any New Haven fans ....

Leroof posted:

Greetings Melgar and Arnold, Leroof here. Somewhere on my dismantled PC I have several photos of my postwar NH EP-5 in action on my former live homemade catenary. I did find this one in my I -Pad.

does this qualify?

IMO, Leroof, it certainly does. Glad to see you're back on the Forum. Arnold

I promised myself that I wouldn’t buy any more 21” passenger cars - I have a set of Lionel PRR and Atlas NH which I really like, but they really are just to long for my layout. That being said, I found this set of NOS cars at Grzyboski’s (actually, really old stock - 20-80003c issued in 2002) which are only 19”, so I’m good   And if that logic fails, I can always fall back on “MELGAR and all the rest of you NH fans made me do it”  

Unfortunately, I don’t have time to roust out some NH power, so the fine folks at the NYC were kind enough to lend a Niagara for temporary duty on a crack NH passenger train (have to find an appropriate name).

Paul, Great looking cars and same for the model railroad. Would like to see more.

MELGAR

The New Haven Railroad – A Fond Look Back

A week or two ago, my day began, as it often does, by driving a few miles to Bridgeport, Connecticut and boarding a Metro-North Railroad commuter train for the seventeen-mile ride to New Haven Union Station, whereupon I bought breakfast and walked a mile or so to the New Haven Green, at the center of town. But, on this day, rather than circling around the Green and returning to the station, I stopped at the New Haven Free Public Library, where I found the local history room open. Upon entering, I asked the librarian to direct me to the section on the New Haven Railroad, where I thumbed through several books that have been a part of my personal collection for many years. Then, I came across one which I had seen for sale at train shows but had never purchased or read.

The book to which I refer is “The New Haven Railroad – A Fond Look Back,” by Andrew J. Pavlucik, published in 1978 and reissued in that city in 1987 by Pershing Press. I sat down, began to read and quickly became engrossed in the book. It presents a perspective on the New Haven Railroad unlike any other that I have read. It was immediately apparent that the author is not only a gifted writer, but is intimately familiar with the people, operations and history of the New Haven Railroad. The book is replete with photographs that I had not seen before, but its most unique and interesting parts are the many first-person narratives by New Haven personnel relating their experiences and what it actually was like to be a railroader on the New Haven. As the author says, this book is about the Railroad of the railroaders, not the bankers, that “exists now only in dreams and in certain haunted places.” I personally have spent quite a few years searching out those places throughout Southern New England.

I now have a personal copy of this book, which I consider to be the most enlightening and enjoyable that I have read on the subject of the New Haven Railroad. I highly recommend it to “Any New Haven Fans.”

MELGAR

A New Haven Railroad logo near New Haven Union Station photographed by MELGAR on October 28, 2019.

MELGAR

MELGAR posted:

A New Haven Railroad logo near New Haven Union Station photographed by MELGAR on October 28, 2019.

MELGAR

Hey, wait just a minute!  I know where that is.  Those tiles are in the Ladies Room at Union Station!

Wait. 

What's that?

How do I know this?

I, um, er, ah, my daughter told me....

Just kidding of course.  Nice photo.  Is it within the station or in one of the buildings (parking or maintenance) outside?

Steven J. Serenska

Serenska posted:

MELGAR posted:

A New Haven Railroad logo near New Haven Union Station photographed by MELGAR on October 28, 2019.

MELGAR

Nice photo.  Is it within the station or in one of the buildings (parking or maintenance) outside?

Steven J. Serenska

Photo of a wall on Union Avenue about a block from New Haven station.

The station itself, built by the NYNH&HRR in 1920, is also worthy of a photograph.

Both photos by:

MELGAR

The New Haven tracks in the Bronx over Eastchester Rd. The New Haven ran passenger service into Penn Station on this line until about 1933.

I have a vague memory of passenger platforms and blocked steps, but they no longer exit.

The New York Westchester and Boston, was the New Haven's competitor for commuter traffic that ran side by side with the New Haven in lower Westchester County (especially where I-95 runs today). It stopped operations around 1938 and it's remains exist as the Dyre Avenue branch of the New York City Subway system. This is an exhibit in the Galleria Shopping Center in White Plains (the mall is where the NYW&B stopped  and never reached its dream of going further). 

The NYW&B suffered from poor vision. It terminated in the South Bronx and shared many passengers stations with the New Haven line. However, by terminating in the South Bronx, it forced the commuters to change trains to get into Manhattan. People have speculated that if it had continued over the Harlem River and hooked into the line going into Grand Central Terminal, it might (and this is a huge speculation) have survived.

Peter

Very interesting exhibit. Thanks for the pictures. It's hard to believe that a railroad used to run to where the Westchester Mall now stands. The remains of the NYW&B in Westchester are still visible today to riders on Metro-North. 

MELGAR

MELGAR posted:

Very interesting exhibit. Thanks for the pictures. It's hard to believe that a railroad used to run to where the Westchester Mall now stands. The remains of the NYW&B in Westchester are still visible today to riders on Metro-North. 

MELGAR

Mel.......the site of the station was where B Altman's used to be. That building is now gone and the Galleria occupies the land. 

There are a lot of interesting books on the subject and I'll put some suggestions up.

Many of the old stations on the line to White Plains became private homes or businesses. Some morphed into strip malls. The Westchester Avenue station in the South Bronx (shared with the NH) still stands but is in horrible shape.man 

My interest in this railroad goes back to 1967 when I was a freshman at Cardinal Spellman High School. After getting off the 12A bus at Williamsbridge Rd and walking to the Esplanade, I descended into the Dyre Avenue Subway station, a station unlike any other IRT station I had previously been in (my line is the 6, Pelham Bay).  All the stations along the line were like it: ornate and out of pace with what I had been used to......only years later (late 80s) did I discover that they were remnants of the defunct NYW&B.

If fact, my dad (who would be 95 later this year if he was still with us) told me about the NYW&B. He would pick it up in Larchmont and take it to the south Bronx and then  change to the #4 for the ride to Yankee Stadium. He got his Yankee tickets from Lou Gehrig and Ed Barrow.... he used to deliver groceries to them.

Peter

NEW HAVEN ALCO DL-109s basking in their glory!

I love them all; my favorite is the McGinnis,

This is a second Larchmont Station, called Larchmont Gardens for the NYW&B. They shared the main Larchmont Station with the New Haven and shared the Mamaroneck, Harrison and Port Chester stations with the NH. It has survived as a Girl Scout office. The NH 4 track main line is right behind it.

Peter

ctr posted:

NEW HAVEN ALCO DL-109s basking in their glory!

I love them all; my favorite is the McGinnis,

How I wished the new MTH offering was in Hunter Green!

However, I do love them all!

Peter

Peter, have you considered incorporating features of the New York, Westchester & Boston on your own layout?

I'm starting to do that with the Putnam  Division of the NY Central (the Put) and my layout. Arnold

Putnam Division posted:

This is a second Larchmont Station, called Larchmont Gardens for the NYW&B. They shared the main Larchmont Station with the New Haven and shared the Mamaroneck, Harrison and Port Chester stations with the NH. It has survived as a Girl Scout office. The NH 4 track main line is right behind it.

Peter

Peter,

Thanks for posting. I intend to take Metro-North down to Larchmont and have a look at this station. Fascinated by the NYW&B and history of Westchester County.

MELGAR

ctr posted:

NEW HAVEN ALCO DL-109s basking in their glory!

I love them all; my favorite is the McGinnis,

Cool stuff and great locomotives!  Living in New Hampshire USA now all my non train friends see NH New Haven and think it’s New Hampshire. I gave up trying to explain.

MELGAR posted:

Putnam Division posted:

This is a second Larchmont Station, called Larchmont Gardens for the NYW&B. They shared the main Larchmont Station with the New Haven and shared the Mamaroneck, Harrison and Port Chester stations with the NH. It has survived as a Girl Scout office. The NH 4 track main line is right behind it.

Peter

Peter,

Thanks for posting. I intend to take Metro-North down to Larchmont and have a look at this station. Fascinated by the NYW&B and history of Westchester County.

MELGAR

Mel........it’s probably about a mile to a mile and a half away from the main Larchmont Station........it’s off of Weaver St, to the north, on Harmon Drive and between I-95 and the New Haven/Metro North tracks.......and just a few blocks from Walter’s Hot Dog stand on Palmer Avenue.

Peter

Putnam Division posted:

MELGAR posted:

Putnam Division posted:

This is a second Larchmont Station, called Larchmont Gardens for the NYW&B. They shared the main Larchmont Station with the New Haven and shared the Mamaroneck, Harrison and Port Chester stations with the NH. It has survived as a Girl Scout office. The NH 4 track main line is right behind it.

Peter

Peter,

Thanks for posting. I intend to take Metro-North down to Larchmont and have a look at this station. Fascinated by the NYW&B and history of Westchester County.

MELGAR

Mel........it’s probably about a mile to a mile and a half away from the main Larchmont Station........it’s off of Weaver St, to the north, on Harmon Drive and between I-95 and the New Haven/Metro North tracks.......and just a few blocks from Walter’s Hot Dog stand on Palmer Avenue.

Peter

Thanks for the directions.

MELGAR

Here are 4 books that tell the story of the NYW&B, including its relationship with the New Haven.....some great pictures and great railroad history.

Number 1 is an excellent book.

Number 2 is an excellent book.

Book number 3 is just fabulous. Not only does it talk about the NYW&B, but has chapters on the Putnam Division of the New York Central, the Getty Square branch of the Putnam Division, the New Haven's electrification project,  and a chapter on proposals for RRs that got into the planning stage or early construction phase, but never went further.....

Book number 4 is my least favorite....more about finances and politics.....I could have done without it.......or better, seen a one paragraph summary.....

Peter