1958 New York Central Trip

I suspect, in Syracuse, your passenger car was switched off to the “Auburn Rd”. This was collectively the Syracuse & Auburn and the Auburn & Rochester RRs which were joined to form the original New York Central. However, in 1853, the direct line was completed between Syracuse and Rochester and this line was relegated to a branch line ( getting the name “Auburn Rd”), serving the towns at the northern ends of the Finger Lakes: Canandaigua, Geneva, Auburn and Seneca Falls. Passenger service ended at some point in 1958.

How do I know this? I belong to the New York Central RR Historical Society and earlier this week I was reading my copy of 2023 3rd Quarter issue of the Central Highlight, the society’s quarterly magazine…….pp14-19….is an article on the Finger Lakes Railway.

The Auburn Road has become the basis of the current Finger Lakes Railway……lots of great pictures in the article of the old stations and towns……unfortunately, all copyrighted. I suspect if you contact the NYCRRHS, they likely have copies for sale.

Peter

To add to Peter comments. Some of the Auburn Road has been converted into hiking trails after the rails and ties were removed.

In 1958 they would have been headed up by Diesels. Steam left the road east of Cleveland by 1950 and gone altogether by 1955. E Units may have left NYC but maybe F units or RS3s on the Auburn branch. Cars would be mixed bag. Mostly stainless or TT gray streamliners with a few TT gray or green heavyweight head end cars.

Lots of videos on youtube showing NYC passenger trains in the ‘50s.

Pete

My contribution,……your train would’ve been pulled out of GCT and into Harmon on the electrified line, then handed over to a diesel for the trip north or west by timetable…..Lionel’s S motor or MTH’s P motor would be a perfect choice for this assignment to Harmon

Pat

It was a smooth transition, like a motorized ballet as the electric motor came off and the diesel was swapped in... or vice-versa depending on the direction of travel.

Speaking of Croton-Harmon, Metro-North Railroad announced today that more of their renovated Harmon Shop complex has come online now.

https://new.mta.info/press-rel...-upgrade-metro-north

Tom

Many thanks for your responses and help. Wonderful background history and good information about specific equipment. Appreciate it. Now, if I can just come up with the funds…….

Ben

@harmonyards posted:

My contribution,……your train would’ve been pulled out of GCT and into Harmon on the electrified line, then handed over to a diesel for the trip north or west by timetable…..Lionel’s S motor or MTH’s P motor would be a perfect choice for this assignment to Harmon

Pat

Indeed - as would 3rd Rail's T-motor.

@Putnam Division posted:

I suspect, in Syracuse, your passenger car was switched off to the “Auburn Rd”. This was collectively the Syracuse & Auburn and the Auburn & Rochester RRs which were joined to form the original New York Central. However, in 1853, the direct line was completed between Syracuse and Rochester and this line was relegated to a branch line ( getting the name “Auburn Rd”), serving the towns at the northern ends of the Finger Lakes: Canandaigua, Geneva, Auburn and Seneca Falls. Passenger service ended at some point in 1958.

How do I know this? I belong to the New York Central RR Historical Society and earlier this week I was reading my copy of 2023 3rd Quarter issue of the Central Highlight, the society’s quarterly magazine…….pp14-19….is an article on the Finger Lakes Railway.

The Auburn Road has become the basis of the current Finger Lakes Railway……lots of great pictures in the article of the old stations and towns……unfortunately, all copyrighted. I suspect if you contact the NYCRRHS, they likely have copies for sale.

Peter

Thanks for the info, Peter. After reading your post I joined the NYCSHS and am eagerly awaiting my first copy of Searchlight.