Jack Norris Has a New Railfan Hangout

 

I just moved a few miles northeast of where I used to live and now live within 10 miles of four rail lines.

Three of the four lines are very active. I was in Dumont, New Jersey, along the old New York Central West Shore Line (former New York, West Shore & Buffalo), now the CSX River Line. This was NYC’s main freight line between the New York City area (Weehawken, New Jersey) and Selkirk (Albany) New York.

Many changes have taken place here at Milepost NY13 over the years. Until 1959, commuter trains and some Albany-bound trains (as well as trains of the New York, Ontario & Western until 1957) used this line.

The line here at MP 13 was four tracks wide. Dumont was the end of the four-track main and there was a commuter storage yard in town as well.

The main line continued as double track up to Selkirk. Penn Central did away with the four tracks and Conrail did away with the double track.

Where I am standing is the former Dumont Station site. A nice walkway/park lines the strip between the railroad and West Shore Avenue (I wonder where that name came from.)

There is a gazebo and several eating places across the street. CSX provides about 25 trains a day, although since the line is mostly single track the trains tend to come in sporadic bunches.

A concrete slab was most likely the base of a signal bridge. This will be a nice new spot for me to railfan.

Tags: Conrail, CSX, Dumont New Jersey, Jack Norris photographs, New York Central, New York Ontario & Western, Penn Central