12-02-1976 Park Ridge
Sperry Rail Sevice Car #138 is working westbound checking for rail flaws on the ex Erie New Jersey and New York Railroad in Park Ridge N.J. on 12-02-1976.Conrail is just about 7 months into operating the EL at this time.My family moved here in 1956 when i was four years old into an apartment across the tracks from the boxcar on the siding at Bratt & Doxey Building Supply.The railroad caught my interest immediately and that interest has never since wavered over 60 years later.I no longer live in this town and the changes that have come about are sometimes hard to accept when looking back to the way things were.There were 3 Semaphore masts (two showing in the photo with one lit green for the Sperry) that are gone.Bratt and Doxey Building Supply suffered two devastating fires and a condo complex now occupies the area where the white storage building is on the right. There is now a commuter parking on the left after the Madison Avenue Crossing in the distance where their bulk supply yard used to be. One of my first jobs was stacking used bricks into pallets for resale by Bratt & Doxey at this same location.Dirtiest job that i have ever had dealing with that brick dust.The Park Avenue crossing is down to one track now with the siding being ripped out.The railroad station, where i spent most of my summer vacations with the station agent Joe, has been restored with a replica of the original cupola added to the roof and is now open as a commuter waiting room.Joe arranged for my first ride in a diesel locomotive cab being an Erie Alco RS2 or RS3. Depot Square located directly to the left of the station has been redesigned but amazingly still serves as an area for townsfolk to gather on special occasions throughout the year.I could go on with other details but the more important ones were already mentioned.Howard Kent Jr. photo.
12-02-1976 Park Ridge
Sperry Rail Sevice Car #138 is working westbound checking for rail flaws on the ex Erie New Jersey and New York Railroad in Park Ridge N.J. on 12-02-1976.Conrail is just about 7 months into operating the EL at this time.My family moved here in 1956 when i was four years old into an apartment across the tracks from the boxcar on the siding at Bratt & Doxey Building Supply.The railroad caught my interest immediately and that interest has never since wavered over 60 years later.I no longer live in this town and the changes that have come about are sometimes hard to accept when looking back to the way things were.There were 3 Semaphore masts (two showing in the photo with one lit green for the Sperry) that are gone.Bratt and Doxey Building Supply suffered two devastating fires and a condo complex now occupies the area where the white storage building is on the right. There is now a commuter parking on the left after the Madison Avenue Crossing in the distance where their bulk supply yard used to be. One of my first jobs was stacking used bricks into pallets for resale by Bratt & Doxey at this same location.Dirtiest job that i have ever had dealing with that brick dust.The Park Avenue crossing is down to one track now with the siding being ripped out.The railroad station, where i spent most of my summer vacations with the station agent Joe, has been restored with a replica of the original cupola added to the roof and is now open as a commuter waiting room.Joe arranged for my first ride in a diesel locomotive cab being an Erie Alco RS2 or RS3. Depot Square located directly to the left of the station has been redesigned but amazingly still serves as an area for townsfolk to gather on special occasions throughout the year.I could go on with other details but the more important ones were already mentioned.Howard Kent Jr. photo.