Thanks for the walk down memory lane. I lived in Helmetta from 1980 to 1983. I was 5-8yrs old. The snuff plant was still in operation. What are now the odd numbered homes on John St. - I played on the dirt piles in the construction sites as they were being built. And oh yeah, that "oddball" house on Railroad Avenue... that was built during this time as well, and my sister was friends with the girl who lived there. Conrail would pass through there at all hours, seriously. 4:00am or 11:00pm - it didn't matter. You got used to it. I liked watching them run switching operations for the snuff plant. To a 5yr old, that was absolutely fascinating. I don't remember if the catenary wires were still running over the tracks, but there were definitely live wires overhead that you could hear crackling on humid summer days. I remember the getting milk at the general store (beside the post office), in cardboard cartons. The owner would always give me a couple of Swedish Fish on my way out. Now I have to buy my own Swedish Fish 😆
Steve - Grew up in Garfield NJ (Bergen County), when I was 12 years old (1973) developed an interest in trains and railroading. Would run several blocks every night to meet the Dundee switch crew at 7pm spent a number of years with some fine railroad men. Riding behind the Engineer in the cab of a EL EMD GP-9 and sitting in the caboose with the Brakeman and Conductor, coal stove for heat and kerosene lamp for light. At 60 years old those memories have never faded; the smell of diesel the kerosene and a few times bacon with toasted Kaiser Roll cooked on top of the coal stove. 1979 I graduated high school and left NJ to explore the country, about the same time that switch crew was being split up. On my last visit they gave me the kerosene lantern with the red globe that hung on the back of the caboose for years, a EL switch key and timetable. Also spent some of those younger years riding with my brother between Carlstadt NJ and Binghamton NY in a +/- 1968 Mack Cabover 15 speed twin stick. Still enjoying trains and trucks after 50 years. Keep up the solid content on your channels -
The town Helmetta caught my interest right off the bat. I used to live there back in the early 80’s with my dad. He used to own the Helmetta General Store there then he renovated it and it became the Helmetta Mall. Me and my friends used to go into that factory when it was shut down. I remember my dad used to make breakfast for the workers there before it shut down. Lots of memories i have there. Look up “where’s Helmetta? 4.11.88. My brother was interviewed in it about the general store and about some of the history of the Helme company. My dad bought the presidents home there. It was the big yellow colored home down from the store on the same side going towards Jamesburg. It was a great house. Of course he renovated it too. Thanks for the video and some history.
When you were singing "I owe me soul to the company soul" I thought for sure you were going to turn the camera around to show us "the company store" which was still a general store when i lived in east brunswick. Then it became a pizzeria when i moved to outcalt. Oh BTW I don't know if you remember the train station that was out in the middle of a field at Kordos nursery on Cranbury road, That was the Helmetta train station that used to be alongside the tracks I believe by that row of houses. George Helm named the town after his daughter Etta.
My dad was a big rail fan .he had a lot of o gauge trains he would work on them all the time.he has just passed on 3 2 2022 so now I have someone that is getting his trains. I love trains .thanks don
You were so close to where I lived in Spotswood! Maiden Lane. I was hoping you drove a little more past wrinkle village that’s what we called it as kids. We would hop that train from Maiden Lane into Helmetta and then walk back home. Ah memories. Thank you
Wow Steve I enjoyed that video! I too was born and raised in NJ not far from you. I was born in North Jersey and later moved to South Jersey when my father took a job at then Trenton State College. We lived in Willingboro after the move. There are lots of old industrial era lines like that in the area too as well as "company housing". I always enjoyed watching trains run those lines as a kid. Like yours, my parents have since moved out of NJ and headed south for better weather, lower cost of living, less taxes, and no NJ style govt corruption. I still go back at least 2 to 3 times a year though, as my brother and sister and their families still live there in Vorhees and Sicklerville. Plus, I live to go to Cape May for a couple of days during the summer. I moved out to Northern VA when I took a job in DC years back. I also drove trucks back in NJ for then Roadway Package System (drove a Freightliner cabover) now known as FedEx ground. I used to pickup once a week in the Jamesburg/Cranbury area at Conair.
WOW very nice road trip. That fenced in area with all the towers where there used to be a lot of equipment back when you were a kid. This is what everything was for high voltage transformers to step down the high voltage for the Catenary system. Back in the ole day's with Pennsylvania Railroad electrified roads sections. At some location on the system there was one coal fired Power station. It produced the 125 kv 25 Hz That voltage was run along the tracks on the long poles with the very long insulators. That was called Primary feeder. And spaced out by miles was the Substations like the one you showed us. The 3 phase AC 125kv 25hz feed transformers and reactors and filters to feed the Track overhead Catenary for the pantograph on top of the locomotive. And that stepped down voltage was 11kv 25hz. Catenary wires were supported by the horizontal overhead I-beams across the tracks. Today all of the old Substations have been replaced by much newer equipment. And the coal fired power stations have all long been gone. The Power is supplied by the local power company at 60hz and the Supply to the Catenary is now much higher at 25kv at 60hz Thank you so much for the tour of your ole home time and it's history with rail road. Very nice. Thank you again. 👍👍👍
I grew up on John st and lived there from 1962 until 1978. Went to the school that they turned into the town hall, fished out behind the pump houde that was next to the fire house and I can tell you much more. The huggie sheds are gone as is the water tower that was next to the pond. So many changes and yet it was like yesterday.
Strange how in North America except for the Boston, Washington route they have abandoned electric trains for Diesel, but in Europe most the main lines are electic. Nice video.
Good Evening Brother I love The Truck.n videos I worked in the mill doing plumbing building the apartments I Loved Train since I saw first have You Ever been in that place alone I spent 4 years that Construction they did in 1882 in still Amazing it's as Alive as Us Nuts Haunted day & night I'm from freehold twp live in Jackson now moving to Western SC will always be looking for You on the 81 77 85 corridor peace & Grease
My area as well. I had an apartment for some years in Outcalt on Ave D, Many years ago when the catenary was energized though few if any E-44s ran on the line, A kid climbed to the top of that tower at the step down yard you show @16.08 and made contact. I was driving home from Emmets inn and drove past and emergency vehicles were parked on Manalapan road with spotlights aimed at the top of that tower to the right about where the platform is. I didn't find out what the hell was going on til the next day when it was in the news. The kid lived right across the street and the parents were distraught because they weren't gonna bring his body down until they deenergized the line. I remember his last name was Smith but no relation. Ask around.
See you were talking about the line that goes to Freehold in your video. That’s the line that runs right through Jamesburg as you mentioned. They usually run there on Monday and Wednesday afternoon/evenings generally anywhere between 4 and 6 or so.
3:00pm is when your going to see the local CSX route going through Jamesburg (down railroad ave). If your lucky sometimes you'll see a Norfolk Southern going over the bridge, I have never seen one go down Railroad Ave.
Thanks for taking the time to do this! I’m originally from the Allentown, PA and drove truck to Jersey many times and am familiar with the state. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for sharing its great to see part's of history of places you seen when you was a kid. The history of the rural Railroads is interesting really enjoy your videos stay safe.
Hi Steve. Just thought I would share this with you. Norfolk Southern's Port Road Branch which runs from Enola, PA all the way down to Perryville, MD still has a number of old centenary posts still standing when Conrail was still running the GG1s and E44 electric locomotives back in the day. They were in the same condition as what we saw in your video here. BTW very nice job throwing in that image of the Conrail GP38-2 in its Conrail paint and thank for sharing. Be safe out there.
Nice to see where you grew up There's several old coal camp little towns around here where I live in Southwest Va and Wv there like those all built the same but stay safe and keep the video's coming
Steve, I really enjoyed the tour you gave us of your old stomping grounds which most likely only sees a couple locals a day if its the Amboy I'm thinking about not to be confused with Perth Amboy near New York City. What really intrigued me was seeing the Row houses while finding out the history which went with them. Can you imagine not being able to advance in your job and basically be a slave to it? Very eerie if you ask me. I really like how the loft complex didn't paint out the original stenciling on the side of the factory to preserve its history though it sounds to me like this factory was not the nicest company to work for if they stuck you in a Row house not that it isn't a nice house to live in.
Great video steve! I enjoy your trucking and speed shop videos and these are no exception. How you manage to run your truck a shop and multiple youtube channels all simultaneously I'll never know but keep up the great content!
I been there a few times. Cause one of my wife's relatives live near there. There's a gas station on the other side of the tunnel bridge. I was getting something for me and Jessie and we was with her relatives and next thing we hear is boom and metal scraping. I was like WTH was that. Jessie's Aunt goes an idiot went under the bridge. The same bridge in the beginning of the video. I was like holy $#@_ he's stuck halfway under. He had to be flying over the speed limit. They had to cut the trailer to pieces. Lucky he wasent loaded. Her cousin was like dam there's the guys boss. The driver was lectured out by police and the boss. My kids was watching the video on our TV in the living room. And I was watching while making dinner and I had one of my kids send the video to my Wife's cousins that lives around that area. And they know all about that places. One says her friends lives in that building and they hate it when trains go buy blasting the horns when there sleeping. We are going to be going out that way in a week or two. Cause my wife's Grandma wants to go stay with her 2 siblings before she passes away. She's from there and my wife's grandpa he's buried up there and Grandma wants to be buried next to him. I told her I will drive you there and she was really really happy. It's just going to be just me and Jessie my wife and Grandma. The kids have school and are old enough to be left home alone. Grandma said that she's happy with me taking her home. She said when she stayed days ago she was happy cause she can take her belongings. The kids don't want her to go. They took allot of pics of them with her and snap a pic of me and her sleeping on the double seater recliner chair. Jessie was behind the chair hugging us both and we didn't know she did that until youngest daughter showed us when we woke up.
