Last car removed from derailed New Jersey train

  GEOFF MULVIHILLPAULSBORO -- Workers have removed the final tanker car that was part of a freight train that derailed more than two weeks ago in southern New Jersey.

Recovery efforts are now focused on repairing a swivel-style bridge over Mantua Creek in Paulsboro where the accident occurred.

A ruptured tanker car released vinyl chloride when seven cars of the 84-car train derailed on Nov. 30. The gas, used to make PVC plastic, led to the evacuation of more than 329 families and businesses. No one was seriously sickened, though dozens were checked out at a hospital.

Federal Railroad Administration officials will inspect the track and the bridge's locking mechanism before the span will reopen.

The National Transportation Safety Board could issue a preliminary report on the derailment sometime this week.

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Police: Man tried to toss boys in front of train

  Eyewitness NewsRAMSEY, N.J. -- A New Jersey man has been charged with attempted murder and kidnapping after authorities said he tried to throw two young brothers in front of a train that was pulling into a station.

The boys, ages 7 and 9, were with their mother and grandmother at a New Jersey Transit station in Ramsey on Monday afternoon when the boys moved toward the platform's edge to see a train, police said.

Authorities say 47-year-old David Howard, of Wyckoff, approached the boys around 2:30 p.m. and put the 7-year-old in a headlock. They say he then grabbed the 9-year-old by the left shoulder and moved both toward the tracks.

The mother and grandmother intervened, and the boys broke free. The women then held Howard for police, and he allegedly spit at one officer while being arrested.

It wasn't clear why Howard approached the boys or why he appeared intent on harming them, according to authorities, who were trying to determine whether he had been using alcohol or drugs. The boys' mother told police that Howard had been sitting on a bench and spitting on the ground, and that he appeared to be intoxicated.

Howard, who also faces charges of aggravated assault and aggravated assault on a police officer, is being held on $500,000 bail. Authorities do not know whether he has an attorney

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NJT Train, car collide in Jersey City

  Eyewitness NewsNEW JERSEY (WABC) -- Normal service has resumed on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line more than six hours after a train hit a car and derailed early Friday.

The accident happened at 6th Street, causing the train to derail just after 3:00 a.m.

Investigators said it appeared the driver went thru a red light.

The driver was extricated from the vehicle and hospitalized with injuries, but officials said the person is expected to survive.

There were no passengers on the train.

The light rail train was knocked off its tracks in the crash and unable to be moved for hours.

First, workers had to remove the car, which became wedged between the train and a utility pole.

They then had to get the train back on the rails and inspect the tracks before service could resume.

There were delays in both directions between Tonnelle Avenue and 8th Street in Bayonne. Buses and PATH honored light rail tickets.

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PATH train service resumes after investigation

  Eyewitness NewsNEW JERSEY (WABC) -- All PATH train service was suspended for more than 2 hours Saturday night as police investigated a suspicious package.

NJ Transit officials say police removed an unattended package at the Grove Street station in Jersey City.

The PATH service suspension began around 7:45 p.m. and service resumed just before 10:00 p.m.

No word on what was inside the unattended package.

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The Top 10 Model Train Shops in Maryland and New Jersey

There are many fantastic hobby shops for model railroaders all over the United States. These all look like great fun to visit, but what are the most popular? Here is a top ten list for the states of Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey.

The most popular model railroading shops (based on online chatter) in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey are:

10. Ridgefield Hobby in Ridgefield, New Jersey

9. Maplewood Hobby in Maplewood, New Jersey

8. M. B. Klein Model Train Stuff in Cockeysville, Maryland

7. Tony's Train Town in Cedar Grove, New Jersey

6. MTH Electric Trains in Columbia, Maryland

5. Hobbymasters in Red Bank, New Jersey

4. The Model Railroad Shop in Piscataway, New Jersey

3. The Train Station in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey

2. Toy Train Emporium in Cherry Hill, New Jersey

...and the most popular shop for model trains in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey is...

1. The Hobby Shop in Aberdeen, New Jersey

Hobby shops not quite making my top 10 were Just Trains in Newark, Delaware; Millsboro Hobbies in Millsboro, Delaware; Seaside Hobbies in Ocean View, Delaware; Engine House Hobbies in Gaithersburg, Maryland; G Scale Train Station in Waldorf, Maryland; Hobby Works in Rockville, Laurel, and Bel Air, Maryland; The Train Room in Hagerstown, Maryland; Atlantic Rails in Folsom, New Jersey; Genes Train Stop in Kearny, New Jersey; Island Trains in Middletown, New Jersey; Pastime Hobbies and Miniatures in Bayonne, New Jersey; Z and Z Hobbies in Mercerville, New Jersey; Zeppelin Hobbies and Raceway in Wayne, New Jersey.

So, there are lots of great model railroading shops from all over Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey but clearly New Jersey dominated the list with eight in the top ten. Maryland had two in the ten, and Just Trains in Delaware just missed out. Note that this list was for the train stores more than their online web stores. If this list were for online stores http://www.modeltrainstuff.com, the website of M. B. Klein Model Train Stuff would probably have won.

When in Delaware, Maryland, or New Jersey be sure to visit some of the excellent railroading museums including Harrington Museum and Railroad Museum in Harrington, Delaware; Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland; Brunswick Railroad Museum in Brunswick, Maryland; Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum in Hagerstown, Maryland; Huntington Railroad Museum in Bowie, Maryland; New Jersey Museum of Transportation in Wall, New Jersey; Whippany Railway Museum in Whippany, New Jersey; and South Jersey Railroad Museum in Tuckahoe, New Jersey.

I compiled this list by searching for the hobby shops listed on a number of search engines and ranking them by the number of web pages, discussion forums, photos, videos, etc that are available online. I further screened this list to include only pages that mentioned model railroading.

Larry Truett is a freelance computer programmer living in San Diego, California with his wife and their three cats. He enjoys hking, reading, gardening, watching too much television, and other nerdy activities.

See a complete list of Model Train Shops in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey at http://www.ModelTrainsWithLarry.com which has complete contact information for each shop including an address, phone number, and map to the store.