05-04-2014, 12:12 PM
Next to the planes is part of the former CNJ ROW. It is now used by the Reading Blue mountain and Northern. No trains were running that day, it would have been nice to see a few. Just above in a few spots this is another grade, possibly the former LV.
After our trip up and down the planes we headed over to the near by CNJ backtrack that was used to get around the planes. The Central had rebuilt a group of heavy Mikado's with extra weight and special breaking equipment to handle trains over the steep grades that were part of this way out of Ashley. For over 100 years the planes were the only way out of this mountainous area. The CNJ had contemplated getting some modern Challengers and Northerns for this section of rail, but the advent of Dynamic braking proved to be the better way to go.
Here is a spot that was used in a CNJ produced movie called The Big Little Railroad that follows a coal train from the Huber breaker in Ashley to the coal piers in Jersey city.
You can find chunks of anthracite coal all along the way here. I have the tip of my size 10 shoe in this shot for scale.
After our trip up and down the planes we headed over to the near by CNJ backtrack that was used to get around the planes. The Central had rebuilt a group of heavy Mikado's with extra weight and special breaking equipment to handle trains over the steep grades that were part of this way out of Ashley. For over 100 years the planes were the only way out of this mountainous area. The CNJ had contemplated getting some modern Challengers and Northerns for this section of rail, but the advent of Dynamic braking proved to be the better way to go.
Here is a spot that was used in a CNJ produced movie called The Big Little Railroad that follows a coal train from the Huber breaker in Ashley to the coal piers in Jersey city.
You can find chunks of anthracite coal all along the way here. I have the tip of my size 10 shoe in this shot for scale.
My other car is a locomotive, ARHS restoration crew