The CSX River Subdivision
Ridgefield Park NJ (1 of 3)
Added 10/2010 Copyright © 2010 Lewis Bogaty
Above: Containers are shuttled across the
Overpeck Creek on the River Sub tracks. October 31, 2008.
After disappearing from sight at 83rd Street in North Bergen, the River Subdivision tracks come back into view at the Overpeck Creek in Ridgefield Park, the well-known CP 5. Here the River Sub and the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway run side-by-side. The Susie Q has a yard here, and its yard engines can be seen shuttling cars across the westernmost of the two bridges over the creek. River Subdivision trains heading for North Bergen take the double-tracked easternmost bridge. But those trains routed to the Little Ferry yard switch over to the Susie Q tracks here, at Milepost 6, and take the western bridge across the Creek. On occasion, autorack switching operations on the River Sub can be viewed at CP 5. (With two railroad's yards here, be especially careful not to trespass.)
North of CP 5, the former Ridgefield Park train station at Mt. Vernon Street is a second vantage point for viewing trains. And again the Susquehanna is an added attraction. SU 100 stops to drop its train, and switching operations can often be seen there.
Getting there: From Rt. 46, exit at Teaneck Road south and follow it to Bergen Turnpike west to CP 5. Alternatively, from Routes 1 & 9 in Ridgefield, turn west at the Ridgefield Circle onto Hendricks Causeway and follow it as it becomes Bergen Turnpike to the tracks. For the train station, from CP 5 take Main Street north and turn west on Mt. Vernon Street to the tracks.
Across the Overpeck Creek
A River Line UPS mail train heads south across
the Overpeck Creek on the morning of October 13, 2010.
Above: Q439 crosses the creek with a surprise
Conrail engine on October 31, 2009.
Above: Yard engines haul cars across the bridge
on the Susie Q tracks.
A busy day for Conrail engines, October 31, 2009.
3 Below: With the still water like glass on
October 31, 2008, a yard engine hauls several
container cars past the restaurant, onto the bridge, and by the south signal for
CP5.
Below: At work on the Susquehanna. October 27,
2008.
Above and 2 below: Northbound across the
bridge, a Norfolk Southern engine
works as a Susquehanna yard switcher. October 31, 2008.
Above: Conrail 5279 a year earlier, with
another cut of cars. October 27, 2008.
Above & 2 below: Digging up some dirt south of the bridge and hauling it north. October 31, 2008.
