I lived in New Brunswick, NJ and met Ed Kaspriske and George"Bud" Rothaar around 1969. Ed and Bud brought me to North Rahway, NJ where there was a nice access for Penn Central photography. The Penn Central main line was always busy with freight and passenger trains. The main line was a rail fan’s delight!
I will end up in New Brunswick, NJ since I did not venture further west.
North Rahway, NJ
Bud Rothaar with his Speed Graflex camera at North Rahway, NJ and taking notes in September 1972.
North Rahway, NJ with the view looking east. Tracks from right to left are: An industrial siding, then those tracks that are under wire are: track A, 1, 2, 3, 4, & track B in October 1973.
GG-1 #4852 is eastbound on track 2 on a caboose hop in September 10, 1972. robably going to the Meadows Yard for an assignment.
E-44 #4409 & #4434 are westbound with a freight on track 3 on September 10, 1972.
GG-1 #4866 with an eastbound New York & Long Branch passenger train on track A in October 1973.
GG-1 #4854 with a westbound Flexi-Van train. This is Fast Mail #9 on track B in October 1975. Penn Central had U.S.P.O. mail contracts in those years.
GG-1 #4815 & #4844 are westbound i on track 4 on March 24, 1972.
GG-1 #4855 & #4869 hustles the eastbound Fast Mail #10, Flexi-van train on track 2 on September 17, 1972.
E-33 #4608 & #4605 are westbound on track 3 on September 12, 1973.
E-33 #4602 & #4609 are westbound on track 3 in October 1973.
A former PRR RSD-12 diesel is westbound on track B. The diesel’s PRR designation is ARS-19a. She was PRR #8668 and was built in February 1958. I photographed her on September 12, 1973.
E-44 #4401 & #4407 are west on a caboose hop on track 4 on September 10, 1972. Another E-44 powered freight is westbound on track 3.
RS-11 #7652 is eastbound with a local freight on track B in September 1973. This unit was built as PRR #8652, built in 1957.
SD-9 #6912 & #6913 are westbound with a freight on track B on September 17, 1972.
Penn Central Metroliner train set is eastbound at track speed on track 2 in September 1972. I was using Agfachrome film then and it did not age well.
Former Pennsylvania Railroad MP-54 train set is west on track B on September 10, 1972. Note that the first 2 cars are the ‘bride & groom’ consist. The PRR ran a number of these pairs quite a bit. The first car is powered while the second car is an unpowered trailer coach.
This is what the ex-PRR MP-54 westbound looks like at speed in September 17, 1972
GG-1 # 4872 & #4855 power Train #8 ‘The Fast Mail’ on September 10, 1972.
GG-1 #4884 & #4877 lead train #40 “The Broadway Limited” at track speed on track 2 on September 10, 1972. Although this is an Amtrak train, Penn Central power and crew is used.
An Amtrak Metroliner, still with PC markings, is westbound on track 3 on September 10, 1972.
Penn Central Pioneer III trainset #213 is west on track B on September 17, 1973.
Metroliner #883 is running eastbound on track 2 at track speed on September 17, 1972.
E-44 # 4445 with a local freight is passing very slow on September 17, 1972. This train has a problem.
The caboose on the E-44 #4445 powered local train on track 2 is an N5 caboose #19133 on September 17, 1972.
E-44 #4413 & #4423 are westbound on track 3 on September 10, 1973.
SD-45 # 6110 and another unit with an east bound freight on track A in October 1973.
Rahway, NJ
GG-1 #4844 & friend are westbound on track 3 with a freight on October 14, 1972 at Rahway, NJ. The GG-1 still has her PRR stripes.
E33-#4601 & #4606 are westbound on track 3 in January 1974.
GP38 #7903, GP-40 #3213, U-25B #2870, Alco C-430 #2421 with an eastbound freight on track 2 on January 19, 1976.
A GG-1 with a westbound passenger train is being passed by an Amtrak Metroliner on January 19, 1976.
Iselin, NJ & Mertopark
Iselin was a station on the Pennsylvania Railroad and Penn Central for decades. The New Jersey Department of Transportation and the Federal Government built a new complex for commuters a little west of the Iselin station. It was named Metropark. This complex was dedicated on November 11, 1971.
This is a photo of the old Iselin, NJ station in March 1972.
Thisis a view looking west to the new Metropark station from the Iselin platform in November 1972.
Penn Central Pioneer III cars are westbound on track 4 at the Iselin station on March 16, 1975.
GG1 #4835, #4851, #4844 are westbound on track 3 on March 16, 1975.
GG-1 #4913 is eastbound on track 2 at the new Metropark station in Iselin, NJ in November 1971.
An MP54 train set arrives at Metropark on October 18, 1971.The MP54 train sets usually had combined cars lettered for PRR and PC. This train set also has the ‘bride & groom’ combination in the consist.
An Amtrak Metroliner is eastbound at track speed (around 100 MPH) as is roars through the Metropark station on track 2 in October 1971.
New Brunswick, NJ
A Penn Central GG-1 is eastbound with a passenger train over the Raritan River Bridge in October 1975. This offers a perspective of the former PRR arch bridge between New Brunswick and Highland Park, NJ
Penn Central GP-30 #2248 leads an eastbound freight on the arch bridge between New Brunswick and Highalnd Park, NJ, I took this photo from the Highland Park side of Raritan River in June 1975.
Penn Central E-33 #4610 & #4606 with eastbound freight on track 2 in June 1975.
GP-30 #2231 with westbound rail train on track 3 in June 1975.
GG-1 #4809 & #4849 with eastbound freight on track 1 in March 1976. This is one of my last Penn Central photos before Conrail.
SD-45 #6130 & another SD-45 are westbound on track 4 in June 1974.
Penn Central still ran the commuter service in October 1968. The conductor is hollaring ‘All Aboard’ as the westbound (100 series) commuter train gets ready to leave New Brunswick and head west to Trenton, NJ.
E-44 #4437 & #4460 with eastbound piggyback train on Track 2 in early May 1975.
GG-1 #4824 & #4815 with an eastbound freight on track 2 in winter snow on January 27, 1975.
P GG-1 #4864 & another are on a westbound freight on track 3 on NJ. June 25, 1975.
E-44 #4409 & mate are handling a westbound freight train on track 4 in May 1974.
E-44 #4417 and 2nd motor are westbound on track 3 as they pass an eastbound freight on track 2 in September 1975.
A eastbound freight on track 2 with an ex-PRR N-5 caboose #23254 in August 1974.
County Tower, New Brunswick, NJ
County Tower is an interlocking plant wests of the New Brunswick station. This is where the local MP-54 train sets are held for the trip to New York City. The new Jersey Avenue PRR & NJDOT Park & Ride station was built around 1962. The Jersey Avenue platform offered a nice photographic location.
GG-1 #4912 with westbound ‘Philly Clocker’ passenger train on track 4 in November 1971.
E44 #4434 & another motor are westbound on track 3 at the County Tower interlocking in New Brunswick in November 1971.
E-44 #4443 with a red ‘P’ & 2 other motors on a westbound freight on track 3 at County Tower interlocking in November 1971.
Alco RSD-12 #6868 is eastbound on track 1 near County Tower in November 1972.
GG-1 #4862 and another grimy motor are westbound on track 3 at County in September 1973.
This is a photo of an Amtrak Metroliner at speed as it heads west at County Tower around 90-95 MPH on April 11, 1969.
Jersey Avenue Park & Ride
The Jersey Avenue station with an 500 series MU train set departing for New York City in March 1972.
E-44 #4421 & another motor are eastbound with a freight on track 2 at the Jersey Avenue station on a snowy February 1976. The motors have both pans up due to the snow and ice on the catenary.
GG1 #4853 & #4848 are westbound on track 3 on April, 26, 1973.
Amtrak Metroliner #803, still has the PC marking, is westbound on track 3 at Jersey Avenue on a snowy day in February 1976..
Signal #347
A little west from County Tower is signal #347. This site also provided for a nice location for photography.
An Amtrak eastbound Metroliner meets westbound GG-1 #4891 with passenger train at signal #347 in August 1975.
GG1 #4891 is westbound with a ‘Philly Clocker’ on track 4 at Livingston Avenue, near signal #347, in New Brunswick in August 1972.
Amtrak. E-60 #969 west on track 3, signal #347 in August 1975. These were supposed to replace the venerable GG-1. The motors were not very successful!
E-44 #4455 & another motor are eastbound with a TV train on track 2 at Signal 347 in August 1975.
I never went further in those days even though Adams Station was only a few miles west. However, the the early Conrail era, I visited Adams Station many times. I only lived 1/4 mile away from 1979 to 1992. That was my place for photography!
