I was first "introduced" to this Middlebrook Industrial Track back on September 14, 1983 while driving Route 22 east. Lady Luck was smiling on me that day as it was my good fortune to catch NJT 5681 and NJT 5908 getting ready to push across a string of ballast cars into the Chimney Rock Quarry in Bridgewater (NJ). In my mind seeing this move was for me a rarity since most of these moves occurred in darkness when traffic wasn't as congested. With grade crossing signals signaling its approach, NJT 5681 and NJT 5908, two GP7s, started to slowly push the string of hoppers over eastbound 22, through the median and over westbound 22 into the safe confines of the quarry.
Once the hoppers were in their designated spot for loading, they were uncoupled from from the power. Now it was time to head back across Route 22. With his horn blaring, grade crossing signals flashing their warnings and this engineer keeping a watchful eye out for drivers that might be oblivious to all these warnings, NJT 5908 started his approach and made it across with no problems.
While driving down the same stretch of road recently, I noticed that those concrete barriers known as "jersey dividers" had been placed over the tracks leading into the median. Where the quarry used to be was a variety of construction. Gone were the railroad grade crossing signals that once warned motorists of an approaching train. Commercial development had taken over where the quarry once was and now it was good-bye to this siding.
