When I was a kid in the '60's, my Father worked at McCluskey wire Company on Grand Ave, a few buildings down from the Belle Dock crossing which is the 2nd across Grand Ave. The other is on the opposite side of the Mill River. In the 30's and '40's my great Uncle hand cranked the gate up and down and sat in a shanty trackside. It remained there until around 1970 and the hand cranked gearbox for the gate was motorized before being updated in the '70's. The Belle Dock Branch crossed the NEC tracks 1 and 2 before crossing over to the Yard lead track 3 inbound for Cedar Hill Yard. There was a drag of fuel oil cars every Wednesday afternoon and one summer day I witnessed that train, pulled by a single Yard Switcher, hit the switch for track 3 and stall. The Crew, swearing alot and grinding the rails down while trying to get moving were eventually rescued by an ALCO RS-3. The next day, welders were there buttering the track back to normal. There was also a spur off Route 1 that led to Water Street down to the Ferry Street bridge that served 7 spurs to the Industries there including Schiavonne and Sons Scrap Metal on one side and the defunct Yale Brewery on the other. I think the track crossed Ferry Street to National Gypsum. In 1977 I rounded the curve at Criscoulo Park, turning left onto Water Street and nearly ran head on into another RS-3 in the middle of the road! I believe they were gathering up rolling stock that was left behind when the Industries all closed. In the '80's the John Davis Industrial park was created off James Street and that 2nd crossing from Grand Ave was reconnected in hopes of drawing Industries that would utilize a newly built rail spur but it didn't pan out and was paved over. Until the mid '70's train regularly traveled across Grand Ave on the Belle Dock branch from the New Haven Terminal at New Haven Harbor and one of the Oil tank farm Companies or maybe the Terminal had a small Plymouth Locomotive for jockeying cars around. I'm thrilled to see the revival of the Branch line.
Great Video!! I work at the power plant in the background but am having a hard time getting outside the gate to see this these days so I have only been out there a few times.
After reading the Providence & Worcester article in Trains Magazine's special issue on short lines and regionals (April 2016), I decided to check out some videos of this railroad. I used the magazine to help guide me through this video as well as your P&W NH-1X, Friday the 13th with CT and others. Exceptional coverage and high quality videos.
I saw a Psychiatrist on Montowese Street in Branford who's Office overlooked the NEC! I loved it when a Train went by! One July 4th, my former Fiancee and I climbed a stairway on the building next door, used a gas grill on the 2nd floor deck, ate and watched the Trains and fireworks!
I think the open car, which I thought was being spotted for lumber, is actually being utilized as a buffer car between the Locomotive and the tanker car. Since my childhood both the Tomlinson and every other bridge in Fair Haven would fail to close often. The Tomlinson was problematic because it connects Route 1 over the Quinnipiac River so both rail and vehicular traffic was constantly disrupted. I can't tell you how often I'd be qued, awaiting the bridge to close, only to have the alignment be off and the locking mechanism fail, leaving me to jump on I95 over the Q or back to Fair Haven over the Ferry Street bridge. The Grand Ave bridge was closed for years and the Ferry Street bridge was the last to be repaired. By then, the Grand Ave and Chapel St Bridges had been rebuilt. My friend made the cables for the new Tomlinson Bridge and they weren't right. They were remade for a higher tensile strength. Including the 15 years the State took to rebuild !55 and the Q Bridge, movement was deterred most of my life and I moved to Florida in 2010 I longed to see this route back in operation. I worked for Tilcon as the Road Runner for the Quarry in N Bfd, where I lived for 30 years and that truck allowed me access (as a Rail Fan) to just about anywhere without any concern. I'd don my hard hat and start taking pictures. The P&W switched out our cars for Amtrak and CDOT. They also took our loads over the airline from the Wallingford Quarry. My Father worked for McCluskey wire on Grand Ave, two buildings from the crossing over to Belle Dock and I watched trains on Peck street just 30 yards from the switch off the main to the branch. Back then it was all Tanker cars and an occasional short freight train.
This is the move I watched as a kid when a lone Yard Switcher would drag 36 oil tank cars from the New Haven Terminal, across Grand Ave, over the N&S NEC tracks 1 and two onto track 3 (long gone), the Yard lead into Cedar Hill Yard in the 60's!
When I was a kid in the '60's, my Father worked at McCluskey wire Company on Grand Ave, a few buildings down from the Belle Dock crossing which is the 2nd across Grand Ave. The other is on the opposite side of the Mill River. In the 30's and '40's my great Uncle hand cranked the gate up and down and sat in a shanty trackside. It remained there until around 1970 and the hand cranked gearbox for the gate was motorized before being updated in the '70's. The Belle Dock Branch crossed the NEC tracks 1 and 2 before crossing over to the Yard lead track 3 inbound for Cedar Hill Yard. There was a drag of fuel oil cars every Wednesday afternoon and one summer day I witnessed that train, pulled by a single Yard Switcher, hit the switch for track 3 and stall. The Crew, swearing alot and grinding the rails down while trying to get moving were eventually rescued by an ALCO RS-3. The next day, welders were there buttering the track back to normal. There was also a spur off Route 1 that led to Water Street down to the Ferry Street bridge that served 7 spurs to the Industries there including Schiavonne and Sons Scrap Metal on one side and the defunct Yale Brewery on the other. I think the track crossed Ferry Street to National Gypsum. In 1977 I rounded the curve at Criscoulo Park, turning left onto Water Street and nearly ran head on into another RS-3 in the middle of the road! I believe they were gathering up rolling stock that was left behind when the Industries all closed. In the '80's the John Davis Industrial park was created off James Street and that 2nd crossing from Grand Ave was reconnected in hopes of drawing Industries that would utilize a newly built rail spur but it didn't pan out and was paved over. Until the mid '70's train regularly traveled across Grand Ave on the Belle Dock branch from the New Haven Terminal at New Haven Harbor and one of the Oil tank farm Companies or maybe the Terminal had a small Plymouth Locomotive for jockeying cars around. I'm thrilled to see the revival of the Branch line.
Great Video!! I work at the power plant in the background but am having a hard time getting outside the gate to see this these days so I have only been out there a few times.
After reading the Providence & Worcester article in Trains Magazine's special issue on short lines and regionals (April 2016), I decided to check out some videos of this railroad. I used the magazine to help guide me through this video as well as your P&W NH-1X, Friday the 13th with CT and others. Exceptional coverage and high quality videos.
+SteveTheFazeman Thank you.
@@ebtmikado were they delivering styrene
I saw a Psychiatrist on Montowese Street in Branford who's Office overlooked the NEC! I loved it when a Train went by! One July 4th, my former Fiancee and I climbed a stairway on the building next door, used a gas grill on the 2nd floor deck, ate and watched the Trains and fireworks!
I think the open car, which I thought was being spotted for lumber, is actually being utilized as a buffer car between the Locomotive and the tanker car. Since my childhood both the Tomlinson and every other bridge in Fair Haven would fail to close often. The Tomlinson was problematic because it connects Route 1 over the Quinnipiac River so both rail and vehicular traffic was constantly disrupted. I can't tell you how often I'd be qued, awaiting the bridge to close, only to have the alignment be off and the locking mechanism fail, leaving me to jump on I95 over the Q or back to Fair Haven over the Ferry Street bridge. The Grand Ave bridge was closed for years and the Ferry Street bridge was the last to be repaired. By then, the Grand Ave and Chapel St Bridges had been rebuilt. My friend made the cables for the new Tomlinson Bridge and they weren't right. They were remade for a higher tensile strength. Including the 15 years the State took to rebuild !55 and the Q Bridge, movement was deterred most of my life and I moved to Florida in 2010 I longed to see this route back in operation. I worked for Tilcon as the Road Runner for the Quarry in N Bfd, where I lived for 30 years and that truck allowed me access (as a Rail Fan) to just about anywhere without any concern. I'd don my hard hat and start taking pictures. The P&W switched out our cars for Amtrak and CDOT. They also took our loads over the airline from the Wallingford Quarry. My Father worked for McCluskey wire on Grand Ave, two buildings from the crossing over to Belle Dock and I watched trains on Peck street just 30 yards from the switch off the main to the branch. Back then it was all Tanker cars and an occasional short freight train.
Great job and really like the scenery on the layout.. Many Thanks..
njRRtrainer
This is the move I watched as a kid when a lone Yard Switcher would drag 36 oil tank cars from the New Haven Terminal, across Grand Ave, over the N&S NEC tracks 1 and two onto track 3 (long gone), the Yard lead into Cedar Hill Yard in the 60's!
Excellent 👍Have just subbed and I look forward to seeing more. Great industrial switching😊. Thanks.
This is a fantastic catch. I've waited years to figure out what was going on down that line. Who are their customers down there?
Cool operation!
Thank you! It's been a long-term goal of mine, too. Posting another clip this morning, taken 0n 8-13.
awesome job with this
+jamie carlson Thank you.
+ebtmikado yvw
That's New Haven terminal I believe there delivery styrene
Great video, what car is that called at 2:02?
CT Rail Videos centerbeam. Usually carries dimensional lumber (such as 2x4s) that are in bundles.
Nice catch! What was the name of the line that would cut Grand Ave (just east of Belle Dock) that would terminate on River Street? @ebtmikado
Manufacturers' Railroad.
Is this still in use?
this is neat!
Sweet
CSX
Sweet