Metro North Pt Jervis Line

Status
Not open for further replies.

GTR8000

NY/NJ Database Guy
Database Admin
Joined
Oct 4, 2007
Messages
15,417
Location
BEE00
On the NYS Railroads page, under Metro-North Commuter Railroad "Systemwide":

Pascack Line and Port Jervis lines are operated by New Jersey Transit for Metro-North. Refer to the NJT section in the New Jersey Railroads database. MTA Police handles law enforcement
 

KB1VLA

Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
327
Location
South Berwick, ME
Did the Port Jervis line change frequencies (was 160.800) since the line has been leased to MN from NS? I know the line between Port Jervis and Binghamton now uses 160.485 and is dispatched by NYSW. Is the Port Jervis line controlled by an NS or MN (or NJT...?) dispatcher? It seems like it would be an island of NS tracks that aren't connected to another portion of the system.
 

jmp883

Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2005
Messages
565
Location
Northern NJ
I was a dispatcher on the Main Line back in the early 2000's.

The Port Jervis Line is controlled by the NJT Main Line Dispatcher. The Main Line Dispatcher controls the Main Line, the Bergen County Line, the Pascack Valley Line, and the Port Jervis Line, all on 161.400 MHz

The Main Line is the former DL&W RR trackage between Hoboken, NJ and Paterson, NJ. At Paterson the line has been merged into the former Erie RR trackage from Jersey City to Suffern, NY.

The Bergen County Line is the former Erie RR trackage from Hoboken to Suffern, NY.
The Main Line and the Bergen County Line split at Bergen Jct. just northwest of West End Interlocking and come together again at Ridgewood Jct.

The Pascack Valley Line is a former Erie RR line that runs from Pascack Jct. on the Bergen County Line to Spring Valley, NY.

The Port Jervis Line begins at the division post in Hillburn Yard, just west of the Suffern, NY station, and is the former Erie RR line to Port Jervis via the former Erie RR Graham Cutoff.

There is a good mix of commuter trains and both local and through freight trains from both Norfolk Southern and the Susquehanna.
 

KB1VLA

Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
327
Location
South Berwick, ME
Perfect, thank you very much!
I was a dispatcher on the Main Line back in the early 2000's.

The Port Jervis Line is controlled by the NJT Main Line Dispatcher. The Main Line Dispatcher controls the Main Line, the Bergen County Line, the Pascack Valley Line, and the Port Jervis Line, all on 161.400 MHz

The Main Line is the former DL&W RR trackage between Hoboken, NJ and Paterson, NJ. At Paterson the line has been merged into the former Erie RR trackage from Jersey City to Suffern, NY.

The Bergen County Line is the former Erie RR trackage from Hoboken to Suffern, NY.
The Main Line and the Bergen County Line split at Bergen Jct. just northwest of West End Interlocking and come together again at Ridgewood Jct.

The Pascack Valley Line is a former Erie RR line that runs from Pascack Jct. on the Bergen County Line to Spring Valley, NY.

The Port Jervis Line begins at the division post in Hillburn Yard, just west of the Suffern, NY station, and is the former Erie RR line to Port Jervis via the former Erie RR Graham Cutoff.

There is a good mix of commuter trains and both local and through freight trains from both Norfolk Southern and the Susquehanna.
 

KC2zZe

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2011
Messages
604
Location
Mid-Hudson Valley, NY
The Port Jervis Line is controlled by the NJT Main Line Dispatcher. The Main Line Dispatcher controls the Main Line, the Bergen County Line, the Pascack Valley Line, and the Port Jervis Line, all on 161.400 MHz

The Port Jervis Line begins at the division post in Hillburn Yard, just west of the Suffern, NY station, and is the former Erie RR line to Port Jervis via the former Erie RR Graham Cutoff.
Regarding the "Port Jervis" Line frequency information above...in almost two decades of monitoring in Orange County, I have not once heard activity on 161.4000. The tracks in question are Norfolk Southern's and their road channel (160.8000) is used for communications by "Main Line" to both the commuter and freight trains running that segment. The other railroad frequencies used along that line are:

161.1600 - when Metro-North RR is doing work on the signals
160.4400 - when New Jersey Transit is doing MoW work (with 161.4750 being an occasional alternate channel)
161.2200 - by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police - Northern Region units that patrol that Line.
 
Last edited:

RadioDitch

Signals Identification Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
3,074
Location
All over the map.
The route is controlled by the NJTransit Main Line dispatcher, and leased to Metro-North, however it is still the NS Southern Tier Line of the Harrisburg Division.

At CP-Sparrow, the ultimate northern/western limit of operations of NJTransit/Metro-North, the frequency changes to 160.485 and the route is controlled by the NYS&W Cooperstown Dispatcher as part of a lease from NS to NYS&W legal subsidiary Central New York Railroad.
 
Last edited:

Ishmole

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
376
Location
Walden, NY
A quick aside....There is a small railroad line that operates in Orange County. I do not know the exact name, but they make 2 or 3 runs a week from Campbell Hall to Walden via the old Erie Montgomery Branch and the old Penn Central's Wallkill Valley line. I monitor them on 160.650.

Mike
 

RadioDitch

Signals Identification Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
3,074
Location
All over the map.
A quick aside....There is a small railroad line that operates in Orange County. I do not know the exact name, but they make 2 or 3 runs a week from Campbell Hall to Walden via the old Erie Montgomery Branch and the old Penn Central's Wallkill Valley line. I monitor them on 160.650.

Mike

Middletown & New Jersey.
 

KC2zZe

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2011
Messages
604
Location
Mid-Hudson Valley, NY
I didn't want to go into that room, since the thread's subject is about Metro-North's Port Jervis line, after all; but since the door's been opened...

Middletown and New Jersey's 160.6500 is their alternate channel. I have 160.3200 as their primary channel in my notes.

While we're now on the subject of active railroads in Orange County, in addition to Norfolk Southern/NJ Transit/Metro-North, Middletown & NJ, and NY,S&W all mentioned above, there's also CSX, operating the River Line along the Hudson: 160.9800 primary, 160.2600 secondary.
 

KB1VLA

Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
327
Location
South Berwick, ME
I've been confused about the second River Line freq for a while; the DB has it as 160.590, and I've seen it elsewhere as both 160.620 and 160.260.
 

K2KOH

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 30, 2001
Messages
2,731
Location
Putnam County, NY
OK, since I got some Orange railfans here...what are those tank cars under I-84 between I think it's Exits 2 and 3? Looks like an old abandoned lines, and there were covered hoppers there for the longest, now there are tankers. Any ideas?
 

KB1VLA

Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
327
Location
South Berwick, ME
OK, since I got some Orange railfans here...what are those tank cars under I-84 between I think it's Exits 2 and 3? Looks like an old abandoned lines, and there were covered hoppers there for the longest, now there are tankers. Any ideas?

M&NJ must be storing cars there.
 

RadioDitch

Signals Identification Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
3,074
Location
All over the map.
I've been confused about the second River Line freq for a while; the DB has it as 160.590, and I've seen it elsewhere as both 160.620 and 160.260.

The dispatcher frequency has changed several times since 1999.

Correct and current:
Road Channel 58/58 (160.9800MHz)
NI Dispatcher 34/34 (160.6200MHz)
 

KC2zZe

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2011
Messages
604
Location
Mid-Hudson Valley, NY
Guys, this has been one of the more productive threads here on RR; very informative. A tip of the hardhat to you all.

I'd like to consolidate from the above posts the frequency information (along with some database info), for the entire county of Orange, into one list to make sure I'm hearing all that there is to monitor railroad-wise. This should do it, right?

160.8000 Norfolk Southern (MNRR Port Jervis Line) road 1 / MTA Metro - North Railroad Maintenance of Way (primary)
161.2200 Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police - "N1" (with 160.5600 reported at "N2")
160.4400 New Jersey Transit Maintenance of Way 1
161.4750 New Jersey Transit Maintenance of Way (alternate)
161.1600 MTA Metro - North Railroad Maintenance of Way (alternate)

160.3200 Middletown & New Jersey Railroad ops 1
160.6500 Middletown & New Jersey Railroad ops 2

160.4850 New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway (Southern division)

160.9800 CSX Transportation road 4 (River subdivision)
160.6200 CSX Transportation dispatcher (River subdivision)
(anyone ever see CSX Police in county?)

It's a shame this map http://www.mnjrr.com/images/mnj-map2.pdf cuts off the rivers on the two outer edges.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top