Another snowstorm for Metro-North

Things are slowly getting back to normal in the Northeast, which was blanketed in snow over the past few days. Central Park reported just over 15 inches of snow, and some areas of the Bronx were reporting close to 20 inches. Subway service above ground was halted at 2 PM yesterday, and resumed at 5 AM today. Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road shut down operations at 3 PM yesterday, but as of 4 AM this morning were both back online, subject to delays. Amtrak likewise cut service at 3 in between New York and Boston and New York and...

Spring Thaw on the Saratoga & North Creek

This past winter was long and cold for all of us, and thankfully everything is finally beginning to look bright. Upstate in the Adirondacks the Saratoga & North Creek Railway was hard-hit. Normally operating several snow trains a few weekends during the winter, much of February’s service was entirely cancelled due to the extremely cold weather. Prior to the cancellations, one train that did run broke down heading southbound, necessitating a school bus to carry all the passengers back to Saratoga. I had been planning to photograph the railway in the snow, but the lack of trains cancelled those plans....

Winter 2015 – A Collection of Snowy Photos

Hopefully by now winter is waning, and yesterday’s snow storm will be the last big event of the season. It feels like it has has been a long winter – and one rife with cancellations, train delays, and even a full transit system shutdown. Despite the headaches, snow can of course be beautiful (in moderation!). Here’s a collection of some of my favorite photographs that I took this winter season, on Metro-North and beyond. Who else is ready for spring? Also, are you following I Ride the Harlem Line on Facebook and Instagram? Many of these photos appeared there first!...

Boston’s Record Snowfall, and the MBTA’s West Concord Station

When the first snow of the season falls, everyone seems relatively enamored with the glistening white flakes clinging to the trees, painting a beautiful snowy scene. By now, a few months into winter, everyone is pretty much fed up, and wishing for spring. New York has certainly received its share of the white stuff, having at least one shutdown of major transit. Boston, however, has been particularly hard-hit, with record breaking snowfalls. The snowdrifts are apparently so high that some crazy folks have been jumping out of their windows into them – “nonsense” that is not amusing the city’s mayor....

A Fiery Centennial – Hartford Union Station

A Fiery Centennial – Hartford Union Station

Exactly one hundred years ago, Connecticut was gripped in a frigid and snowy winter, much like the one we are currently experiencing. And exactly one hundred years ago last Friday, Hartford’s Union station was ablaze. On its own, a fire can be pretty devastating enough, but coupled with the snow, firefighters had difficulty getting to the station to put the fire out. Ultimately there were several small explosions, one of which displaced a large section of the roof, pieces of which fell and destroyed the ticket office. The station was heavily damaged, and much of the items in the baggage...

Winter at the Strasburg Railroad

Winter at the Strasburg Railroad

I swear to you all, I really hate winter. And the cold. Sure, we may have checked out the Harlem Line and the Hudson Line in the snow, but I’d so much rather be somewhere warm… Instead of being at some tropical location this past weekend, you would have found me at the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania. Despite being assured that it “never snows” for these winter photo specials, Saturday’s weather brought more snow in addition to the already deep snow blanketing the ground. The majority of the day was grey, with the sun only appearing for approximately three seconds...