Does anyone remember which Railroad ran passenger service in the 1940s and 1950s on the west side of the Hudson River in New York State from New York or New Jersey to Albany, New York. There used to be a station at Bear Mountain and West Point, New York. Help!
Posted by rresor (Member # 128) on :
The railroad was New York Central, formerly the New York, West Shore, and Buffalo ("West Shore") RR.
According to my 1956 "Official Guide", there were 18 round trips a day from Haverstraw or Newburgh to Weehawken, where there was a terminal with ferry service across the Hudson. There was one round trip a day from Kingston to Weehawken, and two Albany round trips, one of which ran overnight (obviously a milk and mail run). I believe the commuter service may have lasted into the early 1960s.
As a historical note, when the Penn Central merger was being planned, the West Shore, which was obviously a critical link, was to be electrified as far as Selkirk Yard. Of course, that never happened, but it is now CSX's main east/west route into the New York metropolitan area.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Lest we forget, the NYO&W also had trackage rights on the West Shore Weehawken-Haverstraw.
Posted by Pojon (Member # 3080) on :
Many thanks for the response--it's a pleasure to know the facts. On Hudson River Day Line boat trips to Bear Mountain from New York I used to see those trains running on the west shore of the Hudson.