I grew up in Linden, NJ, and my Mother still lives there, so , for the last 30 years or so, I’ve always driven a bit out of my way to pass the small yard there. The yard sits aside of the Amtrak/NJ Transit (old PRR) mainline, serving the GM assembly plant, various other industries, with a connection to ConRail’s Chemincal Coast Secondary (Branch).
GM closed their Linden Assembly Plant last month. There are now no more auto plants in New Jersey, used to be many. And, today , I pass the yard, and its completely empty. What an strange sight. All those rows of empty track. All those auto carrier loading ramps standing idle. No old GP38-2’s idling ------ snorting and sparking.
I spent so much time there over the past 3 decades watching old diesels work.
To add just a little to CW’s last post;that’s where the old L & N’s
South Louisville shops were. They ‘tore’ everything out,waited several
years for the enviromental impact study,and built the stadium.
Sure was sad to see those buildings go that way.
I’ve seen small and not-so-small yards disappear almost since I was 10 years old. There used to be a small yard on the Panhandle (PRR) in Dolton/South Holland, IL and it was taken up in the mid-60’s. Later on, I’ve observed the removal of South Hammond (MON), Hammond (EL) and Elsdon (GTW), all in the Chicago area.
You can look for another yard or two to disappear, this one (or these) in Baltimore. GM’s assembly plant there made its last vehicle last week, so no more need for rail service. The plant was opened in the 1930’s, I believe.
When I lived up in Wausau, WI back in the 1970’s the Milwaukee Road had a small yard and roundhouse in the city and you could usually find one to five units working the yard or idling away waiting for their next assignment and there would be many cars in and outbound, but today the yard and roundhouse are gone and only one track is through the old yard area. There also used to be a C&NW yard south of town to handle the Wausau to Green Bay (and at that time west to Eau Claire) trains but the yard and the line to Green Bay and west is gone…but the Chinese restaurant (Billy Moy’s?) located in the old C&NW passenger station downtown Wausau is still there (I think). Yes, progress stinks.
All teh Milwaukee Road shops in Milwaukee are gone. Miller Park (home of the Brewers) is in a part, and the parking takes up some more. The rest is vacant awaiting redevelopment. Two roundhouses, boiler works, car shops (freight and passenger) all gone. There is more Miwaukee road saved in Montana than in Milwaukee. Sad.