Comments on: Tuesday Tour of the Harlem Line: Purdy’s (and bonus Copake Falls)

By: Gabe F

Gabe F — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 16:55:46 +0000

I have wonderful summer memories of this Deli, and the “Ore Pit” literal swimming hole, from the 1980s. Growing up and swimming in this magical place (or at least, I thought it was at the time!) are some of the best highlights of my childhood. I realize this was first published 15 yeas ago, but wanted to thank you for visiting and posting these pictures!

By: Ron Vincent

Ron Vincent — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:41:40 +0000

I grew up in Hillsdale,the next stop north.While in the Hillsdale Vol Fire dept in the early 1970’s we were called to assist Copake FD at a fire at an old freight house,almost right adjacent to the still existing station building.It was pretty well burning and we ran hoses from the nearby ore pit at Taconic State Park.The cellar was full of grain from the active shipping days when all of a sudden somebody shouted”look out!” and we all saw dozens of small rattlesnakes coming up out of the cellar and gathering around our feet.The fire had burned down and the heat and our water was driving them up and out.We all said the babies were not too bad but we didnot want wait around to see their momma’s!!

By: John Russell

John Russell — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:49:16 +0000

Hi. I have more of a question than a comment, even though the Copake Falls station holds a great deal of memories for me. I was blessed to have watched the last train that ever came through that crossing at Copake Falls, in the summer of 76 or 77, not sure when all traffic stopped. I do know I never saw a train or an engine ever come through there again. My questions are: do you know where I can find a photo of the station before Bob Mathews bought it and converted it to a store? And was New York Central System the last trains to run those tracks, or was it the Penn Central merger that killed off this historic railroad. I hope you can help me learn as much as I can about my childhood memory. Thank you, John “Gabby” Russell, Skowhegan, Maine.