Following an extended period of prayer (with the needed assistance of reinforcements from the Gloucester and Camden county dioceses), the train has at long last been returned to normal and Eddie has been coaxed back into the cab ready to depart for Maurice River and Port Norris off the Manumuskin Junction.
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| Passing over Evergreen Avenue leaving South Woodbury and the city fathers breathe a sigh of relief. |
There the reefers, RPO, and Baggage car will be filled to the brim with oysters. Buckets of iced oysters will be loaded into the overflow capacity of the purloined B60.
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It is now evening and the cars loaded with oysters have found a ride back on local WY27 returning from Millville. Various restaurants along the way are meeting the train to snatch some LCL Oyster loads distributed from out of the B60, whose smell is now much worse than the way we found it!
It is now evening and the cars loaded with oysters have found a ride back on local WY27 returning from Millville. Various restaurants along the way are meeting the train to snatch some LCL Oyster loads distributed from out of the B60, whose smell is now much worse than the way we found it!
What have we here? Looks like some LCL product is being passed out the door on the other side of the baggage car. Where did that sheep come from? Quick get it and put it back! With the gates raised multiple felons have to be involved in this mini-heist.
Our trip trough North Woodbury is uneventful. How quickly this morning’s harrowing events are forgotten.
30th street at night: The brass are not happy at the odors permeating their baggage car but on the plus side there are no spirits rocking the floor boards this time.
Off to the time portal, Mississippi bound. As always we will let the destination date set itself randomly.
(And if that derailed tank car under the station explodes, Philadelphia will be no more.)
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PRSL vs. the Oysters - Part 3 - the Background:
The southern New Jersey Oyster Industry: The Native Americans in the area used oysters for food, decorations and even money for trade. The European settlers did likewise. Commercial oystering began around 1700 with repopulating the beds in high growth areas to maintain the supply.
When the railroad arrived in 1876 business boomed. Within 10 years the town of Bivalve was shipping 10 cars of oysters per day. Whole new towns grew up to support the industry. Oysters became the #1 fishery product in the United States. In 1880 harvest production peaked at over 2.4 million bushels. Over 500 boats and 4,000 people were involved in the process.
Both the CNJ and PRSL provided the rail transportation. The PRSL used R50 express reefers for fresh oysters and the B60 baggage cars, due to their large capacity interiors and wide doors, were used for canned oysters and ice packed shipments. During peak periods every kind of appropriate car available would be pressed into oyster service.
In 1957 the industry collapsed with a 90-95% mortality rate from MSX & Dermo diseases decimating the crops. Many of the supporting villages became ghost towns.
The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL): The Pennsy and the Reading had competed fiercely for dominance in southern NJ rail service but the depression had severely weakened both lines. The intrusion of the new-fangled automobile further decimated their passenger revenues. Southern New Jersey was in danger of losing all rail service so the state stepped in to force a shotgun merger in 1933. (The line maintained its identity until the formation of Conrail in 1976.)
The PRSL had its own engines but borrowed heavily from both parents for motive power during rush seasons. Most of the parent’s small to medium steam power went to finish their days on PRSL rails.
*******************************************************************************************************************
PRSL vs. the Oysters - Part 3 - the Background:
The southern New Jersey Oyster Industry: The Native Americans in the area used oysters for food, decorations and even money for trade. The European settlers did likewise. Commercial oystering began around 1700 with repopulating the beds in high growth areas to maintain the supply.
When the railroad arrived in 1876 business boomed. Within 10 years the town of Bivalve was shipping 10 cars of oysters per day. Whole new towns grew up to support the industry. Oysters became the #1 fishery product in the United States. In 1880 harvest production peaked at over 2.4 million bushels. Over 500 boats and 4,000 people were involved in the process.
Both the CNJ and PRSL provided the rail transportation. The PRSL used R50 express reefers for fresh oysters and the B60 baggage cars, due to their large capacity interiors and wide doors, were used for canned oysters and ice packed shipments. During peak periods every kind of appropriate car available would be pressed into oyster service.
In 1957 the industry collapsed with a 90-95% mortality rate from MSX & Dermo diseases decimating the crops. Many of the supporting villages became ghost towns.
The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL): The Pennsy and the Reading had competed fiercely for dominance in southern NJ rail service but the depression had severely weakened both lines. The intrusion of the new-fangled automobile further decimated their passenger revenues. Southern New Jersey was in danger of losing all rail service so the state stepped in to force a shotgun merger in 1933. (The line maintained its identity until the formation of Conrail in 1976.)
The PRSL had its own engines but borrowed heavily from both parents for motive power during rush seasons. Most of the parent’s small to medium steam power went to finish their days on PRSL rails.
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