Re: (erielack) HO jct?

[Dlw1el2_@_aol.com]

In a message dated 10/27/2005 12:03:57 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
mikedc3_@_optonline.net writes:
 
TO MIKE   MDC.

All this  EL\CNJ run through talk has me wondering about Hopatcong Jct.

Even  though it was CNJ property, What was EL's roll there, In one of the
Tabor  books he talks about a DLnW local picking up cars from Scrub Oak mine
which  was on the CNJ just past HO Jct. I have also seen a picture online of
EL  GP7's parked down at the Jct. Did DLnW\EL have rights to the mine?  What
would the GP7's be doing down there?
 
USING CAPITALS JUST TO DISTINGUISH MY COMMENTS FROM THE ORIGINAL  TEXT.
 
THE LACKAWANNA EXERCISED TRACKAGE RIGHTS THROUGH HO, UP TO SCRUB OAKS, TO  
GET SAND, NOT IRON ORE. THAT PARTICULAR SAND BUSINESS APPARENTLY DRYED UP BEFORE 
 THE EL MERGER, CAUSE I DON'T EVER REMEMBER EVEN HEARING OF ANY EL LOCALS 
GOING  UP THERE. NOT TO SAY THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT 
I''VE  NEVER HEARD OF IT.  WOULD THE GP7 HAVE BEEN THERE AFTER CONRAIL? THAT'S 
THE  ONLY REASON I CAN THINK OF.



Someone mentioned the building at HO Jct. I walked down there  last winter
and the concrete pad where the building was is still there.  There is a tank
on part of the pad and right next to it is a hose with what  looks like a
freight car air line coupler on the end. Was this used to keep  the air line
on the cars from the mine charged up? Or for some other  reason?
 
WALKED BACK IN THERE WITH MY FAMILY ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, AND BOY THERE IS  
NOTHING LEFT. THEY REALLY OBLIVERATED IT BIG TIME.  THE ROAD IN HAS BEEN  TOTALLY 
EXCIVATED, SO YOU HAVE TO WALK IN THE OTHER WAY,  FROM DEWEY  AVE. THE 
BUILDING WITH THE CONCRETE PAD STOOD RIGHT WERE THE LINES  TO WHARTON AND GREEN POND 
SPLIT. THE UTILITY RENTAL TYPE  TRAILER THAT  REPLACED IT, THAT THE CREWS 
WORKED OUT OF, WAS ACROSS THE DIRT PARKING LOT,  AND UP NEARER THE FIRST SWITCH  
AS YOU DROVE INTO THE YARD FROM THE SOUTH.  AS YOU LOOKED AT THE OLD BUILDING 
FROM THE SOUTH THERE WAS A SIDING OFF TO THE  LEFT THAT HAD AND OLD OUTSIDE 
WOODEN BRACED CNJ BOX CAR THAT  WAS USED AS A  SAND CAR. IT HAS SOME TYPE OF AIR 
COMPRESSOR AND A HOME MADE UPSIDE DOWN   L   SHAPED SANDING TOWER THAT WOULD 
SWING OUT OVER THE NEXT TRACK TO  SAND ENGINES.



If you walk in to HO from Lk Jct, You cross Dewey ave, Then  there is a house
on the right. Behind the house there is a swamp. The RR is  on a fill here.
There is a wooden staircase along the tracks that goes down  into the swamp
where there is a small wooden building half standing. Was  this a RR
structure? What was it used for. It just like a strange place for  a building
to me.
THAT'S RIGHT WHERE THE MORRIS CANAL CROSSED, BUT I THINK THAT WAS A PUMP  
HOUSE FOR THE RR.
 
I'LL NEVER FORGET THE DAY I DISCOVERED HO JCT.  I WAS ABOUT  12  YEARS OLD 
AND WAS ON WHAT WE CALLED A BIKE HIKE BACK THEN.   (LONG  BICYCLE TRIP)
WITH TWO FRIEND.  WE WOUND UP ON THE CANAL TOW PATH, AND WHEN WE  CAME TO THE 
EMBANKMENT OF THE CNJ, WE GOT OFF ARE BIKES AND WALKED UP THE  EMBANKMENT TO 
THE TRACK.   ALL I COULD SAY WAS    WOW,  A RAILROAD YARD THAT I NEVER KNEW 
EXISTED, AND  ITS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS.  I NEVER FORGOT HO, AND WHEN I GOT 
 MY LICENSE, I FOUND MY WAY IN.  OVER THE YEARS IT BECAME A GREAT PLACE  TO 
TAKE NIGHT SHOTS, CAUSE IT WAS SO DARK WITH NO  ANNOYING  LIGHTS.  YOU PAINTED 
WITH YOUR OWN STROB, AND I  GOT SOME GREAT SHOTS WITH THE OLD SAND CAR AND 
MOTIVE POWER LAYING OVER.

One last thing, If you walk into HO Jct. Keep an eye out for the  Lifschultz
Fast Freight trailer in the junk yard next to the  ROW.

MDC




BOB BAHRS


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