Early 20th century image of the Moodna Viaduct, from the Library of Congress

Quick, name one of the most picturesque locales on all of Metro-North. Most likely something along the Hudson Line pops into your mind. Sure, the Hudson River is gorgeous… but there just might be a lesser-known place that is definitely a beautiful sight, and certainly a contender for the aforementioned superlative. Most East of Hudson riders completely forget that Metro-North has two lines on the west side of the river – the Pascack Valley Line, and the Port Jervis Line. Neither of the two terminate at Grand Central, and although Metro-North owns the stations and subsidizes the line’s operations, the service is provided by New Jersey Transit. Along the Port Jervis line, you’ll find gorgeous rural countryside, even more so than the Upper Harlem. Heading towards Port Jervis, about 54.8 miles from Hoboken and 24.3 miles from Suffern, trains cross the picturesque Moodna Viaduct, which is undoubtedly one of the most attractive places in the Metro-North system. It was definitely one of my favorite places I’ve photographed for this blog thus far.

Left: Construction photograph of the Moodna Viaduct; Right: Library of Congress photograph of the Moodna Viaduct, 1971

The Moodna Viaduct (also known as the Moodna Creek Viaduct) was constructed by the Erie and Jersey Railroad and opened in 1909. The viaduct spans 3,200 feet, and is 196 feet above the ground at the highest point. The viaduct is the longest and tallest trestle east of the Mississippi River. The open design of the trestle, which minimizes wind resistance, has certainly stood the test of time – though Metro-North has made repairs to the viaduct in both 2007 and 2009. At the northern end of the trestle lies the Salisbury Mills-Cornwall station, and is approximately 32 miles before the end of the line at Port Jervis.

Today I have a random image of the day to share with everyone… And I must admit, I absolutely love it. Printed in an 1877 New York Central timetable is this engraving of the four tracks located alongside the Hudson River. The caption reads: Passenger Trains meeting each other while passing Freight Trains. Showing the Operation of the 4 Tracks.

Some weeks ago when I briefly visited the Switch Tower Museum in Norwalk I noticed they sold timetables and attempted to purchase a few. I believe the direct quote from the man operating the register was, “surely you jest” – as in this girl seriously collects timetables? In fact, this girl has an embarrassingly large collection of timetables. The entire collection will be up for viewing shortly. I was hoping to debut it last week, but I’ve hit some temporary snags. Until then, enjoy this little taste of the coolness that is to come. I absolutely adore the gorgeous illustrations in 1800′s timetables.

You know how I said I really liked Chatham? Well, I’ve recently discovered that I like Millerton even more. Millerton is quite charming – and if the railroad still ran there I would probably consider even living there (but the commute would probably kill me). My most recent visit was only the second time I’ve been to Millerton, and of course I had my camera. This time I was able to get photos of the original train station there, built in the 1850′s, though it has been moved at least twice since then. Today the former station operates as a florist.

Millerton itself was a town created pretty much around the railroad. The New York and Harlem Railroad ran through, as well as the Central New England. In fact the name Millerton came from the civil engineer tasked with the construction of the rail, Sidney Miller. Though both of those railroads are long gone today, the town hasn’t lapsed into loneliness and disarray. The Main Street area bustles with people checking out the shops, or using the rail trail. So many towns today are filled with chain and big-box stores and are utterly devoid of character. Millerton is the complete opposite – full of family-owned shops, and old-fashioned in a charming way, yet doesn’t feel dated.

Though the rail is no longer there, the converted rail trail is an attraction that brings in locals and visitors from beyond. The other day I read an article discussing options for bikers from the city that wanted to get out, ride, and make a day of it. By Metro-North, one has two pretty good options for spots: Poughkeepsie on the Hudson Line, and Wassaic on the Harlem Line. Although the article knocks the Harlem down in terms of the view on the journey (I know, I know, the Hudson River is beautiful), it ultimately determines that the Harlem journey is probably the best choice for the biker. The Hudson option provides around 5 miles of trail on which to ride, where the Harlem extends for nearly 11 miles, terminating in the village of Millerton. If you ask me, I’d take Millerton over Poughkeepsie any day, no contest.

In other news, I figured that I would mention the Harlem Valley Rail Ride, which appropriately begins in Millerton and covers some of the original route of the Harlem Division (and of course is now part of the rail trail). The ride will be held this year on July 24th. For anyone that needs, there will be a bus that will pick up riders and their bikes from the city and take them to Millerton. Riders have a choice between 25, 50, 75, and 100 mile routes.

A portion of the fee for entry goes to the cause of supporting and maintaining the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. For more information, be sure to check out the Harlem Valley Rail Ride website.

Old postcard views of the Milton on Hudson station

I don’t find myself on the west side of the Hudson all that often, but back in October I went to Newburgh for my tour of Bannerman Castle, and to Highland for the Walkway Over the Hudson. However, there was one place that I also visited that day which I’ve failed to post pictures of – until now. I’m not very familiar with the West Shore Railroad, but it is my understanding that the Milton on Hudson station, built in 1883, is one of the two extant passenger stations. My discovery of the place was purely by accident… driving down the street my friend saw a sign for a “Historical Train Station” and we decided to go check it out. It was also a coincidence that people were there working on the station the day we happened to stumble upon it. Volunteer and Friend of the Milton on Hudson Train Station Pat Quick saw me taking photos on the outside and asked me if I wanted to see the inside. He graciously took the time to show my friend and I the inside of both the passenger and freight portions of the station. You’ll note that in my photos of the inside of the passenger area, the floor is very shiny – the floors were completed earlier in the day and had not yet dried.

The Milton on Hudson station is split into two portions, one that dealt with freight, and the other side for passengers. Passenger service at the station continued up until the early 1950′s. Although the building had a long life as a rail station, it began a new life in the late 1960′s as a winery. The Kedem Winery operated out of the old station, selling wine and even holding wine tastings. By the late 1990′s the site no longer suited Kedem, and the owner donated the station to the town.

A lot of dedicated people have been working on restoring the 125+ year old Milton-on-Hudson station, and as I procrastinated on posting these photos, a few of them are now a bit out of date. New signs and light fixtures were installed after my visit, visible from the before and after shot below, which comes from the Friends of the Milton on Hudson Train Station Facebook page. The restoration of the station continues – if you happen to have any extra money lying around, as much as I’d love for you to give it to me, donating towards the restoration is a far more worthy cause. The restored station will serve as a community building, and the grounds will be a riverfront park – and I have a feeling that it will be gorgeous, thanks to the efforts of many hard-working volunteers.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Milton station, I suggest you check out this article, which has several old pictures and more postcard views.

Several of my blog readers have been long convincing me that I needed to get over and see the Walkway Over the Hudson. At the end of October I cheated on the Harlem, and hung out over on the Hudson side of things – checking out the former station in LaGrange, Bannerman Castle, Milton-on-Hudson’s historic station (pictures yet to be posted), and the Walkway Over the Hudson. Other than the fact that I was pretty sick that day, the trip was great. The day was beautiful and warm. And considering I felt like crap and had to cough up a few hairballs (the perfect euphemism for me!) after taking these photos, I’m pretty proud that I managed to get some good ones.

Old postcard views of the bridge

Of course the Walkway has only been a walkway for a relatively short amount of time. The majority of its years were spent carrying trains over the Hudson River. The Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge, completed in 1888, was a modern wonder – and one of the longest bridges in the world at the time. The bridge served as an important crossing, especially for troops during World War II. It is estimated that 3,500 train cars passed over the bridge every day during that period. After the 60′s the bridge’s importance declined, and it was damaged by fire in the 70′s. By the 90′s Walkway Over the Hudson proposed turning it into a pedestrian bridge, and in 1998 the bridge was deeded to them. Construction began in 2008, and was completed in 2009. The Walkway Over the Hudson State Historical Park was officially opened on October 3, 2009. It is accessible from both sides of the river in Poughkeepsie and Highland. It is also accessible from Metro-North’s Poughkeepsie station. The walkway offers gorgeous views of the Hudson River, the Mid-Hudson Bridge, and Highland and Poughkeepsie. It also connects with the Hudson Valley Rail Trail in Highland. A few of the photos below, such as the one of the caboose, is from that rail trail.

Despite my professed love for the Harlem Line, I do in fact visit quite a few other locations and post photos… and today’s collection is no exception. Unfortunately for my dear Harlem, this time I cheated on him with his little brother, the Hudson. If you’ve ever been on the upper portion of Metro North’s Hudson Line you may have noticed a castle on an island in the Hudson. In fact you may have seen the collapse of the castle on your train ride past the island… Metro-North workers were the first to report the collapse of the castle last December to the trust that is attempting to restore the castle.

Although most people today know the island simply as Bannerman’s Island, the true name is Pollepel Island. Scottish immigrant and New York businessman Francis Bannerman purchased the island in 1900. By 1901 a castle for his business and residence had been built on the island for his family.

Francis Bannerman VI, better known as Frank, began collecting scrap at the harbor to sell as a young boy. As he got older, and after the Civil War, he began purchasing military surplus from government auctions and amassed quite the collection of ammunition – which he formed into a business called “Bannerman’s” in 1865. As having so much ammunition in the heart of Brooklyn began to be a safety issue, the island was a perfect location for his business.

Today, the island is a part of the Hudson Highlands State Park. Unfortunately, it is not quite the jewel it once was. Besides the two collapses in the past year, the castle was ravaged by fire in 1969. Many portions of the castle became covered in vines over time, which amusingly might be helping to hold the structure together. The Bannerman Castle Trust is attempting to preserve and restore the castle, but are desperately in need of funding. As we wait the castle will continue to crumble, and perhaps be lost forever: with little money to spend they’ve chosen to attempt to restore the residence first, since it is in better condition than the castle itself.

If you’re interested in learning more about the castle, taking a tour, or donating to the Bannerman Castle Trust, be sure to check out their website here: bannermancastle.org.

If any of my readers are insomniacs, I highly recommend the book called “The Road of the Century: The Story of the New York Central.” I noticed that one of the libraries in the state owned it, and so I requested my local library to acquire it for me. The copy of the book looks remarkably ancient, though it was only published in 1947. Old enough, I suppose. Upon checking the book out, the librarian said to me, “So… You must like railroads?” I wonder if she were to work at a supermarket, and a customer was to purchase toilet paper, would she ask, “So… You must like toilet paper?” or “So… You must enjoy going to the bathroom?” …Sorry, I went off on a little tangent there. Back to the book, this dreadful, awful book. I don’t think I’ve ever held in my hand a more boring book… hence my comment about insomniacs. Get a copy, it will put you right to sleep. The New York Central has quite a rich history, but no one could have told it in a more dry fashion. In my mind I hear Ben Stein reciting the words in complete monotone…

So why exactly would I bore my readers with stories of a horrible book? Because it had one redeeming quality. Pictures. Wow, don’t I feel like a child, saying the only good part of a book was the pictures. But the pictures, they were good, and I figured I’d share with you all. Let’s “read” this book, together. And when I say read, I mean look at the pictures, and ignore all the snooze-inducing text.

Apparently the book was a donation to the library from the New York Central itself

1864, Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana conductors (or perhaps Abraham Lincoln impersonators).

1877, Train with snow plow during a snow storm.

1896, First advertisement of Red Cap service.

See more pictures from the atrocious book “The Road of the Century”

If you are a New Yorker and you don’t recognize the name Chesley Sullenberger, you may be living under a rock… Captain “Sully” was the pilot that landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after a bird strike earlier this year. If you’re interested in having his pilot’s hat, which I must admit looks way cooler than my MTA Conductor’s hat, it is now available on eBay. It is even autographed! The proceeds from the auction benefit Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon, CA, and Lockwood High School in Oakland, CA. The winner will also get a personal note from the pilot and his wife. Unfortunately, it was not the hat he wore during Flight 1549, and he won’t be delivering the hat personally (just make a flyover upper Westchester, thanks! We have plenty of reservoirs for water landings too!)… come on New Yorkers, show your love for Captain Sully by placing a bid here. The auction ends on Monday December 14 right before noon.

I’ll trade you one conductor’s hat for one pilot’s hat? It is a good trade, I swear!