Eastern Railroad Discussion > Conrail SA31 (local) on the Southern Secondary (NJ)

My favorite train to railfan is the Conrail SA31 out of Browns Yard in Sayreville, NJ.  This is Shared Assets territory.  On Thursdays, the SA31, makes a trip onto the Southern Secondary, which is the former CNJ Southern Division Main Line.  This line is the closest line to where I live so that's the reason it's my favorite, despite being a secondary line.  Typically, the SA31 arrives in Farmingdale late in the afternoon.  (Farmingdale is where the CNJ and PRR crossed with the PRR line going from Manasquan to Monmouth Junction.)  With the longer sunlight, I am able to photo the train in and south of Farmingdale.  On July 2nd, my office closed early and I was able to catch the train in Farmingdale.  Unfortunately, cloudy skies prevailed and the light wasn't the best when the train pulled out of Farmingdale. 

1.  The train arrived in Farmingdale.  Motive power was NS GP38-2s 5282 & 5280.  They had fifteen cars, a mix of boxcars and centerbeams for Woodhaven Lumber in Lakewood.
2.  The train underway as it heads to Lakewood.
3.  A video of the train rolling through Farmingdale approaching a grade crossing.

Hope you enjoy!   

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The following week I was able to get a few photos of the SA31, this time with some sun before a summer thunderstorm moved in.

4.  CSX GP38-2 2810 amd NS GP38-2 5280
5.  A straight look down the tracks at the whole train

Hope you enjoy the photos.

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OCtrainguy Wrote:
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> My favorite train to railfan is the Conrail SA31
> out of Browns Yard in Sayreville, NJ.  This is
> Shared Assets territory.  On Thursdays, the SA31,
> makes a trip onto the Southern Secondary, which is
> the former CNJ Southern Division Main Line.  This
> line is the closest line to where I live so that's
> the reason it's my favorite, despite being a
> secondary line.  Typically, the SA31 arrives in
> Farmingdale late in the afternoon.  (Farmingdale
> is where the CNJ and PRR crossed with the PRR line
> going from Manasquan to Monmouth Junction.)  With
> the longer sunlight, I am able to photo the train
> in and south of Farmingdale.  On July 2nd, my
> office closed early and I was able to catch the
> train in Farmingdale.  Unfortunately, cloudy
> skies prevailed and the light wasn't the best when
> the train pulled out of Farmingdale. 
>
> 1.  The train arrived in Farmingdale.  Motive
> power was NS GP38-2s 5282 & 5280.  They had
> fifteen cars, a mix of boxcars and centerbeams for
> Woodhaven Lumber in Lakewood.
> 2.  The train underway as it heads to Lakewood.
> 3.  A video of the train rolling through
> Farmingdale approaching a grade crossing.
>
> Hope you enjoy!   


i believe Browns Yard is in Old Bridge ...

do they use the wye connection at South Amboy or run around the train and back out onto the Raritan Bridge ... i always thought since all the
consignees on the Southern are south of Farmingdale they'd use the connection off the Freehold Sec ...

A healthy consist... nice video.....

bluesboyst Wrote:
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> A healthy consist... nice video.....

the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy will have shore residents up and down the east coast rebuilding well into the next decade ...

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
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> i believe Browns Yard is in Old Bridge ...
>
> do they use the wye connection at South Amboy or
> run around the train and back out onto the Raritan
> Bridge ... i always thought since all the
> consignees on the Southern are south of
> Farmingdale they'd use the connection off the
> Freehold Sec ...

Yeah, that's right.  It's near the border of Sayreville and Old Bridge.  

The Church Running Track was rebuilt several years ago so the SA31 can come off the Amboy Secondary to the Church Running Track and onto the NJCL.  There's a metal recycling place where the old 84 Lumber is in Howell that's north of the Freehold line and a brick place as well.  Those places are more sporadic with their carloads.  

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
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> bluesboyst Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > A healthy consist... nice video.....
>
> the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy will have shore
> residents up and down the east coast rebuilding
> well into the next decade ...

That and the constant building of more housing in Lakewood.