Our very last news roundup for the year… here are the interesting and relevant stories from this week:

An express train headed north passes Valhalla station on Friday 12/30, the last commuting day of the year.

The Metro-North Passenger Pledge

The Metro-North Bill of Rights previously mentioned on this site has morphed into a “Passenger Pledge” – and as of the 21st was approved by Connecticut’s Commuter Council. There aren’t really any amazing revelations, and it generally details policies already in effect in words. And although it promises courteous employees, there is obviously no promise for courteous fellow riders. Probably the only noteworthy addition is that in the event of train cancellations, riders will be permitted to return purchased tickets without having to pay the new ten-dollar returned ticket surcharge.

You can see the pledge here.

New Haven Line Fare Increase

Fares on the New Haven Line will be going up – increases will be going into effect on January 1st. Fares on the Hudson and Harlem Lines had already gone up previously.

Fare increase charts available have apparently been causing some confusion listing significantly higher on-board fares for branch-line stations like Merritt 7. This was in fact a mistake, as on-board surcharges are not charged for passengers at many branch stations, as they do not have ticket machines.

Danbury is your favorite Branch

According to our vote, the Danbury Branch beats out the Waterbury and New Canaan branches with 64% of visitors saying it is their favorite.

Bronx rail project debated

A Metro-North study has been launched, investigating linking the East Bronx to Penn station. It would include four new Metro-North stations.

Ridership up 3%

November ridership on the Harlem and Hudson lines was up 3%, compared with 2010. Weekend shopping also increased ridership in the month of December on both Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road.

Top 10 photos in Ossining

The Daily Ossining has created a photo gallery of the top 10 photos of the year in their town. The top photo shows the flooded Ossining train station after Hurricane Irene.

Child falls into the gap

On Thursday at Beacon station, a four-year-old boy fell into the gap between the train and the platform. Thankfully, the child was not injured. Problems of this nature likely peak during holiday times, when children are off from school and board trains on adventures to the city. It should go without saying, keep extra watch on young children, especially those unfamiliar with riding the train.

Boston Railroad Wrecks

This might be a little morbid, but I love a recent post over on I Ride the T about train wrecks in Boston.

Yesterday I featured the only outstanding New Haven Line branch station on our Tuesday Tour, Springdale. Now that the branches are complete, I thought it might be nice to post one of my favorite images from each station in a single gallery. It gives you a quick idea of what each branch is like, and a glimpse into the life of a commuter from each station. The locales photographed vary from outstanding examples of historical stations and well-known landmarks, to bare-bones, concrete platforms that are just barely stations. Each branch terminates at a historically-important station, though only one of the three is being used in its original capacity as a passenger station.

The photographs below were taken on eight separate days, ranging from early March to mid-October.

The New Canaan Branch:

The New Canaan branch is the shortest of the three (8.2 miles), and the closest to Grand Central. It is also the only branch that is currently electrified. The branch first came into being when chartered as the New Canaan Railroad in 1866. By 1890 it had become a part of the The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.

The awesome: New Canaan station may be the nicest station of all three branches (one could argue that Waterbury is more iconic, however it is no longer in use by the railroad, whereas New Canaan is).
Most underwhelming: Everything other than New Canaan.

The Danbury Branch:

Of the three New Haven Line branches, the Danbury Branch has the most stations, with a total of seven. Though the line continues further north, Metro-North service terminates at Danbury. The original Danbury station still exists, though it is not used by Metro-North. Service first began here in 1852, and the rail line was known as the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad. In the late 1800′s the line was leased to the Housatonic Railroad, and later the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. By 1925 the track was electrified, but due to a poor economic situation, it was de-electrified in 1961.

The awesome: Danbury’s original station, yard, and turntable, now occupied the Danbury Railway Museum. Bethel’s old station is now a bike shop (I never got a photo of it). Cannondale’s old station is also lovely.
Most underwhelming: Without a doubt, Merritt 7. It is the only New Haven Line station without the typical Metro-North station sign, and is probably the most bare-bones station listed here.

The Waterbury Branch:

The Waterbury branch is Metro-North’s easternmost branch, and it diverges from the main line just east of Stratford. Although service terminates in Waterbury, the tracks do continue further north, and are used by the Railroad Museum of New England. Waterbury is located 87.5 miles from Grand Central – making it the furthest from the city in rail miles. The branch was originally chartered in 1845 as the Naugatuck Railroad (named after the river the tracks run alongside), and construction was completed by 1849. It was merged with the The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1906. Today, the branch has a reputation of serving both commuters and many sketchy people.

The awesome: Waterbury’s historical station (no longer used by the railroad) is one of, if not the most iconic structures in the city. The Naugatuck Historical Society is housed in their old station, which is also nice. You can get cool photos of the railroad bridge in Ansonia.
Most underwhelming: Beacon Falls and Ansonia. Oh, and don’t leave your car or any other valuables at Waterbury.

Do you have a favorite?

If I had to pick the branch that I liked the best, I’d have a difficult time of it. New Canaan is certainly my favorite station, but the rest of the branch is relatively boring. The Danbury branch has the adorably-cute Cannondale, and the old station which is now a museum. The sketchy people of the Waterbury branch make me weary of choosing it as my favorite, despite the fact that I like that little railroad bridge over the Naugatuck river. It is, however, undeniable that Waterbury has the most recognizable old station – though it is debatable whether people actually realize it was once a train station. We can settle this right now, with a poll. Vote for your favorite branch here:

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Photo of Springdale station, April 1933

Springdale station, June 1966. Although this older station had a canopy, it was taken down when newer, high-level platforms were constructed. The station was renovated in 2010, and a canopy installed, protecting commuters from the elements.

Springdale is about 37 miles from Grand Central, and has an average travel time of just under an hour during peak periods. During off-peak hours a transfer at Stamford is most likely necessary, increasing travel time to around an hour and a half. The station doesn’t have much in terms of amenities (there are no TVMs, for example), but it does have a brand new 400-foot canopy that was built in 2010, at a cost of around a million dollars. The canopy does quite a bit to make the station look more substantial and attractive, something that fellow branch line stations Glenbrook and Talmadge Hill lack (Glenbrook, however, seems to be next in line to get an upgrade).

Despite the fact that I managed to send out the holiday card to quite a few people, there were some that I would have liked to give it to that I never managed to get it to. About half are mailed out to friends, readers and fans, while the other half are hand-delivered to various train riders and Metro-North employees. If you didn’t get the card this year, consider it virtually sent… and email me your address and I will make it a point to get out out to you next year!

This year’s holiday card is inspired by a 1943 New York Central ad

Inspiration:

Check out the full ad and other vintage winter and holiday ads

Starring:

Here’s this week’s news, on this incredibly grey and rainy day.

Connecticut to get quiet car trial

When Metro-North started doing trials for their “Quiet CALMute” quiet car program, it only included the Harlem and Hudson Lines. Starting January 9th, however, quiet cars will be appearing on the New Haven Line. The Connecticut Commuter Council’s Jim Cameron blogged about it, and to my amusement said, “treat passengers like adults and they’ll act that way.” I would very much like to ride Jim Cameron’s train, where all the passengers act like adults. You know, where people don’t hide in the bathroom to evade fare and don’t get into fistfights with the conductor because they don’t want to pay.

Many people support the quiet car program, though I still have some reservations about how it will work on a larger scale. I’m curious to hear how it works out when quiet cars are added to some “real” trains. As I’ve mentioned before, the Wassaic trains where quiet cars were added are normally quiet. The people have to wake up early, have long commute times, and often catch up on sleep (oh, and they commute more in a day than Cameron does in a week). On my local, however, we have a delightful business man that dresses in a suit and tie, boards at Mount Kisco and hides in the bathroom until Chappaqua. Then he comes out and shows his Chappaqua monthly, a scheme that saves him $49 a month. He’s not one of the incredibly obnoxious and rude passengers on the train, but it is unfortunate for the real adults that board at Mount Kisco and actually pay the full fare.

Train in Connecticut searched for murder suspect

Connecticut has had some wacky stories this week… from Jesus on a bus, a turkey loose in a tire shop, to a man that defecated in a bank parking lot prior to robbing it. Some Metro-North riders were involved in a situation far less amusing when armed police boarded their train in Darien looking for a man suspected of murdering two. Or maybe a different man that killed someone else. Everybody’s confused, but they were looking for somebody!

Route 120 bridge opens – finally

The Route 120 bridge over the railroad tracks and adjacent to Chappaqua station has opened. Finally. Every morning during my commute, I watched the slow construction on this bridge, and it is nice to see it finished. It contains a walkway and a set of stairs for easy access to the Chappaqua train station.

“Club Car” coming to Mamaroneck

The old Mamaroneck train station is still being renovated, but when it reopens it will be housing the Club Car Restaurant and Lounge.

Renovations in progress at Mamaroneck

MTA approves budget for 2012

The 2012 budget has been approved by the MTA board this week.

Happy Holidays!

To get you into the “holiday spirit” TrainJotting has posted their amusing Twas the Night Before Christmas parody again this year.

I was going to photoshop Santa getting patted down by the TSA for this – then I realized I didn’t have to, it had already happened for real. Needless to say, the TSA is why trains, and not planes (forget about those reindeer!), are the preferred method of transportation for Santa Claus this Christmas.

On today’s Tuesday Tour we’ll be taking a quick look at Milford station. Milford is actually the first New Haven Line station I had ever been to, many years ago. In terms of photography, however, it was one of the last stations I photographed earlier this month. At about 63 miles from Grand Central, it is at the end portion of the New Haven main line. Travel time to the city is around an hour and a half or more.

Years ago the platform at the station was only long enough to accommodate four train cars, however it has been since elongated and can now fit ten cars. There are three tracks at the station, and two platforms for accessing these tracks. One can cross over to the opposite side by taking a stairwell and walking under the tracks. Although the high-level platforms generally discourage idiots from attempting to cross over the tracks, it has probably happened, hence the spray-painted note from the “Railroad Police.”

Metro-North conductor Bobby has some nice observations about the changes at Milford, which are certainly worth taking the time to check out.

 
Old views of Milford station, circa 1950.

Train approaching Milford station. Freight house is visible on the right (it is also visible in the first shot above, in the far background)

When it comes to uses for old, repurposed train stations, Milford has been converted into something a bit different. The old station now goes by the name of the Eastbound Theatre, and is in use by the Milford Fine Arts Council. The side of the building facing the tracks has a sign that reads “Milford Center for the Arts.” Checking out a play at that theatre must be an interesting experience every time an express train passes by.

It has been a while since I last posted some old postcards… so I figured we were due for an update. Two of the cards we’ve seen before, though these are alternate views and in color. And even though some of them are not necessarily railroad related, it is interesting to check out the landscape as it once was. The Wassaic House, right alongside the railroad tracks, is visible in the second postcard of the set. Built in 1851, the Wassaic House was a hotel owned by wealthy local Noah Gridley. Gridley was also a financial backer for Gail Borden’s milk condensery, which in addition to the railroad and Gridley’s own iron works, were the three most influential industries in the history of Wassaic.

Other lovely cards that show the world around the rails is an example from Pawling, with the lake visible alongside the tracks. There is also a nice view of what the village of Valhalla looked like – the train station is partially visible on the left side of the card. And the grade crossing in Bronxville, with the funky old-style railroad crossing sign is a nice old view.

My favorite card of the bunch, however, is the nicely detailed shot of Brewster station. It is the same station we know and love, with some different details – like the New York Central Railroad stenciled above the door. You can click here for a comparison shot of Brewster today. The card of Brewster was sent in by reader Steve Swirsky, a contribution which is much appreciated!

Because you can never get enough postcards, there will certainly be more a 7th part and beyond. You can also check out the old parts, in case you missed any, with the following links:
Sending Postcards from the Harlem Line, Part 1
Sending Postcards from the Harlem Line, Part 2
Sending Postcards from the Harlem Line, Part 3
Sending Postcards from the Harlem Line, Part 4
Sending Postcards from the Harlem Line, Part 5

Here were some of the most interesting and relevant news stories to be talked about this week…

Extra Holiday Trains

Metro-North will of course be offering additional trains for the upcoming holiday, starting on Friday afternoon and continuing on Saturday and Sunday.

Permut looks to expand the Port Jervis Line

Metro-North President Howard Permut was the railroad’s Vice President of Planning before landing his current gig… so he’s got a pretty good sense of where and how things ought to be improved. Not only is he eyeing the New Haven Line for big improvements, but he’s also looking at service West of the Hudson. On his wish list is a second track on the Port Jervis Line, and a connection to Stewart Airport.

Improvements at Cortlandt to be finished soon

The train station upgrades at Cortlandt, which included new parking and amenities, are almost done – though slightly behind schedule.

Transit-based development considered in Mount Vernon

This week the city of Mount Vernon released a new comprehensive plan with suggestions for improvement. Suggestions included expanding Bee Line Bus service in the city, and further developing the areas surrounding the Mount Vernon East and West stations.

Construction of the Henry Hudson Bridge in 1936

Henry Hudson Bridge turns 75 this week

On Thursday the Henry Hudson Bridge turned 75 years old… and there was no way I could resist posting that old construction photo from 1936!

Rail Outlook 2012

Progressive Railroader has an interesting piece on thoughts for passenger rail in 2012, with thoughts on various transit systems across the country, including Metro-North.

A Look to Tappan Zee From Hastings, painting by Kent Patterson

Retired Metro-North employee, now artist, to have show in Briarcliff Manor

Kent Patterson worked for Metro-North for 37 years as a yard and train master, but in retirement has turned back to an old love – painting. Prominent in his work are the trains and scenery he worked with for so many years. His paintings will be on display in Briarcliff Manor, and are certainly worth checking out.

Photos from Santacon

Buzzfeed has an amusing collection of 22 photos from NYC’s Santacon, which was last weekend. And of course since it was in New York City, some mode of public transportation is involved. Who knew that Santa rode Metro-North?

Briarcliff Manor station in the early 1900′s

Of the many old train stations I’ve featured on the site over the years, too many of them have been converted into other things and are no longer have anything to do with railroads. This is especially so when the railroad line the station served has been completely ripped out. It is somewhat bittersweet – as it is sad the railroad is gone, but yet wonderful that someone has taken the time to ensure that the historical building still exists. Too much of our old architecture has been torn down and long forgotten.

The old Putnam Division station at Briarcliff Manor is one example of a building that has been preserved and repurposed. And it is great to see that it has been converted into something as noble as a library (and not a Starbucks, of all things!). A library just seems so appropriate for an old station – it is our temple of knowledge, our archive of history and the written word – housed in a historical landmark, a vestige of a defunct and at times forgotten railroad.

Architect’s elevation of the front of the library. The original portion of the building is shown uncolored.

The Briarcliff Manor Public Library as it is today. The right portion in the photo is the original 1909 station, the left is an addition completed in 2009.

The Briarcliff Manor station was originally built in 1909 by the founder of the village, Walter Law. In the late 1950′s passenger service on the Putnam Division ceased, and the town raised the 12,500 dollars to purchase the building. Additional money was raised for cosmetic work, and to convert the building from a station into a library. The building, however, was not a large one, and it eventually became too small to appropriately house the library’s collection. After years of planning and debate, it was ultimately decided to add on to the original structure. Construction on the addition began in 2007, and was completed in 2009. The interior of the older portion of the building still requires work, but will become a reference area, and most appropriately, a local history section.

Construction about to begin at Briarcliff Manor, 2007 [image credit]

Construction of the addition to Briarcliff Manor, June 2008 [image credit]

 
  
 
 
   


Joe Schiavone, known as the “Old Put Guy,” gives a talk at Briarcliff Manor. The former rail line is slightly visible, located in between the fence and the road. It has been converted to a rail trail.

Schiavone has written three books about the Putnam Division. You can support the Danbury Railway Museum by purchasing the two most recent from their gift shop.