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 Post subject: Chester Branch being revived by Stimulus Funding
PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 9:46 pm 
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Morris gets go-ahead for $6M rail project funded by stimulus

ROXBURY NJ -- Morris County received Federal Highway Administration approval today to rehabilitate a 5.8 mile stretch of the Chester Branch rail line from Wharton to Randolph and will get almost $6 million in federal stimulus funds for the job.

The rail project is one of six transportation projects for which the county received $8.92 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, including signal and intersection improvements and paving. The rail project is estimated to cost $5.8 million. The county can now seek bids for the project.

Roxbury and Morris County signed a agreement in July to allow the rehabiliation project. The Chester Branch passes near the township's Horseshoe Lake recreation area.

"The rehabilitation of the Chester Branch meets the intent of the federal stimulus
legislation by creating employment opportunities not only during rehabilitation but by the future economic opportunities it will create in Morris County,'" said Freeholder Director Gene F. Feyl. "This project has regional, long-term benefits, and I am thrilled that it has reached this critical milestone.''

The Chester Branch now serves Roxbury commercial users, but has the potential to also serve customers in Randolph, in particular the former Westinghouse site, now the BETA Corporate Park, Feyl said.

"The corporate park has a rail siding serving the property, and even though there are no current railroad customers, this could change once the rehabilitation work is completed and tenants see a reliable rail service option,'' Feyl said.

The freight line was donated to the county by Chester Branch, LLC, in October, and the Morristown & Erie Railway has a management agreement with the county to continue to operate on the Chester Branch. The M&E also operates the two other county-owned rail lines: the High Bridge Branch and the Dover & Rockaway Railroad.

Efficient use of this rail line has the potential to reduce truck traffic along major roads including Route 10, Sussex Turnpike, Route 46, Route 80 and other arterial roads throughout Morris County, Feyl said. He noted one rail car is approximately equivalent to four tractor trailers.

http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 0991201066


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 9:55 pm 
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I'm kind of shocked by this announcement. I would have thought, if anything, they would be salvaging the rail for scrap. If you follow this line, it no longer goes into Chester. The line stops at the Horse Shoe Lake park. However there is a spur off of this line. If you walk the spur, it pretty much terminates at two different companies. One of which they bulldozed and grated the land over the loading zone. On the other termination spot, the rails are cut up for a path into a storage area in the woods. While I'd love to see this railroad saved, other than County Concrete, I'm not sure if they will ever find someone to use it.

This line would be a great line for one of those motor cars or speeders.. But i don't see this line reducing any truck traffic in the area.

Miner Greg


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:11 pm 
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Do you know if the line was still in use recently? The last time I'd walked along the Chester RR (5 years ago?), the track was in such horrible shape that the rails noticeably bowed in and out and many ties were deteriorated to the point that they were merely aesthetic rather than functional (like many of the stulls in our mines hehe). It is too bad the railroad could not be maintained under private ownership.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 9:19 am 
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I haven't seen any evidence in many years that they use this line for anything down in the Rt 10 area. There are no companies that the line services anymore down there. The termination points were destroyed! Off the spur, the woods is also a bit overgrown which would require some clearing.

The only major area where I see the Chester Branch still providing use is as a means of getting onto the High Bridge Branch railroad. You can see the Chester Railroad active near the Morris and Essex, but I believe it is only used for getting onto the High Bridge Branch. The High Bridge Branch is still an active railroad and does get trains. I was told / read that they basically get one train a day. I believe they are serviced by the M&E (Morristown and Erie). The rail bed looks maintained and they recently put up new grade crossings on Rt. 10.

I have not followed the Chester Railroad in a while between High Bridge Branch and the end of it, but I am not sure what other customers could be on there and if any are using it. Like you said, the ties are in bad shape.. County Concrete was named as a company who wants to use it...


Miner Greg


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 9:55 am 
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I'm getting slightly confused as to why and how County Concrete would use the Chester Branch. Up until the mid 90's, the High Bridge Branch still ran right through their property. The tracks were just covered up by quarry dust and overgrown before they were removed. Am I understanding that they want to reinstate part of the old High Bridge right of way into the quarry or do they have another shipping point along the Chester branch?

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:15 pm 
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Holland Manufacturing is the main customer on this line. They get regular service. This company owned the line along with Westinghouse Elevator until Westinghouse closed down. The reason the tracks are in such bad shape is because Holland never spent a dime on them.

There is also a new lumber yard coming online that will get rail service and they are on the horseshoe lake side of Rt. 10. These tracks are and will continue to be in service.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:12 pm 
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Interesting Mike thanks. It is nice to see new industries taking advantage of rail transport. Do you happen to know any details about County Concrete's proposed usage of the line? I wonder if it would make sense to reinstate the right-of-way from County Concrete to the Morris & Essex line (NJ Transit) in Wharton? Of course that is me just dreaming but it would definitely bring back some of the lost character to Wharton.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:08 am 
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Miner Mike wrote:
Interesting Mike thanks. It is nice to see new industries taking advantage of rail transport. Do you happen to know any details about County Concrete's proposed usage of the line? I wonder if it would make sense to reinstate the right-of-way from County Concrete to the Morris & Essex line (NJ Transit) in Wharton? Of course that is me just dreaming but it would definitely bring back some of the lost character to Wharton.


No I don't know anything about CC using the line. I haven't heard anything about that but...

CC has obviated the right of way through their property, just beyond what was called HO junction the land is being quarried. I was in there about a year ago and it was a mess. Deep trenches and high piles of dirt and stone where the tracks once were.

If this link works, you can see it here:

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&where1=Wh ... &encType=1

Those dark paths are where the tracks at HO Junction were, As you can see the right of way south of there is gone.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:05 pm 
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I'm having difficulties finding where I read about County Concrete's use of the rail. From what else I have read, they are hoping that someone in the former Holland and Westinghouse site, now BETA Corporate Park would have a use for rail service. The tracks there are somewhat torched where they decided to make a road over the rail, however the money is going to restore service all the way there. In addition, Kuiken Brothers has already reconstructed their siding so that they can begin to receive rail traffic in their new distribution facility they are building off of Rt. 10. I'd imagine this would be a major use of the line. Right now the condition of the tracks are so bad that I don't think rail use is possible.

The scope of the project is:

The Chester Branch Railroad rehabilitation project includes complete repairs on 4 miles of existing track, which has been classified by the Federal Railroad Administration as -Excepted Track: The project will include rail change out, full tie replacements, new ballasts, 10 #10 switches-complete, surfacing of the entire right of way, two new run a round sidings with turnouts, brush cutting, wood chipping, and tie removal. Cleaning and repainting of one railroad bridge over a roadway is also included in the project.

Miner Greg


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