When the F40's Dominated

I spent a mid-day at the NJ Transit Roselle Park, NJ station along the CRSA Lehigh Line on Friday August 25, 2000 catching the action between Raritan Valley Line commuter trains and a few freights. An appearance is made by a GP40PH-2B even though at this time the F40's were predominant on the Raritan Valley Line. The freights you see are also no longer existent as well, NS 262 the RoadRailer to Portside, NS 20A to Erail and CSX L412 bound for Oak Island.

[@cjw7329]

I miss the F40s. The ALP45DPs are cool, but I miss those older engines too. Yet there was no such thing as a PL42AC back then either!

[@de-fault_de-fault]

5:47 I started riding the trains on my own when I was about 14 (which would have been a year before this), and somehow I’ve always remembered that the first time I got on one by myself, I sat in car 5159. I would always notice it when I saw it on the line after that, and it was cool to spot it here, too.

[@LookOutForTheTrain]

Back then you had variety, and people wouldn't question you about why you were filming at a train station

[@ecoRfan]

that guy at 3:21 is pretty funny

[@SouthJerseyRailProductions]

@@ecoRfan yes

[@RaisedLetter]

Something I never got to see by the time I was really able to explore the vast NJT network. Really wish I could have. Something I kind of can't fathom but maybe I really shouldn't. Why did NJT favor its GP40PH fleet over the F40PH fleet. Just seemed like the F40's were more up to the job with their improved HEP systems but I guess the GP40s were more versatile.
Also great recording of Townley's older defect detector and cab car 5157 gives intense Budd Silverliner vibes.

[@tonyrobertson2539]

This brings back memory’s of my younger years

[@cjw7329]

Also, the Arrows are the only cars still in service with that chime at 16:45

[@JoshuaTheTransitProdigy]

Nice catch! I live by that station, Union and Elizabeth! Again, nice catch!

[@robloxyessidthekidno6642]

3:22: “AH HAH!”

[@Conrailfan2323]

Amazing how much better the quality of Railfanning was 18 years ago. So much more variety. Now its a quarter of this. Sad.

[@lennysvideoz]

comet IB's look really interesting..

[@de-fault_de-fault]

They were actually old Arrow I’s with the powertrains removed and the center doors blanked out, which is why they look more like the Arrow/Silverliner family than they do the other Comets.
Funny thing is the IB’s that later saw service with Amtrak California got sort of a Comet tribute livery with a dark beltline around the windows in addition to the disco stripes by the doors, and they just call them Comets. Not to be confused with the actual Comets Amtrak runs in the Midwest (aka Horizons).

[@ecoRfan]

I liked each of the times they'd mix a GP40PH-2/B or GP40FH-2 into the rotation of mostly F40PH-2/CAT's. Got rather repetitive from the standpoint of someone who's been there. If you watch that summer 2000 video by Jersey Mike of the RVL cab ride, every single engine that appears on the RVL is an F40. You can even hear radio chatter about a Coast Line train with an F, the other line they dominated before the Bay Head fuel tank was removed.

[@davidcolantuono3622]

I've said it many times before online and I'll say it again...
#TimeMachine