Re: (erielack) EL's Port Newark operations?

["Paul Brezicki" <doctorpb_@_bellsouth.net>]

This obscure operation defies all logic, and must have been a short-lived 
trial by the PA. Does the book state what year this took place? My 1975 PA 
map does not show any carfloat terminals on Newark Bay. I doubt the 
operation involved TOFC/COFC, as it would have been cheaper to dray boxes 
from Croxton, so perhaps it took place in the early-mid 60's, before 
containerization displaced conventional movement. Presumably, EL used PA 
track within the Port Newark complex Why would the PA invest money in an 
obsolete and expensive technology that the RR's were trying to abandon? Did 
the State of NJ subsidize it? EL would have had little incentive to to 
aggressively pursue this, as it participated in Port Newark traffic via 
connection with CNJ at Taylor, and then Lake Jct, with the lion's share of 
the linehaul to boot. Beginning in 1972, EL promoted joint service with CNJ 
via Lake Jct for TOFC/COFC into PN when CNJ opened Portside. CNJ touted its 
willingness to handle COFC at Portside, and by late 1975 most of  the boxes 
interchanges with EL at Lake Jct were without chassis.

There was a short-lived (less than a year) intermodal float operation in NY 
harbor in 1979-80. This involved hauling trailers on ICI bogies between 
Greenville NJ and Farmington NY on the LIRR, with the New York Cross Harbor 
handling the float between Greenville and Brooklyn. The idea was to bypass 
congested NYC highways. The operation was discontinued due to a dispute over 
funding of the rail equipment.

Paul B


From: paultup_@_comcast.net
Subject: (erielack) EL's Port Newark operations?

Hi folks,



Just finished the "Trackside" book by Jim Kostibos, and one photo really 
caught my eye. Jim states that to encourage competition, the Port Authority 
of NY & NJ established a float yard at Port Newark. The photo shows EL 
SW1200 #459 with an idler flat sitting on a floatbridge apron while a 
crewmember in the foreground lines up a carfloat.



The location is very easily identifiable: the distinctive control tower for 
Newark Airport can be seen in the distance just to the right of the motive 
power. So yes, this is definitely Port Newark.



So, the questions that flooded my mind:

* Did the EL always keep a switcher stationed here? (did the NYC as well? - 
the other road Jim mentioned)

* Was the floated traffic COFC/TOFC? (an accompanying photo shows an older 
self-unloading Sea-Land ship)

* Did this operation cease before Conrail? If so, when?

* Did the EL actually own any of the Port Newark track, or was it just using 
trackage provided by the Port Authority?



Seems like a fascinating operation...



         - Paul
 


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