Re: (erielack) Destruction of Union Camp paper plant in Clifton / Rt. 3

[Dlw1el2_@_aol.com]

In a message dated 12/8/2004 1:11:01 PM Eastern Standard Time,  
paultup_@_lucent.com writes:

Mike  Maloney asked:

> Doesn't seem all that long ago when boxcars  were
> spotted in front of the Union Camp (Shorewood) folding
>  box plant on Rt. 3 in Clifton,NJ.
> 
> Well, there will be no more  cars there as the plant is
> in the middle of being demolished to make  way for yet
> another (strip mall / big-box retailer / etc.) 
>  
> What line serviced this plant?  ERIE or DLW  ?


<sigh>  There were cars there up until only a few  years ago, it was a pretty 
active EL and CR customer. They always had southern  roadname boxcars at the 
doors out front.

This was serviced off the Erie  Newark Branch. There's actually a pair of 
great pictures that illustrate this  location (though it's not captioned 
indicating the Union Camp plant) in Larry  DeYoung's EL In Color Vol. 4. On page 39 is 
a photo of Erie RS3 933 and a  wreck train on the Union Camp spur. In the 
background you will see the end of  a boxcar and a building to its left - that's 
Union Camp, and the highway to  the right is New Jersey Route 3.

Page 105 shows what I assume to be the  opposite end of the train in the 
above photo - a pair of wreck cranes lifting  RS2 902 out of the muck next to the 
spur. The wreck train in the background  sits on the Newark Branch, the Union 
Camp spur curves off into the foreground  right. The photo looks like it was 
taken from the Route 3 embankment (or the  gas station that's right there). The 
structure at the right with the girders  on top of it is the "Astro Bowl" 
bowling alley.  From the looks of this  photo, it looks like the poor 902 was 
moving along and hit an open switch, and  flew off the Union Camp spur. Anyone 
know more about this  incident?

- - Paul






Having spotted many a box car at Union Camp several things come to mind. 
 
It was a very steep grade up to the door spots. Every bit as steep as  going 
up to Dairy Pak at Morristown. Maybe steeper?  The door way   which you 
spotted was very narrow. You could spot two cars but they would only  work one. The 
west most door.  Sometimes you would pull the second car  up on the way down 
the branch, and they would have it empty when you came  back up later that 
night, thus being able to pull two cars instead of  one.   Tough dark shove in the 
winter.  I always expected the OLD  TIE retaining wall that the Burger place 
sits a top, to slide right down  over the tracks someday.  All the ties were 
rotten 20 years ago.  Well  I guess if it happens now, it won't interfere with 
rail operations. lol
 
For some reason we went down the branch on Saturday afternoon with four GP  
38s all running elephant style. I said to the engineer we have to get a photo 
of  this some where, that will prove where we are.  The end results was we  
pulled all four up the Union Camp lead, all the way to the top and a Kodak  
moment was had by all on the crew that possessed cameras that day. :)
 
Some of the older Erie men would know the details behind the wreck.   
Needless to say it was probably kids opening the switch.
 
Bob Bahrs
 
Yes, the thought did cross my mind what I would say if we went on the  
ground, but.............

------------------------------