I have thoroughly enjoyed your blog since I discovered it after the write-up in The Times. As I told you, I grew up in Sleepy Hollow, NY and live in nearby Elmsford, NY, in walking distance of the old Putnam Line.

My family and I have been avid users of the Hudson Line, from both the Phillips Manor and Tarrytown stations for over 40 years. All stations on the Hudson Line are very unique; some have been recently remodeled, almost all have gorgeous river views and have walking access to riverfront facilities such as parks, restaurants and modern real estate.

At the Phillips Manor station were I literally grew up watching trains and memorizing the train schedule, there is a beach and I was swimming in since I was two.

There is also The Hudson Valley Writers Center
http://writerscenter.org/ that is been operating the in station house since 1992.

In neighboring Tarrytown, there is The Tarrytown Music Hall. http://tickets.tarrytownmusichall.org/

This is a not-for-profit theater venue featuring well known artists in concert. I am volunteer usher in what is an over 100 year old Landmark building.

At the Irvington station, there is now a park, restaurants and office space in what used to be a lumber yard.

This lumberyard is can be seen in the 1959 movie “North By Northwest”. About an hour into the film, Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint are in the dinning car together has “The Twentieth Century Limited” passes the yard and then goes under the Tappan Zee Bridge, shortly after it was completed.

If I can be of assistance to you regarding photos or information about what I mentioned above, or the Hudson Line in general, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Bob Levine

If the “rail trails” north of Wassaic have successfully preserved 100% of the right-of-way, then that would most definitely be a major plus. Once development has had a chance to encroach upon an old right-of-way, any future restoration becomes at the very least hugely expensive if not down right impossible. Unfortunately, any future restoration north of Wassaic would still be completely impossible without the adamant support of communities like Millerton.

It could well be that if passenger service on the Berkshire Line gets revived and proves successful, towns like Millerton might look at this and begin to feel like, “Hey! What the heck! Why can’t we have this too?” Or, conversely, they might prefer to just drive their cars over to Canaan and catch an express to Grand Central from there. We’ll just have to see, I guess.

Thanks for your help! I support what you’re doing!

Fred M. Cain

Reviving the Berkshire Line is a definite possibility… mostly because the tracks still remain. I can totally see that happening. But the tracks north of Wassaic on the Harlem are gone, and what did remain has now been converted into a rail trail. Restoring the Harlem further any north has been discussed ad nauseum. When the line was restored up to Wassaic, it was always possible for the restoration to go further north into Millerton, however the community was opposed.

Actually, there is some very serious discussion taking place over the issue of reviving the Berkshire Line in northwestern Connecticut and western Mass to Pittsfield. It might just happen; it all depends on how fervently people living in the communities along the line support this. It should be noted, however, that in the case of the Berkshire Line, the rails were never actually removed as they were on the Harlem line north of Wassaic or Milverton (I’m not sure how far north they still go). Never the less, I can attest to the fact that back in the mid 1980’s, the Berkshire line between North Milford and Canaan, CT was completely abandoned with some 3, 4 and 5-inch diameter trees growing between the rails. Any hope of a revival looked pretty hopeless at that time. But now the line has been returned to service (for freight only) and the future looks bright.

Although restoring track on the Chatham line would be a much bigger and more involved issue, the same principle still holds true that if the communities along the line support this, then it might just happen – someday.

Fred M. Cain,
Topeka, Indian

I had no idea that you used to go up there! Did you have relatives there, or you just sort of went for the heck of it?

In other news, I apparently start off every comment I make with Haha,

Haha, New York and its classifications of towns/villages/hamlets/etc confuses me. The village of Chatham is inside the town of Chatham, but part of the village also lies in the town of Ghent.

Haha, I suppose you are right. It is always possible, but I think the likelihood is slim to none.