Major Storm Damage to NJ Transit line in Maplewood

A big tree fell and damaged the overhead truss and track in Maplewood. The photo I’m posting is from Twitter (I don’t know how to embed a Tweet). Credit to Ben Berkowitz. 

https://www.nj.com/news/2022/03/nj-transit-train-line-suspended-due-to-wire-pole-damage-from-fierce-storms.html


That wind was something fierce last night, so I'm not surprised.

The full tweet -


I was sitting in my basement office last night and one of the windows blew right in out of its frame (like the one that hit Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz).  Good thing it was across the room and not behind me.


Every time the wind acts up like that I say a silent thank you prayer that we have had to remove all the large trees on our property. And that we had the wherewithal to do so. I see properties with large overgrown trees, some that are dead, and figure the cost of removals is just too high for some folks. 


Some of those gusts last night were scary. I was surprised not to lose power. 


Looks like train service will be suspended at least a day or 2. The commute on the 107 was standing room only all they way to NY.  question


mrincredible said:

Every time the wind acts up like that I say a silent thank you prayer that we have had to remove all the large trees on our property. And that we had the wherewithal to do so. I see properties with large overgrown trees, some that are dead, and figure the cost of removals is just too high for some folks. 

By me, many of them are town trees, some dead or dying.  Most in need of care.  All beyond the homeowner's control.  You may remember the 70 foot + tree that came down in my yard, just missing the house.


Last night was pretty intense around here. Lots of dead branches cleared from overhead. My wife's colleague was flying into La Guardia from Wisconsin last night. She had a wild end to her trip. After some circuits overhead as other planes tried to land, they get their chance to try it and they had to abort the landing. They were diverted to Allentown. Yay! She had to share an Uber into NYC.


Ben Berkowitz also posted a photo from NJ Transit.


Anyone knows if the parakeet nest is still up there?


If you were to ballpark it, how long do you think the line will be shutdown for? 


jfinnegan said:

If you were to ballpark it, how long do you think the line will be shutdown for? 

Three days.


What street is that picture from?


sprout said:

What street is that picture from?

Jefferson avenue 


yahooyahoo said:

Three days.

That's not bad. I was expecting longer. 


jfinnegan said:

yahooyahoo said:

Three days.

That's not bad. I was expecting longer. 

Total guess on my part.  I drove by Jefferson on Valley and there was a sh#tload of trucks and a crane there. NJT is throwing a lot of resources at the problem.


I'm guessing that's what the loud chopper is flying around?  Or did something else big happen in town?


IF that’s why choppers are up - why now?

Was nest known to be up on that pole?


Some service tomorrow:

https://twitter.com/brian4NY/status/1501335661474951177?s=20&t=SPd-snUnHHA0_cA8JR-khw


dickf3 said:

IF that’s why choppers are up - why now?

Was nest known to be up on that pole?


Some service tomorrow:

https://twitter.com/brian4NY/status/1501335661474951177?s=20&t=SPd-snUnHHA0_cA8JR-khw

I recall as to the nest being torn down a few years ago.


Alert from Maplewood states that modified Morris/Essex service will be running to/from South Orange Station.  Maplewood jitneys will be going to South Orange Station. 


Next train from SO to Penn will leave at 8:24 am. We are on a weekend schedule. All trains out of Penn will leave always 11 min after the hour.


A gentleman from NJ Transit (he was on the platform in SO) said also anybody going to Hoboken should change in Secaucus i/o Newark Broad Street. Tickets will be honored. And: the NJ Transit app doesn't show the correct departure times. Have a good ride everybody!


The 8:24 am train from SO left at 8:36 am and will be making all local stops. Only a few doors open. In Orange passengers needed to walk over the tracks. I guess this is the way they try to control the track crossing.


Landed in Penn Station at 9:28 am.


Simone said:

Landed in Penn Station at 9:28 am.

How crowded was that train? 


Everybody was able to sit down. Middle seats of the three seat rows were not taken. Might be a little tighter in the evening.


I don’t live in NJ anymore, but there’s conservation land behind our house. Right on the border is a very large tree that’s currently alive, but won’t be forever. I can’t cut it down under any circumstance.

mrincredible said:

Every time the wind acts up like that I say a silent thank you prayer that we have had to remove all the large trees on our property. And that we had the wherewithal to do so. I see properties with large overgrown trees, some that are dead, and figure the cost of removals is just too high for some folks. 


Jaytee said:

Anyone knows if the parakeet nest is still up there?

The nest was near the station, not near that intersection, and was taken down quite awhile ago (like before Covid.)  

Unless there was another nest I don't know about (?)


It's actually faster to take a local bus downtown Newark and take a train from Penn Station than it is to take the direct train into the city. Crossing my fingers the trains restored by Monday. I'm very spoiled with my commute time  oh oh



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