Home · Maps · About

Home > SubChat

[ Post a New Response | Return to the Index ]

(1499564)

view threaded

PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by Jersey Mike on Wed Jan 9 23:54:24 2019

Every year in January or February I head to the New York Capitol Region for a ski trip and 2018 was no different. However after over a decade of trips I am starting to run out of things to visit and this year the best I could come up with was a repeat trip to the Springfield Armoury stopping off at the Boston Line's CP-187 along the way. I also took Amtrak's Empire Service up and back so there are a bunch of photos from that as well.

You can find the complete set of photos from this trip here.

To start things off, my Amtrak Regional train was delayed for about an hour due to the Portal bridge getting stuck for s test opening. Not sure whose brilliant idea it was to open a somewhat finicky bridge for a test during working hours, but I used the opportunity to get this photo of HUDSON tower, which closed around 2005. Note the yellow pentagonal sign which marks a mileage change dating to the PRR days when the Main Line, New York to Philadelphia, ran to Jersey City with the bit to Penn Station being a "branch". Mileposts west of HUDSON are still measured to Jersey City even though the line is now solely operated by PATH.



Although I had previously recorded multiple videos in the forward direction, I still used my GoPro on the rear window of my Empire train to record video between the MNRR Division Post at DV interlocking and Yonkers and then Yonders and where I remembered to turn off the video north of Croton-Harmon.







Using a DSLR from the back of the Empire Service train I got some reasonable photos of some of the surviving NY Central automatic block signal bridges north of Poughkeepsie.







CP-187 is where the old Boston and Albany line to Albany diverges from the Selkirk Branch, which was constructed in the late 1920's as part of the Central's Albany improvements. With little reason for freight trains to descend into and ascend from the Hudson valley, the old B&A main line eventually became a passenger only route and after 1968, the Penn Central illegally removed the track on what had become known as the Post Road Branch, forcing Amtrak trains to/from Boston to utilize a time consuming detour with a long backup move. The Penn Central was eventually forced to re-install the 12 miles of track between CP-187 and Albany and today it only sees the daily round trip of Amtrak's Lake Shore limited. Because of the light loading, the 80mph Post Road retains its old school jointed rail, as evidenced in the photo below.



Amtrak P42DC #43 at the head of a 2 car inland shuttle train at Springfield Union Station.



Amtrak Metroliner Cab Car #9635 at the other end of the same shuttle trainset.



After being closed for 4 or so decades, the Springfield Union Station has been renovated and re-opened, although at the time of my visit the track level Amshack was still being used for rail passengers. This will become the eventual terminus for the New Haven/Hartford commuter rail service. Unfortunately the renovation resulted in the demolition of the attached express handling wing of the station as well as Tower 96 :-(





Front of the rebuilt Union Station. A heavy rain storm somewhat inhibited my visit.



As my trip was over the MLK Day weekend, Amtrak was running a different schedule on Sunday which had the ~8am Empire train to NYC originate in Niagara Falls instead of Albany. This allowed me to catch the train at the temporary Schenectady station, which had recently been erected while the old Amshack was replaced by something nicer.





The old Amshack had already been demolished.



Although the line between Albany and CP-169 west of Schenectady primarily serves passenger traffic, the new station platform was of low level construction. Here Empire train #252 stops at the station.



The Albany terminal had also been re-signaled. Here are some new signals at CP-LAB.








Ice covering the mighty Hudson looking north from the Livingston Ave Bridge.



Amtrak P32AC-DM #717 at the NY State Senate President Joe Bruno Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station.






Clear signals for Train 252 heading south to New York City.



The new 4 track station configuration.



I'll wrap things up on the Hudson Line where at Milepost 114 we find the old Athens lighthouse standing in the middle of the river.



Next week we head to Texas for a walk around the Dallas Union Station complex.

Post a New Response

(1499567)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by Spider-Pig on Thu Jan 10 01:23:24 2019, in response to PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by Jersey Mike on Wed Jan 9 23:54:24 2019.

Wow. Springfield is no longer America’s crud bucket. Take that, East St. Louis!

Post a New Response

(1499570)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by Dave on Thu Jan 10 07:23:00 2019, in response to PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by Jersey Mike on Wed Jan 9 23:54:24 2019.

Nice shots, Mike.

Post a New Response

(Sponsored)

iPhone 6 (4.7 Inch) Premium PU Leather Wallet Case - Red w/ Floral Interior - by Notch-It

(1499572)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by chud1 on Thu Jan 10 07:32:33 2019, in response to PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by Jersey Mike on Wed Jan 9 23:54:24 2019.

5 drooling stars out of 5 drooling stars for these pictures and videos.
chud1.
:).....

Post a New Response

(1499573)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by Jersey Mike on Thu Jan 10 07:33:24 2019, in response to Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by Spider-Pig on Thu Jan 10 01:23:24 2019.

I know, right?!

Post a New Response

(1499597)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by George Foelschow on Thu Jan 10 13:02:19 2019, in response to PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by Jersey Mike on Wed Jan 9 23:54:24 2019.

I imagine at this point you must have sufficient material to publish a coffee table book - a study of railroad signals.

Post a New Response

(1499600)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by chicagomotorman on Thu Jan 10 13:30:56 2019, in response to PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by Jersey Mike on Wed Jan 9 23:54:24 2019.

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post a New Response

(1499604)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by Jersey Mike on Thu Jan 10 14:14:08 2019, in response to Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by George Foelschow on Thu Jan 10 13:02:19 2019.

Those books exist, often by folks who travel near and far to collect various rare examples. I've largely missed the boat with how much re-signaling has gone on since the 90's.

Post a New Response

(1499610)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by https://salaamallah.com/ on Thu Jan 10 14:43:07 2019, in response to PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by Jersey Mike on Wed Jan 9 23:54:24 2019.

YAY !!!!
NICE PHOTOS !!!!

Post a New Response

(1499614)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by TransitChuckG on Thu Jan 10 15:01:13 2019, in response to Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by https://salaamallah.com/ on Thu Jan 10 14:43:07 2019.

I did co-op work in the early 1960's in the Albany-Troy - area. It is awfully cold and snowy up there in the winter. I attended Drexel Tech in Philly and had (4) separate co-op jobs with Ford on Green Island, 2 winters and 2 summers. In between jobs , I attended school.

Post a New Response

(1499653)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by VictorM on Thu Jan 10 20:30:24 2019, in response to Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by TransitChuckG on Thu Jan 10 15:01:13 2019.

I went to RPI in Troy from 1953 to 1957, while Troy Union Station was still active and did a lot of train watching there. A couple of times I walked from Troy to Waterford along the D&H which had a branch across the Hudson from Troy to Green Island where it joined the main line. The NY Central also had a branch from (I think) Green Island to Cohoes. You're not kidding about those cold winters. It once -23F in January 1957.

Post a New Response

(1499662)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by Jersey Mike on Thu Jan 10 23:20:41 2019, in response to Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by VictorM on Thu Jan 10 20:30:24 2019.

So you were at RPI for the national championship?

Post a New Response

(1499667)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by VictorM on Fri Jan 11 00:16:39 2019, in response to Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by Jersey Mike on Thu Jan 10 23:20:41 2019.

Yes, I was there when RPI won the NCAA Hockey Championship in 1954.

Post a New Response

(1499669)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by VictorM on Fri Jan 11 00:20:02 2019, in response to Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by Jersey Mike on Thu Jan 10 23:20:41 2019.

BTW, many thanks for all your photos, videos and itineraries.

Post a New Response

(1499679)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by TransitChuckG on Fri Jan 11 05:18:30 2019, in response to Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by VictorM on Thu Jan 10 20:30:24 2019.

You're not kidding about those cold winters. It once -23F in January 1957.
I survived -30F some mornings. My 1960 Chevy turned over like a sick cow. I had a 3-spd.column shift. You never used your parking brake, it would freeze up, so I would a find level spot to park overnight and leave the car in gear to keep it from rolling. Get in the car, hold the clutch in, pump the accelerator about twelve times and try the key. It would turn over and start, but it was very unhappy. Then use two hands to move the column shift lever into neutral and let the clutch out. This warmed up the engine and tranny but your rear axle grease was still stiff from sitting. Then I would put the car in first gear and drive away. Eventually everything warmed up and the car ran Ok, good heat from the heater. Temperatures warmed up and by noon we unzipped our heavy jackets a little bit.

Summers up there rivaled those in Philly, hot and humid.


Post a New Response

(1499682)

view threaded

Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN

Posted by Jersey Mike on Fri Jan 11 06:35:51 2019, in response to Re: PHOTOS: ICE AND RAIN, posted by VictorM on Fri Jan 11 00:20:02 2019.

Glad to share!

Post a New Response


[ Return to the Message Index ]