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Tom McGriel posted:

No railroad in America had the mystique or romance of the Shore Line in its heyday. 

Tom,

I couldn't agree more.

The New Haven served New York, the nation's biggest city and business capital - and Boston, one of the country's oldest cities. Passenger service on the shore line was unmatched and frequent, even compared to New York to Washington, DC. There were many famous named trains: The Merchants Limited; The Yankee Clipper; The Federal; The Gilt Edge; The Knickerbocker; The Owl; The Bay State; The Bostonian; The Forty-Second Street; The Hell Gate Express; The Murray Hill; The New Yorker; The Shoreliner; and many others. The New Haven pioneered long distance electrified operation between New York City and Stamford in 1907 and extended it to New Haven in 1914. And, there were extensive commuter operations in the New York City and Boston areas. It was a small railroad but an important one. Riding Metro-North today, one still sees much that was built by the New Haven

MELGAR

MELGAR posted:
Tom McGriel posted:

No railroad in America had the mystique or romance of the Shore Line in its heyday. 

Riding Metro-North today, one still sees much that was built by the New Haven

MELGAR

The last 7 years I was working, I regularly took the Metro-North Harlem line from Goldens Bridge into Manhattan and loved it when I saw or rode behind one of these. Interestingly enough, the one Metro-North line this engine didn't run on was the New Haven line since that needed pantograph power. MNR also did up a few older diesels in the McGinnis livery.

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MELGAR posted:

The New Haven pioneered long distance electrified operation between New York City and Stamford in 1907 and extended it to New Haven in 1914. And, there were extensive commuter operations in the New York City and Boston areas. It was a small railroad but an important one. Riding Metro-North today, one still sees much that was built by the New Haven

MELGAR

MELGAR:

Not to put too fine a point on this, but not only can you still see much that was built by the New Haven, you can still see what was actually built by the New Haven.

My lady friend who is very good about indulging my foaming-at-the-mouth-bordering-on-Aspbergers fanaticism for trains, was interested to join my pastime of identifying the original 1907 stanchions that support the catenary between Stamford and NYC and contrasting them to those that have been replaced.  I'd say anecdotally that 33% of the originals remain ... 110 years later.  We do this every time we take the train down to NYC for business or pleasure.

One of life's simple pleasures to sit on the water side of the first NYC-bound train of the morning train and watch the sun rise up over the water between Westerly, Rhode Island and Stonington, Mystic, and Niantic Connecticut.

Steven J. Serenska

Serenska posted:
MELGAR posted:

The New Haven pioneered long distance electrified operation between New York City and Stamford in 1907 and extended it to New Haven in 1914. And, there were extensive commuter operations in the New York City and Boston areas. It was a small railroad but an important one. Riding Metro-North today, one still sees much that was built by the New Haven

MELGAR

MELGAR:

Not to put too fine a point on this, but not only can you still see much that was built by the New Haven, you can still see what was actually built by the New Haven.

My lady friend who is very good about indulging my foaming-at-the-mouth-bordering-on-Aspbergers fanaticism for trains, was interested to join my pastime of identifying the original 1907 stanchions that support the catenary between Stamford and NYC and contrasting them to those that have been replaced.  I'd say anecdotally that 33% of the originals remain ... 110 years later.  We do this every time we take the train down to NYC for business or pleasure.

One of life's simple pleasures to sit on the water side of the first NYC-bound train of the morning train and watch the sun rise up over the water between Westerly, Rhode Island and Stonington, Mystic, and Niantic Connecticut.

Steven J. Serenska

Steven,

On the Metro-North New Haven Division, one can still see original New Haven "signal stations" (control towers), station buildings, catenary towers. stone abutments and railroad bridges. Large movable bridges cross the Connecticut River (at Old Saybrook, built 1907), the Housatonic River (at Stratford), the Pequonnock River (at Bridgeport), the Saugatuck River (at Westport), the Norwalk River (at Norwalk), and the Mianus River (at Cos Cob), to name just a few of the larger ones - and there are many smaller ones.

And, the shoreline route through the entire state of Connecticut (from Stonington to Greenwich) is very scenic.

MELGAR

New Haven SS71 - Devon Junction.

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Waterbury, CT Station.

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Here are some more photos taken at the 2009 NMRA convention in Hartford, CT during layout tours.

One fellow had what amounted to a NH museum in his basement.  I believe that he worked for the NH and rescued much of his collection from the trash.

This is NH dinning car china and silverware.  I believe that the table and seat are also from the NH.

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The 379 front and headlight are from an EP-5.  The Merchants Limited sign is the actual sign used on the train.

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The is the actual Westport interlocking.

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I also visited the Stamford Model Railroad Club.  This is one of the oldest O gauge 2-rail club's in the country.  It is located in the basement of a church in downtown Stamford.  (I have forgotten the church's name.)  I highly recommend that all NH fans visit this club if possible.

Here is a freight passing through Stamford.

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The layout was controlled from a central panel in 2009.  It was built long before DCC.  It is probably still straight DC with block control.

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This is the main town.  I believe it was called Van Ness.

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A GG-1 powered train arrives at Stamford.

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Although I am more of a Pennsylvania and NYC fan, I do like some of the colorful McGinnis scheme.

From the PW era...

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The 2350 and 6464-425 I inherited from my Aunt (they allegedly belonged to my cousin!!!). The 6468-25 was my brother's - he is the Gomez Addams of the family, so I took it for safekeeping.

From the modern era...

a Lionel C-420 (6-28507):

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a Lionel Alco PA A-A Set (6-14596):

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and finally, one of my few MTH pieces, a Metro North Genesis:

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While I was going through my Aunt's trains, most still in their boxes from the 50's, I saw this on a few of the boxes... didn't have to worry about shipping schedules in those days   

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Great pictures..

Its about all I collect now.. not as much high end as the pictures and most of its in boxes now. But the BPT stands for Bridgeport. When I was a kid my dad would bring me to softball games at "Went" field, four or five nights a week, next to  elevated wall   when they ran a lot of freight through the area.I would count cars...

I wish I could find a good digital picture of the Old BPT station.

bptbill 

Apples55 posted:

Although I am more of a Pennsylvania and NYC fan, I do like some of the colorful McGinnis scheme.

From the PW era...

IMG_0766

IMG_0767

IMG_0768

The 2350 and 6464-425 I inherited from my Aunt (they allegedly belonged to my cousin!!!). The 6468-25 was my brother's - he is the Gomez Addams of the family, so I took it for safekeeping.

From the modern era...

a Lionel C-420 (6-28507):

IMG_0771

a Lionel Alco PA A-A Set (6-14596):

IMG_0773

and finally, one of my few MTH pieces, a Metro North Genesis:

IMG_0776

While I was going through my Aunt's trains, most still in their boxes from the 50's, I saw this on a few of the boxes... didn't have to worry about shipping schedules in those days   

IMG_0769

Great collection of New Haven equipment!

Great stuff in this thread from PUTNAM_DIVISION, BPTBILL, JOHNACTON, NEW_HAVEN_JOE, TOM_MCGRIEL, SERENSKA and all the rest. Thanks.

I regularly hang out at the new Bridgeport station which now serves Metro-North Railroad. The classic old station, built by the New Haven Railroad when the tracks were elevated through Bridgeport in 1905, was destroyed in a suspicious fire on March 20, 1979.

Attached are pictures of my two favorite model locomotives - MTH New Haven EP3 #353 and Weaver Brass ALCO I-4 Pacific #1389. If I had to sell my entire model collection, these are the two locomotives that I would keep!

MELGAR

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On an unrelated -- but somehow quite related -- note, a person made a comment on another trains forum that I check in on that if MARC (the Maryland area commuter line) would only extend its reach another 35 miles up to Wilmington, Delaware, it would be possible to ride commuter trains from New London to Washington, DC and beyond.

The trip would be:

  • Shoreline East from New London to New Haven
  • Metro North from New Haven to Grand Central Terminal, NYC
  • Subway from to GCT to Penn Station, NYC
  • NJ Transit from Penn Station, NYC to Trenton, NJ
  • SEPTA from to Trenton, NJ to Philadelphia, PA
  • SEPTA from Philadelphia, PA to Wilmington, DE
  • (if they would just build it, ) MARC from Wilmington, DE to all other MARC points, including DC.


I thought it was a fun observation.

Steven J. Serenska

Last edited by Serenska

Dominic, that is the one and only I-5 Hudson.    Good comment.  Always fun to throw in a bit of humor.  This engine was the last run Weaver with all the toys.   It had a fan driven smoke unit (single element) that I converted to a dual element unit.  The engine has sprung drivers and tender pickups.  These were used before for the sound in the tender.  I coupled these with the engine rollers and power loss will never happen.  This is my only brass engine and the only way I could get an I-5.    This was not an easy conversion dealing with the 10 pin connector.  I am doing one for Gerry Morlitz as soon as the kits are back in stock.  

PRRronbh posted:

Do not have any New Haven but recall pondering them in the mid- 50's Lionel catalogs.  

Do have these images from the 2014 Spencer NCTM Streamliners Event of the FL9 #2019.

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OH,one of my Oncologist is a Dr. McGinnis.  Ironically his grandfather did work for a railroad but not the NH.

Love that McGinnis paint scheme. I think of all the great paint schemes throughout railroad history.....this is my favorite.

I model Pennsy but will forever have good memories of the NH. I grew up in very close proximity to the New Havens Worcester branch. This was in the 1950's and grimy FA's were dragging freights up and down that line all about 300 ft. away from my families home. I would run down to watch trackside any time I could without getting in trouble....I was just a child, and had to cross one busy avenue to get to the tracks. In spite of my fathers warning, I was fearless and did so a lot. Great memories.

Bob

Marty, You have to use your considerable influence, call in all your chips and lean on Mike Wolf to offer an I-5. Selfishly, I hope it's an RK Imp, primarily due to budgetary restraints on the railroad. Judging from the response to this thread it would sell out faster than the Merchant's Limited highballing down the Shore Line.

flanger posted:

I model Pennsy but will forever have good memories of the NH. I grew up in very close proximity to the New Havens Worcester branch. This was in the 1950's and grimy FA's were dragging freights up and down that line all about 300 ft. away from my families home. I would run down to watch trackside any time I could without getting in trouble....I was just a child, and had to cross one busy avenue to get to the tracks. In spite of my fathers warning, I was fearless and did so a lot. Great memories.

Bob

I used to do the same thing, mostly to watch NYC covered wagons headed to the Collinwood yard.

Tom,  that subject comes up with Mike and myself almost weekly.  When he posted it, he stated he did not have enough orders.   I stay on him but Mike is a guy that has his mind set.  I offered him my Weaver with PS3 to show.  I am still pitching as I do not give up that easy.  Many of us are still alive that have seen the I-5 run.   I will keep doing my best.  It should be an easy do as it is a Hudson.  A body, wheels, and other I-5 parts should help it along.

 

Marty

DMASSO posted:

Peter, the bottom consist in the 1956 catalog was my first train set. 

Don......a great memory for you, I am sure.......my 1st set was the F3 set from 58.

I am fortunate to have acquired the other EP-5 set from 56.

I bought the LCCA remake of the 58 027 Alco passenger set.

I also am fortunate to have acquired this set from 62....

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Peter

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