76 miles north of Grand Central lies a station on the Harlem Line called Dover Plains. From March of 1972, until Metro-North resurrected the stations of Tenmile River and Wassaic in July 2000, Dover Plains served as the last station on the Harlem Line. A few months ago I visited the station on a quiet Friday afternoon and spent a few minutes taking pictures. Like most of the Upper Harlem stations, Dover Plains is nestled in the quiet but picturesque Harlem Valley. The area is surrounded by grassy, rolling hills and farms, with New York’s Route 22 running along a similar route to the rails.

One of the first station panoramas I posted was from Mount Pleasant… though I wasn’t too happy with it, so I went back to the station, and got a few new panoramas. Enjoy!

For Metro-North commuters, we have survived the service changes that were enacted three weeks ago. June 21st marked the cancellations of a few trains, and most, if not all, ten car trains were reduced to eight cars. Both of my trains, in the morning and evening, were ten car trains. According to Metro-North, the trains had enough seats for all of the passengers, it was just a matter of whether the passengers wanted to use them. And you know I am referring to that hated middle seat. For the first few days I witnessed many people choose to stand in the aisle, preferring standing than sitting in the middle. Although many have begun to suck it up, there are still those that complain to the conductors, or make it difficult for people entering and exiting the train by standing in front of the doors.

In my opinion, it is about time to get used to it. Complaining to the conductors accomplishes nothing. But for those of us riding on the Harlem Line (and probably the Hudson), we have it pretty good. We’re not the transit system, we didn’t have any lines or routes cancelled. I’ve been on trains where every seat was taken, and the entire aisle was filled with people. Literally packed in like sardines in a can. But that incident was a fluke, caused by a broken down and ultimately cancelled train. These are not our normal trains.

I am probably going to get shit for this comment, but we also aren’t the New Haven Line. The New Haven Line has been plagued with issues and delays recently, from a minor derailment in Stamford, to yesterday’s debacle where all four tracks were shut down outside of Greenwich. The possible cause of the issue was the recent heat wave – causing the catenary wires to sag. In many of these situations riders are suggested to attempt to get to the Harlem Line. Riders with New Haven Line monthly passes have been showing up on Harlem Line trains, hoping to at least get to White Plains to transfer to a BeeLine bus, or get picked up. The changes three weeks ago were not that bad. We still have it pretty good…

But then again, the talk has already begun about what will happen in 2011. Changes that could bring around a 7.5% fare hike. While again, most of this affects the subway: a $1 service change for Metro Cards, and a cap on unlimited tickets. But the major concern for Metro-North riders will be the considered elimination of off-peak fares. Although commuters that buy monthly or weekly tickets would not be affected, one-way, round-trip and ten trip tickets may cost more. Metro-North has been trying hard to encourage ridership for reasons other than going to work, most especially with their Train to the Game service. It is these riders, and weekend riders, that will be most effected by the change. If you’re riding from the terminus of the Harlem Line, Wassaic, the elimination of off-peak service would cost you $10.50 for a round trip ticket, for a total price of $40.50. Riders from Southeast will end up paying $7.50 more, for a total of $30 dollars on a round trip ticket. And of course, this is if fares stay the same. If they are increased by the estimated 7.5%, that means round trip from Wassaic would cost $43.50, and from Southeast $32.25.

Nestled in a lush carpet of green grass is a station on the Upper Harlem called Tenmile River. As to be expected, the name derives from a river of the same name. The station was completed and opened by Metro-North in 2000, along with Wassaic. In the New York Central and Penn Central days there was another station at this location, called State School. That station was closed in 1972, when service north of Dover Plains was discontinued. Tenmile River is the second to last station on the Harlem Line, and 78 miles from Grand Central. Similar to most Upper Harlem Line stations, Tenmile River is in a very rural area. Despite this, many of the stations find themselves close to or on the main road of Route 22 – Tenmile River seems to be the most isolated. But with the gorgeous grass and the recently built station platform, Tenmile River may be one of the more attractive stations on the Harlem Line.

As a bonus, here is a panorama of the former station Kensico. I have mentioned Kensico before, but hadn’t posted a panorama yet. I would have liked to get one at a different angle, but there were a lot of people there for a funeral.

Several of my train station companions who live in the Bronx refer to anything north of White Plains as “the bush.” Wassaic just happens to be the deepest part of “the bush” you can get to on the Harlem Line. It is the current terminus of the line. But of course, that wasn’t always so. By 1851 the Harlem Line stretched past Wassaic to Millerton, and by 1852 the line had reached Chatham, which served as the terminus until 1972. Penn Central abandoned passenger service on the line above Dover Plains in that year, an area that constituted about 36% of the Harlem Line. It wasn’t until the year 2000 that Wassaic was reopened for commuter use by Metro North. The new station was built approximately half a mile north of the previous station.

I’m very used to riding the train from stations located in the middle of the Harlem Line, which characteristically are quite similar. It is interesting to note how the track configuration plays a part in the design and aesthetic of each station. Whereas most stations I am used to have two tracks with an island platform, stations on the upper Harlem Line have only one track. Therefore the practically identical stairwell over the track is not required… and there is no vestibule that reeks of urine and cheap cleaning solution. The lack of the less-than-beautiful stairwell and vestibule leave the stations more open and aesthetically pleasing. Ramps rather than elevators meet the need for ADA compliancy. Maybe it is the openness of the stations that make them beautiful, but the rolling hills and carpets of green grass surrounding the area probably have a lot to do with it as well.

Wassaic is unique in the respect that it has a very nice Arts for Transit piece called Arrival, by sculptor Anne Huibregtse. Huibregtse’s pieces contain a similar subject matter: the bovine. And considering the history of Wassaic, the cows fit in perfectly. Gail Borden, the inventor of condensed milk, had a factory in Wassaic, and a good amount of freight that ran on the Harlem Line was milk. The bronze cows stand over the abundant green grass that is all too absent in stations more south on the line. Just the fact that they were made of bronze surprised me, in real life they looked quite natural, as if they were carved from large slabs of rock. It wasn’t until I searched for more information about the piece online that I found they were made of bronze.

I was surprised to note how many cars were in the parking lot with Massachusetts plates. Perhaps this is why the commuters of Wassaic are a special breed. As if the two or so hour train trip wasn’t enough, some also have a lengthy car ride to get to the station in the first place.

If you are looking for a diversion, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail begins in Wassaic, and you can walk or bike along what used to be the real Upper Harlem Line. That is pretty much it for this first Tuesday tour… each week I’ll be posting more photos of yet another station on the line… until I’ve visited them all.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, it should be rather obvious that I enjoy going on little photo taking adventures that are loosely based on the subject of railroading. Last week on my little jaunt to Amenia, I got called out on twitter. A rail adventure? Than what are you doing on the road? Not to mention, getting lost on the road. The GPS was quite delightful, sending us down single lane dirt roads in the middle of nowhere. The intent of the trip was to see the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. I’ve also had a yearning to check out some of the old New York Central rail stations that were part of the upper Harlem Line and closed back in the 70′s… at least the ones that have some sort of building or remnant left standing. The closest one being Sharon Station, in Amenia, but on the border with Sharon, Connecticut. So see, some rail adventures do require the use of cars!

We took the scenic route through Connecticut, past Kent Falls and the Indian Reservation in which my aunt “Princess Chikara” lives (which itself is a story on its own, but suffice it to say if you ever thought I was crazy, you haven’t met members of my family. I’m probably one of the more sane ones). The idea was to get up to Sharon, and then cut over the border to New York state. Well, the GPS had other ideas, because we started to get out into the middle of nowhere. And started noticing, oh look at that, the roads aren’t even paved here! And then the roads got so narrow, they were practically one laned. My mother, who was driving, was not amused.

We pulled over to the side to allow this truck to go by

By the time we got managed to get within a few miles of where the GPS said the former station was, there were signs that a bridge was out. Great. First we get the dirt roads, now we get the lack of a bridge, with no visible detour. We never did find the old station that day. Nor did we really have enough time to walk anywhere on the rail trail. But sometimes adventures turn out different from how you’ve imagined them… but then, that is why they are adventures. We admired the rolling hills, the farm land. Amenia is after all pleasing to the eye, from the original latin word amoena.

An unintended accomplishment of the trip was the opportunity to take photos at most of the upper Harlem Line stations. After trying to find a way around the bridge that was out we practically ran right into the Tenmile River station. And on the way back, we figured it might be a safer bet to ride down route 22, as we had enough dirt roads for that day. Most of the stations happen to be located along that route as well. Clearly we had to stop at each. Though I think my mom was about to punch me at the end. I imagined her saying “Emily, I’ve had enough of these fucking train stations,” though she never did say it out loud.

Because I made this little logo thing in Illustrator, it means this project is totally legit.

For a while I had wanted to start a new project. Sort of like all the other projects I start and not finish… except this one I would finish, I swear. I want to go to every Harlem Line station and take photos. Not just any photos though. Getting a picture of me in front of the station sign is one requirement, and the second requirement is to take a panorama photo at the station. And that will be the project: the Panorama Project. From now until I have photographed every station, I will post a new panorama each Tuesday. It will be a Harlem Line Tour Tuesday, how grand! Be sure to check back tomorrow to see the first panorama and station profile, Wassaic, the current terminus of the Harlem Line, located in Amenia.

Just in case you aren’t paying attention to my posts over on Twitter, the Harlem Line has some big delays today. Around two hours ago, there were 15–20 minute delays between North White Plains and Wassaic due to trees fouling the tracks near Hawthorne. The issues with downed trees got bad enough that about an hour ago service was suspended in both directions from North White Plains to Brewster. The newest update from Metro North is that there will be continued delays in both directions, and passengers will be bused between Pleasantville and Mount Kisco. If you are going to be riding the trains this afternoon, Metro North’s Train Time may be helpful. If you aren’t already, signing up for MTA alerts is also a good idea. I of course will be reposting those alerts on twitter whenever they become available. (Even though Metro North has a twitter account now, they don’t seem to be posting that information there).

What a good morning this has turned out to be. Lets just say that I normally take a morning train at 7:13, but today that was the time I woke up, since I forgot to set my alarm. Now I know that the next train from Goldens Bridge leaves at 7:25, since I used to take that train. I am sitting on that 7:25 train right now. I didn’t brush my hair, wash my face, or make my lunch. And I have to pee, very badly. Which probably means I have to use the bathroom in White Plains. Which is just as bad as an outhouse, port-a-potty, or a train bathroom. In fact, I’d probably rather use an M7 bathroom over the bathroom in White Plains.

Anyways, the 7:25 train is one of those diesel trains that come down from Wassaic. Over on My Effing Commute John wrote one day about taking this train, and how nobody on the train talks. If you talk you are a “rookie”. This is totally true, and it amuses me. It is sort of like a different type of people ride these trains as opposed to the trains I am used to taking. I shall dub these people The Wassaic People.

The 7:25 from Goldens Bridge typically looks like this

As previously mentioned, The Wassaic People don’t talk on the train. If you do talk, you will get scowled at. This happened to me when I was carrying on a short conversation with the conductor that came to collect my ticket. Most times, Wassaic people sleep on the train. The good majority do this, though there are a few that read, or are on their laptops. When you exit the train and watch it pass by, you can see all the little heads of the people leaning against the windows, sleeping. I find this amusing.

I was totally taking over the world – playing Risk on my laptop

Wassaic People like to stand in the vestibule. Shoreliner cars have vestibules at the ends of the cars. There is a sign on the door saying passengers are prohibited from standing while the train is in motion, but nobody ever follows warning signs like that. If you are getting off at White Plains, people walk and wait in the vestibule right after Valhalla. You do want to be first to get off, don’t you? On the train I normally take you just sort of stand up and exit about five seconds before the train stops. I can understand this behavior in Grand Central, people want to get out before the rat race begins. But this seems to happen at every stop this train makes. Even the little stops, where perhaps only two people get off.

Wassaic People also tend to be a little more angry than other train riders. Perhaps because they have to sit for a lot longer than the rest of us to get to Grand Central. Perhaps it is the fumes of the diesel engine. This increased little bit of anger or stress is probably why I get scowled at while riding this train. And if you are a new rider, you may be concerned about people taking their anger out against the doors. People kick the doors on these trains. There are buttons toward the bottom of the door that when pressed open the door. Mind you, I said pressed. One does not need to violently kick the door. But many people do.

The kick-me button

This is apparently the Wassaic way. Honestly, I don’t know which is better. I started taking the earlier train so I could at least have no difficulty in finding a seat. But when I take that train, I always get annoyed by the obnoxious school kids, or the occasional person getting drunk on their way to work at Target. I suppose it is an interesting ride either way.

The holiday season is fast approaching, and many interesting holiday themed events will be happening along the Harlem Line. The Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show opens tomorrow, which is accessible via Metro-North’s Botanical Garden station. Grand Central’s Holiday Gift Fair, located in Vanderbilt hall, opens on Monday. Starting on Wednesday the Transit Museum’s Annex in Grand Central will host their Holiday Train Show (please note that this will be closed on Thanksgiving). And of course, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be held on Thursday. Of course, Metro-North has come up with some new holiday schedules, including additional trains, to help you get to these events.

Thanksgiving Metro-North Schedules

Thanksgiving Eve 11/25 extra early getaway trains will be offered, beginning at 1 PM. Because of decreased ridership in the PM peak, some trains will be combined or eliminated.

Thanksgiving Day 11/26 Operating on a holiday schedule with extra AM inbound service for those of you going to the Macy’s Parade. There will also be lots of late morning/early afternoon outbound service, and plenty of inbound evening service to get you back home.

Day after Thanksgiving 11/27 operating on a “Saturday” schedule with extra service during the AM and PM peak time periods.

For the most up to date schedule information, consult the schedule search on Metro-North’s website. Information for the Harlem Line’s Wassaic branch can be found here.

Regarding events, I’m trying to come up with a nice schedule of all varieties of events accessible by the Harlem Line. These events will be listed on the right side of the site. If you know of an event that I should mention, please contact me!

If you’re looking to go to the victory parade for the Yankees tomorrow, Friday November 6th, Metro North will be running a few extra trains on both the Harlem and Hudson Lines. Extra cars will be added to trains on the New Haven Line.

The ticker-tape parade will begin on Broadway at Battery Place at 11 AM and continue uptown along the “Canyon” to Chambers Street, ending at 12:30 PM. At 1PM a ceremony will be held at City Hall Plaza, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg will present the Bronx Bombers with the Keys to the City. The ceremony will end at 2:30 PM.

The extra train on the Harlem Line will make the following stops:
Southeast: 8:30 AM
Brewster: 8:33 AM
Goldens Bridge: 8:43 AM
Katonah: 8:47 AM
Mount Kisco: 8:53 AM
Chappaqua: 8:59 AM
North White Plains: 9:10 AM
White Plains: 9:14 AM
Harlem-125th St: 9:37 AM
Grand Central: 9:48 AM

From Grand Central, you can take the subway, 4 or 5 train downtown to any of the following stations:
Fulton Street, Wall Street, Bowling Green or Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall. Additional subway and bus information can be found here.

Also, for anyone who rides the train in the Wassaic area, trains will not be running this weekend due to bridge work, November 7th and 8th. Instead, buses will ferry riders down to Southeast. These buses will follow the normal train schedule.

Ah, White Plains train station, you have the most interesting of people. I think all the rain we’ve been having lately has been stressing people out. The other day the taxis couldn’t seem to do anything other than honk their horns loudly at each other, prompting a rather unkempt looking man sitting on the benches to scream out, “SHUT THE HELL UP!”

Do you know what calmed that man down? Another strange man wanders over, singing “I’m here to save the day!” He sat next to the other man, and they began a conversation. The two of them, certainly a match made in heaven.

Another guy I tend to see at the train station is a man that despite the warm temperature, is always wearing a winter coat. He also gets into very animated conversations with himself. He does keep to himself, and doesn’t bother anyone, so that is always a good thing. While sitting around waiting for my bus the other day I watched him play a game with himself. I’m not quite sure what the rules of this game were, if there were any at all. But he had a handfull of coins that he would shake in his hand, as if he were about to roll some dice. Then he would throw the coins to the ground, count them, and then start the process again.

For all the crazies I see at White Plains, I’ve been told that the real crazies hang out on the trains to Wassaic. Apparently a man felt it necessary to use the train to take a patio bar set somewhere. And not in a box or anything like that. In pieces. When the train doors opened he brought one piece in, then went back out to pick up another piece, and then another. And during the winter, another passenger on the Wassaic train decided to to transport a snowblower. A gas reeking snowblower. Oh the intriguing people you see on trains…

Just as a last note, I know I mentioned once before seeing a lady that carried a clipboard, and I speculated as to what the clipboard was for, and what she was making notes of. Now I am not sure if this particular woman was in fact making notes for Metro North, but I noticed a young man on my train, every single day, carrying a clipboard and walking through the train cars making notes. After watching this for quite a while, I asked… apparently there are people with clipboards that make notes about train car temperatures or things like that. I figured I’d write that since I actually saw that some people found the blog by typing into a search engine mta what do clipboards people do. Apparently other people have typed in why do pigeons scream in the morning and ride the train sex, but I have nothing to say about that.