Intermodal Op Session 1C Part 3 - Intermodal Train Q160 From Chicago to Reynolds Intermodal Terminal (Via North Bergen)

Greetings followers of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad!

The action continues as we await CSX Intermodal Train Q160 from Bedford Park, IL (Chicago) to Reynolds Intermodal Terminal via North Bergen Yard.

Here's a little background and history on the North Bergen, NJ Yard: 

The North Bergen Yard is freight rail yard and intermodal terminal in North Bergen, New Jersey parallel to Tonnelle Avenue between 49th and 69th Streets. Located within the North Jersey Shared Assets Area, the facility is part of CSX Transportation (CSXT) and the origination point of its CSX River Subdivision at the southern end of the Albany Division. On its west side, the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYSW) runs the length of the yard and operates a bulk transloading operation immediately adjacent to it.

A rail right of way was laid at the foot of the western slope of the Hudson Palisades in 1859 by the Northern Railroad of New Jersey to Croxton, Jersey City, and by 1874 the Hudson Connecting Railway had parallel alignment, now part of NYSW. In 1883 the West Shore Railroad had also laid tracks. The lines travelled to Marion Junction where using the New Jersey Railroad (later the Pennsylvania (PRR)) they passed through the Bergen Hill Cut to the Pennsylvania RR Depot at Exchange Place. Passenger service passing through yard was provided by the Erie Railroad's Northern Branch, which along with NYSW for a time stopped at Susquehanna Transfer, about a half mile to the south of the yard before proceeding to the Pavonia Terminal. After 1886, and until discontinuation of service in 1959, West Shore Railroad trains travelling to and from Weehawken Terminal would join the right of way at a rail junction at the yards southern end just west of its tunnel under Bergen Hill. This tunnel was also later used by Conrail's River Line until in an agreement with New Jersey Transit the trackage was upgraded and freight shifted to the west side of the Hudson Palisades.

In this day and age, motive power is 'pooled' or 'leased' from other railroads. Sometimes it's more cost effective to have motive power run from one destination to another, and change crews at various locations. 

CSX train Q160 made a stop at Syracuse, NY to change crews and to drop off a block of it's Intermodal train from Chicago. That section will go on to Terminal Yard as Train Q160A.

While CSX isn't as nostalgic these days as some other railroads, they did leave some motive power in the previous owners paint scheme, meaning Conrail. 

The engine on this part of the Intermodal train is Conrail 6681, an SDP45 engine. 

The SDP45 was a six-axle, C-C, 3,600-horsepower (2,680 kW) road switcher diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. It was a passenger-hauling version of the SD45 on a stretched locomotive frame with an extended, squared-off long hood at the rear, aft of the radiators, giving space for a steam generator for passenger train heating. This steam generator placement followed the pattern set by the SDP35 and SDP40.

A few SDP45s remain in service, rebuilt to SD40-2 standards.

Train Q160 heads over from North Bergen and arrives on Track 1 at West Harold Interlocking. 

An approach signal is given and Train Q160 will take the West Harold secondary track where the local switcher will break down the train and shove the cuts into the Reynolds Intermodal Terminal.

Arriving on West Harold Secondary Track 1 - Q160!

Next up, delivery of Q160 to Reynolds Intermodal Terminal!