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Re: (erielack) Caldwell Branch Contemplation 3: MBS and Yard Limits
Ken and Rich,
Here’s what I've heard about Branch operations.
Until 1966 when the passenger trains were discontinued, the Caldwell Branch
ran under Manual Block Rules, 301-370 in the 1964 EL Rulebook. I.e., in
lieu of automatic signals, there were block stations with controlled signals
governing the entry to a block (those signals were usually semaphores
attached to a station building, controlled by the station agent). Because
the branch was short, there were only two blocks and three block stations:
Essex Fells, Caldwell, and Great Notch. Caldwell had a small siding, 10 car
capacity, so meets were theoretically possible. However, I don’t think it
happened very often because of light traffic and short distances; according
to my employees timetables, a train could run from Essex Fells to Great
Notch in 10 minutes.
From what I can glean from my timetables, in the early 60’s there were two
e/b commuter trains out of Essex Fells on weekday mornings (1408 and 1414)
and three w/b commuter runs in the evening. The first evening w/b (1409)
tied up at Essex Fells. The second evening run used equipment that
deadheaded down from Wanaque-Midvale (as X400, a turnaround from 1405, the
3:30 out of Hoboken) and arrived at Great Notch around 5:10. The X400
engine ran around its coaches in the yard, and waited at Great Notch station
for a connection from train 1413 to Midvale. It then ran to Essex Fells as
train 1433 and tied up (I think). Then train 1415, the final evening
commuter run on the branch, arrived at Essex Fells from Hoboken, ran around
its coaches, and went back to Hoboken as X432. If everything went right,
there was no need for any meets at Caldwell. I presume that the Greenwood
Lake Haul ran up the branch in late morning or mid afternoon to switch the
Hospital and any other customers. Unless a work train was out, he wouldn’t
need a meet either. If a work train was out, though, the signal at Caldwell
might come in handy to keep the freight local from bumping into the work
crew before it could clear up.
All three stations were opened for the morning rush hour, but Essex Fells
closed at 4PM (before the first train arrived, i.e. 1409); Caldwell closed
at 6:25, after 1433 went by but before 1415 and X432 were due; and Great
Notch was open until 1045 PM. If 1409 or 1433 had mechanical problems on
the line, the Caldwell agent could probably be asked to stay longer and
issue train orders to get the other trains by the blockage. I would imagine
that the conductors on the w/b passenger runs got on a side line and told
Caldwell or Great Notch that they were in the clear at Essex Fells, thus
relinquishing the Essex Fells – Caldwell block.
After 1963, the East End dispatcher controlled Great Notch, and acted as the
block operator there. The passenger runs no longer tied up for the night at
Essex Fells (I presume; could be wrong about that, though). X453 from
Hoboken arrived at the Fells at 6:30 AM and split up into equipment sets for
1408 (leaving at 7:18 am) and 1414 (leaving at 7:45 am). In the evening,
1409 ran thru from Hoboken to Essex Fells, arriving at 6:10 PM. Then 1415
arrived from Hoboken at 6:35 PM. The engine from 1415 ran around a coach
and headed back to Great Notch as X432. After running around its coach once
more at Great Notch, it ran west up the branch as 1433, after taking a
connection from 1031 at the Notch at 7:22 PM. After arriving at Essex
Fells, it combined its train with 1409’s equipment and deadheaded back to
Hoboken as X434, leaving at 7:45PM. Again, no need for meets at Caldwell so
long as everything went right.
During these years, 64 to 66, Essex Fells was open for the AM commuter
trains, but was closed for the evening trains. Again, the Dispatcher would
depend on the w/b trains to report themselves clear of the block at Essex
Fells on arrival. Caldwell now missed the AM rush hour, opening at 9:25 AM,
and also missed the evening rush, closing at 5:25 PM. If something broke
down, I think that the Dispatcher could then issue train orders and form A’s
directly to the conductors involved, as to get the other trains past the
broken train (or couple to it and push it into the clear at GA, Caldwell or
Essex Fells).
I may be wrong about some of the details here, but this is generally how the
MBS worked on the Caldwell Branch. After the passenger trains were taken
off in late 1966, the branch became yard limits (in other words, go slow and
good luck – no signals whatsoever, totally dark territory, as Rich said).
MBS was also used until 1963 on the Greenwood Lake Line from Orange Junction
(OJ) to Mountain View and on to Wanaque (east of OJ, there were always
automatic signals). After 1963, automatic signals were placed in service
from OJ to Mountain View, but the segment from Mountain View to Midvale was
still MBS until late 1966 (early on, Pompton Plains station was open during
the day, thus allowing a Mt. View-Pompton P block and Pompton P-Midvale
block; after 1964, I believe the block was simply Mt. View to Midvale,
controlled by the Dispatcher’s signals at Mt. View with crews reporting
themselves at Midvale).
OJ was controlled from WR Tower by a small TCS machine, which remained in
service until WR Tower was no longer regularly staffed, in 1974. The OJ
machine was never moved to DB; the crossovers and branch switch at OJ were
simply converted to manual control when WR was closed. Footnote: WR was
still staffed by the EL after 1974 when a boat had made previous
arrangements for the bridge to be opened. Prior to ‘74, a boat could just
show up and demand an opening.
MBS was also used on the Newark Branch until late 1966. As with the
Caldwell Branch and the Greenwood Lake Branch north of Mt. View, the Newark
Branch became yard limits after the passenger trains came off. Caveat: I
wasn’t there when MBS was being used, am only relaying what I was told about
it. If anyone has battle stories about MBS operation on the NY Division,
would love to hear them.
Jim Gerofsky
>From: "Rich Behrendt" <rbehrendt_@_columbus.rr.com>
>To: "Erie910" <erie910_@_fastmail.fm>, "JG at graytrainpix"
><graytrainpix_@_hotmail.com>
>CC: <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
>Subject: Re: (erielack) Caldwell Branch Contemplation(2)
>Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2005 20:35:47 -0400
>
>Ken,
>It was dark territory, running via timetable when passenger service was on
>there 'till '66...The branch was only about 6 miles from Essex Fells to
>Great Notch, and had stations from east to west at Cedar Grove, Overbrook
>(state mental hospital just west of the Cedar Grove Station), Verona,
>Caldwell and Essex Fells...
>
>All stations are gone, although the Verona freight station is (as far as I
>know) still standing adjacent to where the station was, the last that I
>knew
>was being used as a storage building for a local business...
>
>Rich Behrendt
>ELHS #384
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Erie910" <erie910_@_fastmail.fm>
>To: "JG at graytrainpix" <graytrainpix_@_hotmail.com>
>Cc: <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
>Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2005 11:31 PM
>Subject: Re: (erielack) Caldwell Branch Contemplation
>
>
> > What kind of operation was in effect on the Caldwell branch? Was it
> > signalled or dark? If I recall some passenger service timetables, there
> > must have been some moves which required one train to Essex Fells to
> > pass a train headed to Great Notch to make another run back to Essex
>Fells.
> >
> >
> > Ken Bush
> >
> >
> > JG at graytrainpix wrote:
> >
> > >NOTE: This message had contained at least one image attachment.
> > >To view or download the image(s), click on or cut and paste the
> > >following URL into your web browser:
> > >
> > >
> > >http://lists.railfan.net/listthumb.cgi?erielack-07-06-05
> > >
> > >GA_2506_CWellBr.jpg (image/jpeg, 642x443 80907 bytes, BF: 3.52 ppb)
> > >
> > >I took a little hike on the Caldwell Branch trail during the weekend,
>over
> > >the Peckman River bridge and past the traces of the station stop in
>Cedar
> > >Grove (near the Pompton Ave. overpass). Felt a twinge of sadness that
>I
> > >never gave the line much attention while it was still there. Only took
>one
> > >shot having anything to do with it. It was a grungy, gloomy winter day
>in
> > >early 1975. I was unemployed, killing time, contemplating the upcoming
>end
> > >of the EL. Was hoping to take home some memories, like a heavy
>eastbound
> > >climbing the grade to GA. That was not to be. Only thing shaking that
>day
> > >was the Greenwood Lake Haul. So I got a shot of him heading up the
>branch.
> > >Didn't bother to try to chase him or get him coming back somewhere up
>the
> > >line. Much to my regret, 30-odd years later.
> > >
> > >Jim Gerofsky
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
> > > Sponsored by the ELH&TS
> > > http://www.elhts.org
> > >
> > >
> >
> > The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
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> > http://www.elhts.org
>
>
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