Eastern Railroad Discussion > Carfloating in the morning.

A few photos from NYNJ Rail carfloting last week. 

1 - Tug Joyce D. Brown with the carfloat NYNJ 200, arriving in Brooklyn with assist tug Paul Andrew.  
2 - The supermoon led to some serious high tides.  The bridges are designed to work on a + or - 4% grade.   This is about maxed out.   The bridge in the foreground is currently not used as it has not been rebuilt for use with the new 4 track barges.  
3 - Westbound float the next day with tug James E. Brown.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/20 13:14 by sixaxlecentury.

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1 - Eastbound float with the James E. Brown.   The tug Thomas J. Brown is on the opposite side as the assist tug today.  
2 - Next day and back to the Joyce D. Brown, with the James E. Brown as the assist tug.  
3 - James E. Brown, with the Joyce D. Brown following as the assist tug.   An assist tug is always used now due to the size of the barge as well as the tricky docking conditions, especially in Brooklyn.   The Greenville side is just out of frame to the Right.  
 

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Great series of images!. The view of that switcher on the gradient on the float bridge is impressive. It's great to see these carfloats still operating and helping to solve a real transportation issue for the NYC area. Thanks for posting these images.

The Lake Michigan GTW carferries that used to operate from a dock just a few blocks from my home are long gone. But their memory lives on, both here and in other Lake Michigan ports that once hosted them, such as Grand Haven, Mich. (GTW), Ludington, Mich. (C&O) Frankfort, Mich. (Ann Arbor) and their sister ports in Wisconsin, such as Milwaukee (GTW), Manitowoc (C&O) and Kewaunee (AA to GB&W). And there were the car floats on the Detroit River between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario (N&W ex-Wabash), and famed Chief Wawatam across the Strait of Mackinac. Every so often, someone floats the idea (pun intended) of restarting such services for rail freight, to go along with the Badger from the old C&O fleet, which still works a passenger-and-vehicle-only summertime route between Ludington, Mich. and Manitowoc, Wis.(a fine trip if you have the opportunity). But the economics and operational viability just aren't there.

It's great to see that the usefulness of this operation in New York City is recognized, and utilized. May it long continue to serve...and succeed!

MC
Muskegon, Michigan

Thanks for the interesting pics...

Thanks ! Great photos of an operation that doesn't get covered enough.

I'll pile on with another great images comment!  Where was your vantage point for these shots and what lens length was required?  I have badly wanted to photograph this operation for years, and would love to get some images even somewhat near as good as these (and that will be a tall order).

Thank you!

Mike Derrick
 

Thank you for posting views of the float service between NJ & NY. Way too overlooked.
I recall the Virginia ferries, the Chief Wawatum and the Detroit ferries. While they were great to see they were no longer cost effective. Amazing that the New York Harbor floats still run. More amazing is they needed to build new floats and rebuild the float bridges to serve them. WoW!
Go

Excellent images of a rarely photographed operation. I'm guessing that all the traffic riding these barges is NS orginated given CSX has its own direct route into NYC via Oak Point?

Some rough triangulation indicates the pictures were likely taken in the vicinity of 63rd St, Brooklyn, along the shores of the Bay Ridge Channel.

Ever since working the Tiburon carfloat transfer(and "Horse shoe"job on alternate days) on NWP, all such ops have kept my attention...tnx for coverage.

Steve Donaldson
Pacific Grove, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/20 10:42 by SteveD.