Pilgrimage to the New York Westchester & Boston

Stan Fischler's classic on the NYC subways (Originally called uptown/downtown) implied that the NYWB ended at 180th street (which always puzzled me, because I could see the old bridge supports south of 180th driving on the Cross Bronx Expwy), this explains it. I did briefly glance the old Westchester Ave station taking the train from Boston to NYC, I made it a point to look for it.

The question I have is couldn't they have simply built a crossover, and used the New Haven's tracks into NYC...or did the New Haven even go to NYC? I know the current Metro North New Haven branch does, but they do so by connecting with the Harlem division I believe at Mt. Vernon, switching from overhead to third rail (I remember seeing it, I lived in the northeast Bronx for around 8 years in the late 80's-mid 90's and commuted from the Botanical Gardens station, and more then a few times we ended up heading all the way to Mt. Vernon, then turned around and got dropped off going south...). Did the New Haven do that back in the day to get to Grand Central, and the New Haven't South Bronx yard was the end of the line, literally? 

The N Y W & B terminal was at the river, and was torn down three years ago.

bigkid:

Yes, the New Haven utilized New York Central trackage from Woodlawn south to gain access to Grand Central Terminal.

You mentioned a New Haven yard in the South Bronx. I believe you're referring to Oak Point Yard which is located on the Harlem River and is now operated by CSX. Beyond Oak Point Yard, New Haven freights for Bay Ridge in Brooklyn and passenger trains for Pennsylvania Station continued on via the **** Gate Bridge and New York Connecting Railroad trackage. New Haven's line from New Rochelle where trains to GCT diverge and Oak Point Yard was known the Harlem River Branch.

Located along the Harlem River Branch in the Bronx was New Haven's massive Van Nest shop complex where all maintenance work on the railroad's electric fleet was performed until it was shut down in the late 50s. The shop facility now belongs to Con Ed and some of the former railroad infrastructure is still in place. As you drive west on East Tremont Avenue after passing the intersection with Bronxdale Avenue, the shop complex will be on your right side on the other side of what is now Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. You can't miss it.

Bob       

Wow, I know where that is,never dawned on me that was a rail yard at one point, I know the con ed facility you are talking about (I think it is a power plant or a maintenance yard for them). It is interesting that the New Haven could not figure out a way to get the NWB into grand central, though from what I recall financially they couldn't figure out how to do it, given that the New Haven was in financial straights. I often wondered if they had gone to Grand Central if there would have been enough passenger traffic to keep it going. 

BTW, if you get down there, go the other way on Bronxdale up into the fringes of Morris Park, there is a fantastic restaurant called Franky and Johnnies Pine Tavern, place has incredible food (Bronxdale and Rhinelander). 

Thanks for the tip. I've eaten there a number of times. It's an excellent restaurant. After living in the Kingsbridge section for many years, my wife and her parents moved to the neighborhood shortly before we got married. Also, my brother and sister in law have lived in Morris Park since the 60s. In fact, we were married at St. Francis on Lurting Avenue and our reception was at Maestro's. Maestro's was owned by my wife's cousins at the time.

On the subject of the NYW&B, here's a shot of the Dyre Avenue Line at Morris Park I took in 1985. The old NYW&B structures are magnificent.

Bob

I'll second Franky and Johnny's. If you time it right you might even run into a Yankee or two. As to that photo, doesn't it say a lot about New York City pre Giuliani?

Although you wouldn't have known it by looking at that picture, the situation on the IRT was beginning to improve. New R-62 cars had been introduced on the Jerome Avenue and Pelham Lines. Also, the refurbished SMEE cars which would come to be known as the "Redbirds" were running on the Flushing Line. That said, as seen in the picture, the equipment on the Dyre Avenue, White Plains Road and West Side Lines was pretty rough, at least from a cosmetic stand point. As awful as they looked, they were sound mechanically and just kept running and running and running.

Bob

Great picture, Bob

Peter

Here's a pic I took last week of the NYW&B Larchmont Gardens station.  It has survived as a local Girl Scout office. It's right off Weaver St in Larchmont.

A few minor corrections.

The Harlem River Yard was the one along the Harlem River; Van Nest and Oak Point yards were about 1½ N off the HRY, along the East River.

The southern terminal for the NYW&B was in the HRY. It used a NH station(there was once ferry service to PRR in Jersey City)/freight house/office bldg. Until 3 or 4 years ago, you could see it from the Willis Ave. bridge. It was east of Willis Ave. This was not the first terminal. There was an elevated station west of Willis Ave. Only the track abutments remain (at least they were there in 1955 ). The NYW&B came down off the H*ll Gate line by means of two separate girder bridges. Actually, at that point the HG line became the Union Connecting RR which carried the NH across the eponymous bridge through Sunnyside Yard, on its way into Penn Station. 

There was a spur of the Second Ave,. El that descended into the HRY. There may have been connection with the Second Ave. El, as well as the 133rd St. station of the Third Ave. El. There probably was an El connection because both the NYW&B and the Second Ave. spur ceased operation in the same year. There was also a transfer at the 180th St. station to the IRT Woodlawn Line station. You walked across the platform.

In the late 19th-early 20th C., it is thought that the New Haven wanted access to the Second Ave. El  through the NYW&B, which it controlled.

Here's a link you might want to follow: http://forgotten-ny.com/2012/0...ton-railroad-part-1/

and another: http://forgotten-ny.com/2013/01/snakes-in-the-bronx/

Cardinal Hayes? A second rate school where Jablonski terrorized the students. I took the 138th St. crosstown bus to the Concourse where I took the #1 or#2 bus to All Hallows, a first rate school.

Botanical Garden station? I used to shop in the A&P across Webster Ave. 

Another view of the Westchester Avenue station.......courtesy of Ben.....

Peter

Help me understand where this picture fits in the conversation. It was taken on Tremont Ave across from Parkchester back I think in the 50's by my father.

Thanks,

Hugh

At that point the NYW&B had already diverged from the New Haven River Line. This is clearly a through train headed for HellsGate and Penn Station (I'm assuming that it is running southwest). You are within walking distance (down Tremont Avenue of the 180th St station of the Dyre Avenue line (The NYW&Bs main office).

This is the 180th Street Station.

As an aside, on the right of your picture, along Tremont Avenue, across from Parchester was a small New Haven freight yard where we would go to buy Christmas tress right off the boxcars.  The freight yard later was closed and the Bronx DMV was built there.

Here's a great link with more about the River Line of the New Haven.  Local passenger service to Penn Station continues up to the 30s. 

http://forgotten-ny.com/2001/0...ations-of-the-bronx/

Peter

Peter, thanksso much for putting it into perspective. I actually moved away from there in 1947 but my father still worked at parkchester. I was 8 but do remember getting trees out of boxcars. I also remember seeing the Freedom Train that was parked on those same set of tracks I think.