Re: (erielack) The Roustabout

[William Romanyshyn <wmromanyshyn_@_worldnet.att.net>]

Growing up in Clifton, I would go down to the Athenia station on the 
DL&W Boonton Line  and watch The Roustabout.  The station eventually 
became the Clifton station on the Main  Line after the old Erie line 
through downtown Passaic was taken out.  The Roustabout drilled all 
industries along the line.  Some big ones on the eastbound side included 
Magor Car, a masonry supply company near the Athenia station and a small 
freight house and a rubber products manufacturer.  On the westbound 
side, there also was a freight station and team track area near the 
Broadway bridge in Passaic, and if I remember correctly, there also was 
a Continental Can Co. plant near this location.  A corrugated box 
manufacturing plant that received paper by rail was on this side too.  
There were separate switching leads, which started just east of the 
Athenia station, on both the eastbound and westbound sides to keep the 
drill from fouling the main.  This lead went only as far as the Broadway 
bridge on the eastbound side.  But the westbound side lead went further 
east, almost to the former DL&W Passaic station near Passaic Avenue, to 
service I think a metal fabricating company. A facing point crossover 
west of the Athenia station provided connection to a another lead going 
east to also serve the box plant, mentioned above, and  going west to 
serve a fabric manufacturer. There were some additional industries along 
the line in Passaic, which is east of Clifton.  One of which was a steel 
products distributor, handling pipe and the like.  Further east the line 
went into the Delawanna section of Clifton where there were lumber 
yards, a chemical plant, I believe it was Givaudan, and other 
industries, again on both sides of the main.  The bulk of the switching 
for The Roustabout appeared to be west of the Passaic River bridge and 
the Clifton Paterson border.  I am not familiar with any work they may 
have done in Lyndhurst, Kingsland.  Although, I do know there were 
industries near the Kingsland station; at least one chemical company.  
This Lyndhurst Kingsland area may have been served by a different drill 
out of Croxton.  I don't remember what year the General Foods 
distribution facility was built in the old yard area.  Also after the 
change in mainlines and the selling of the Boonton line through the 
Paterson area for I-80, a short segment of the Boonton line was left to 
service a lumber yard "near" the old DL&W Paterson station.  The 
Roustabout occasionally would place cars on the west side lead near the 
switch onto the Main by the Athenia station; these cars would then be 
picked up by an evening westbound freight.
Hope this helps,
Bill Romanyshyn


	The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
	Sponsored by the ELH&TS
	http://www.elhts.org

------------------------------