
> protection.
>
> Off we went again. At Crosswicks Creek, there's a
> substantial trestle. Right in the middle, two
> fisherman were sitting, rods in the water, tackle
> boxes open. We stopped short of them. Asst. DE
> got out. "It's a cold morning for a swim, and
> that's what you guys would be doing if we were a
> train". With some grumbling, they packed up and
> cleared the bridge, and we went south.
>
> The bridge over Rancocas Creek was a swing bridge.
> To the Asst. DE's astonishment, it was in the
> closed position (operator only worked midnights,
> when the trains ran -- apparently maintainers were
> working on the bridge machinery). After getting
> permission, we crossed, a real bonus since the ADE
> thought we'd have to set off and drive around.
>
> But the show wasn't over. We continued south to
> Pennsauken Creek. Just south of the bridge, a
> surveyor's transit was set up in the gauge of the
> track, nobody around. One of the guys in the
> hi-rail joked, "Let's just toss it in the back and
> get going". But we waited, and in a few minutes
> the surveyor appeared out of the brush on one side
> of the ROW. He got a lecture from the ADE, and
> removed the transit. Again, we headed south.
>
> We set off at Cove Road in Pennsauken, south of
> "CP Hatch", which is the start of CTC govering the
> approach to Pavonia Yard. The connection from the
> Delair Bridge joins here, speed is 25 MPH, and the
> line carries maybe 20 MGT -- a lot busier than the
> rest of the railroad.
>
> We had just gotten clear, and the ADE had picked
> up his radio mike to release his Form D, when a
> freight came around the bend, making about 20 MPH
> heading for the Delair bridge -- and on the track
> we had recently occupied. Our Form D should still
> have been in effect!
>
> After the trip we'd had, I said to the ADE, "I
> think I'll just let you handle this one, too."


your form D was only good up the northern limits of CP-Hatch once you entered the interlocking your pilot fulfilled his form D unless it was 2 way form D which in this case is irrelevent since the track with the form D was written is north of the interlocking and your hi-rail was south of the interlocking in rule 93 territory ... Cove Rd sits south of the interlocking over yard tracks controlled by the Camden yardmaster ... the track your hi-rail and the train was on is a yard runner designated 1 running and not controlled by the dispatcher ... CTC for the Delair Branch starts on the Philly side of the Delair Bridge west of CP-Jersey ... sounds like between the yardie and disp someone had a miscommunicaY

spnudge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That was the one thing that really pissed me off
> about the LA basin. One hand not knowing what the
> other is doing.
>
> I had one trip on an extra Atk equipment move from
> SLO to LA. It had employees on it and they had
> been filming commercials between Salinas and San
> Ardo. Coming through Gemco, Burbank called us and
> said they were going to run us the wrong way from
> Allen St. X-overs to the Top End of "A" yard. I
> was to call the top end when I got stopped at
> Allen St. I did as instructed and the Top End YM
> told me he had the flag from Allen St to the Top
> End on the west bound main. Burbank gave me
> permission to go by the red interlocking so off we
> went. We had a brand new RFE riding with us from
> Texas. He said to pick it up to 59 mph (non block
> territory for passenger). I told him I would
> rather just take my time even though it was
> daylight out. Well, we started around the right
> hand curve down at the Water & Power plant and
> there sat a cut of cars on the main. I went to
> full service and got stopped about 20 cars from
> them. It was the Burbank switcher doing their
> usual work, heading towards Burbank and the
> branch. Had I been going 59 or 49 for that
> matter, I would have run into the cut. If I had a
> heavy freight I never would have got stopped in
> time. Turned out the YM forgot about the
> switcher.
>
> On another trip I was on the Smokie and stopped at
> Allen St. The 1st LA was ahead of us, we had
> caught him out of Chatsworth, and he was stopped
> at the Top End of "A" yard. Burbank called me and
> said he was going to run us against the grain to
> Main Line Tower, where we would change out crews.
> We were told to take the switches in hand throw
> and line ourselves down the westbound main. Well,
> the hoghead on the the LA called me and said I
> might want to hold off on that move, a westbound
> just went by him at speed headed my way. Sure
> enough, around the curve comes a headlight and the
> pigs went by us at 50 mph headed for Bakersfield.
> We would have knocked the signal down on him when
> we started to line the switches but he never would
> have been able to stop in time. (I had to buy him
> a few when we got to the hotel)
>
> Its a wonder wrecks were not more common in the
> basin.
>
>
> Nudge


I bet the close calls outnumbered the wrecks by a long shot!

SN711 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I recall hearing a "close call" on the old WP
> around Hayward, CA around 1990. I was living in
> Hayward at the time across from the old WP
> mainline. It must have been a Saturday or Sunday
> afternoon as I was at home listening to the
> scanner. I could hear the UP local switching
> (LW-10 or 11) down around Carpenter (South Hayward
> area) and they asked the dispatcher for permission
> to head back to Fremont.
>
> The dispatcher gave them permission to hand throw
> the switch to enter the mainline and head east to
> Fremont. There was a few second pause and the
> dispatcher came back and asked "Confirm that the
> stack train is by you?"
>
> Another short pause and then the engineer of the
> westbound stack train radios that they are
> "approaching Carpenter".
>
> After a few more seconds of silence, the local
> engineer reports that they will be standing by for
> the stack train.
>
> Gary


Now that's scary!

In 1982 I was on the BN local from Lincoln to Tecumseh, NE as fireman. Our engineer, Ernie Willis, would have me run on the main and take over if we had work on the branch to Johnson. At this time the line did not have signals and was dispatched with train orders. One day our orders cleared us all the way to Tecumseh. No meets or stops. By being cleared to Tecumseh that gave us rights between the Tecumseh switches on the main. The dark territory allowed us 49 mph. There was a work train working south of Tecumseh and we were aware of it. As we got close I slowed down so we would not be doing over 10 mph at the north switch even though by rights I could have been doing 49. We rounded the curve toward the depot and sure enough there was the work train stopped on the main. We pulled up and went inside. The work train engineer, Tom Nunns, came over to me and asked me what we were doing between the Tecumseh switches. I asked him the same thing. We each pulled out our orders and found they were over lapping at Tecumseh. By chance the train master, Charlie Fish, was in the depot as well. Tom and I went over to him and showed him the evidence. Since we had multiple copies of the orders he took a copy from each of us and said he would have a discussion with the dispatcher when he returned to Lincoln. That was the end of the matter. No harm, no foul.

Ken Britton
Bedford, TX