Upon arrival at Hoboken I encountered Arrow III MU #1314. Despite the M&E being largely electrified, MU's are only used on a few services such as the stop intensive Gladstone Branch locals.
Other equipment hanging out near the buffers included Comet V cab car #6063, #6035 and #6055, along with and split level cab car #7062 and Metro North Comet V cab car #6712 next to NJT Comet V cab car #6040.
Class leading NJT Comet V cab car #6000 could be found adjacent to the new track #5 end buffer that replaced a 1907 vintage buffer that was run through by a slow moving NJT train in 2016. The placement of the new stop mechanism cost about half a carlength of capacity.
The station interior was as gorgeous as ever.
The area outside the official main entrance has been named the George Warrington plaza.
NJT also installed this digital chart to cover all of the strange service patterns.
On the southern expansion platforms I found split level cab cars #7053 and #7037 along with a Metro North Comet V cab on storage track #19.
Hoboken Terminal's 225 foot tall clock tower was added in 2006 to replace the original that had been demolished in the 1950's.
On the Jersey City waterfront, the Shush Lady is evidently displeased by the noise from the Holland Tunnel vent plant.
HBLR LRV #5009 at Hoboken Terminal.
Passing the Welcome to Hoboken Sign over Jersey Ave.
Not much exciting on the outbound trip so I'll skip ahead to my light rail run pulling into Tonnelle Ave with LRV's 5008 and 2043 on the tail tracks.
Apparently LRV #5009 was coupled to #5008 on the run.
Although planned to run more into Bergen County, the HBLR currently terminates at Tonnelle Ave, just shy of the former NY Central West Shore line that used to use its right of way into Weehawken. Behind the two storage tracks and turning loop is the current CSX River Line.
Tonnelle Ave station showing the switches between the loop and tail tracks along with HBLR LRV #2044, which soon departed over a cab speed diverging signal.
The tunnel that I assume Tonnelle Ave is named after is the former West Shore RR Weehawken Tunnel. The West Shore RR was built by interests associated with the PRR as a direct competitor to the NY Central's main line from NYC to Buffalo. Vanderbilt's counter move to construct the South Pennsylvania Railroad between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh resulted in both parties swapping ownership to preserve the monopolistic status quo. The Central operated the West Shore as a parallel second main line, but ultimately the collapse of long distance passenger service and NYC as an industrial center shifted most freight to the West Shore south of Selkirk Yard. Conrail ultimately transferred the tunnel and associated Hoboken waterfront right of way to NJT for use by the HBLR with traffic shifted to a second main line to the HACK drawbridge.
Passing ALP-45DP #4505 and the MU storage yard on approach to the HBLR's Hoboken Terminal.
The majority of the trip now complete it was time to head over to Penn Station via The PATH to get back home.
The Hotel Pennsylvania is now almost completely gone.
Acela Express power car #2017 would be leading my train home and departing Penn Station we passed NJT ALP-46 #4624 in what used to be the open air space west of 9th Ave.
Spotted Erie Lackawanna ALP-45DP #4519 at Manhattan Transfer along with some PATH PA-4 cars in work train service.
Passing through Trenton and past FAIR tower at 110mph.
Update your sign Bennett.
Update your sign Bennett.
Finally, pulling through the old ZOO interlocking my train began to pace a CSX C40-10W locomotives #5390 and #5177 on the Philly High Line.
Well that's it for my big day out on the M&E and NJT Light Rail. Next time I'll be headed back down south the the land of peaches, heat and humidity.
Well that's it for my big day out on the M&E and NJT Light Rail. Next time I'll be headed back down south the the land of peaches, heat and humidity.
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