Tuesday Tour WOH

June 12, 2012

Tuesday Tour of the Pascack Valley Line: Pearl River

Postcard and ticket from Pearl River station Welcome to the end of the Pascack Valley Line – or at least the end of our tour here. Pearl River is the final station on the line in New York state and considered part of the Metro-North system. From here southbound trains head towards New Jersey – the state line is slightly less than a half-mile from the station. The ultimate destination of Hoboken is about 25 and a half miles away, a train ride that takes around an hour. Passengers waiting for a train at Pearl River, circa 1910. Photo from...

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June 5, 2012

Tuesday Tour of the Pascack Valley Line: Nanuet

Postcard views and ticket from Nanuet station As we continue along the Pascack Valley Line, heading towards New Jersey, the next station we arrive at is Nanuet. Unlike the two other Metro-North stations on the line, Nanuet seems a little bit more quiet – it is not surrounded by cafes, shops, or busy roads. The Nanuet Mall is not too far from the station, but compared with the shops in Pearl River, the mall has little character (though what is left of the mall is apparently going to be demolished and replaced with The Shops at Nanuet – maybe it...

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May 29, 2012

Tuesday Tour of the Pascack Valley Line: Spring Valley

Main Street, Spring Valley Postcard view of the Spring Valley area Welcome to the Pascack Valley Line – our tour here will be done in nearly the blink of an eye… Only three stations on the line are in New York State and considered part of Metro-North – Spring Valley, Nanuet, and Pearl River. The line is named after the Pascack Valley, an area in New Jersey that encompasses the Pascack Brook. On New Jersey Transit timetables, the line is represented by a pine tree and the color purple. Metro-North only uses the color purple to represent the line, though...

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May 22, 2012

Tuesday Tour of the Port Jervis Line: Port Jervis

Stereoscopic view of the Erie Railroad near Port Jervis, circa 1870. From the collection of the NYPL. Finally, we have arrived – the eponymous and final station along Metro-North’s Port Jervis Line. Port Jervis is located at the edge of Orange County, and bordered by the Delaware River. The river’s natural border splits New York and Pennsylvania, and the railroad station is within easy walking distance with border-town Matamoras, PA (New Jersey is also not too far, but the walk would be a little bit longer). While Matamoras tends to be known as “that place across the border where out-of-staters...

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May 15, 2012

Tuesday Tour of the Port Jervis Line: Otisville

Old Erie station at Otisville, photograph by James E. Bailey, dated 1909. This station was located closer to downtown Otisville, the current Otisville station is in a different location. Though it feels like we’ve just begun our tour of the Port Jervis line, in reality, we’re almost complete. Of course, the Port Jervis line is not nearly as long as either the Harlem or Hudson lines which have already been featured here. The fact that the stations here are rather unremarkable, and a bit more forgettable, probably doesn’t help. Today’s station, Otisville, is another one of the line’s bland stops....

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May 8, 2012

Tuesday Tour of the Port Jervis Line: Middletown Town of Wallkill

“So, boss, where do we fit the Metro-North logo?” “I don’t know, just slap it wherever there’s some room!” I’m sure this is the post you’ve absolutely been dying for… the moment we officially crown Metro-North’s station with the longest name. Middletown Town of Wallkill is certainly a mouthful… And it certainly fills up those station signs. Though most folks probably call the station just Middletown, the station is considered part of Wallkill. The real Middletown station, which is now a library that I featured a few weeks ago, was on the portion of the Erie main line that was...