#hudsonline

Coming & Going: Twenty-five Years Apart

Southbound trains arrive at, and depart from, Hudson, New York. The before and after images were made twenty five years apart.

As in some of my previous posts, I've mentioned being on the so-called Water Level Route of the New York Central. I should explain...

The NYC competed with the Pennsylvania Railroad between New York and Chicago: the Pennsy had a more direct route through the Keystone State (via Harrisburg, Horseshoe Curve, and Pittsburgh) but was slower given curvature and grade. Famous trains on the competing lines were the 20th Century Limited (NYC) and the Broadway Limited (of the Pennsy). In the end it was a wash, with both railroad's premier trains making the run in fifteen hours.

BREAKNECK RIDGE (from little stony point) - Composition Monday

Garrison Landing: Thirty-Eight Years Apart

Once again we are following New York Central's Water Level Route; the cement milepost tells us we are precisely fifty miles from Grand Central Terminal, in Garrison, New York.

In the contemporary image above we see a northbound Amtrak train (going away from us, with an additional locomotive on the tail end) after having sped through Garrison Landing.

The vintage photograph has a city-bound commuter train of Metro North (coming toward us) approaching Garrison through the short tunnel there just north of the station. The engineer is sitting in the end of the passenger car (or cab-car) on the south end of the train.

Metro North runs all trains to Grand Central Terminal with locomotives on the north end of their consists, so it's not always easy to tell which direction these trains are moving in still images. Additionally: Amtrak trains sometimes have locomotives on each end (as is the case above), which can further cloud how a viewer might perceive the direction of travel of their movements.

On the re-photography aspect: I couldn't match the angle here as the bridge on which I was standing had been moved significantly: to the north and higher as well.

Annsville Creek: Thirty-Seven Years Apart Here we have two views of the mouth of Annsville Creek at the Hudson River. The contemporary image has a southbound Metro North train (with New Haven Heritage unit on the rear end, pushing) coming toward us on the causeway, approaching Peekskill. In the vintage view we have a trio of Budd SPV2000 units moving in the same direction, albeit seen from a higher viewpoint.

The SPV was to serve as a replacement for the Budd RDC (rail diesel car) but never caught on and was therefore not produced in large numbers (only 31 were built). Metro North used these on the weekends or late at night when passenger numbers were light.

In the spirit of the time-comparison diptychs I've been posting, I do have a shot of a Metro North train near this spot (though moving northward); it happens to have an FL9 in the New Haven paint scheme as well, as the first image here (though you can't really see it). Please go here for that earlier post with an image from 1990 or so.

These images were made along the former New York Central (Water Level Route) and is now operated by Metro North.

Hudson River and Sugarloaf: Thirty-Seven Years Apart

Here are two views of the Hudson Valley and Sugarloaf made looking northward from the middle of the Bear Mountain Bridge. In both views a southbound Amtrak train, on the former New York Central, contributes action to the scene. The vintage image shows a Rohr Turbo train having just sped through Manitou on what appears to be a hot and humid day. I chose to blur the train in the recent shot as it was getting quite dark at the time. When I lived in this area decades ago, I hiked to the top of Sugarloaf more than once. This was, most likely, in a quest to see birds along with a wonderful view of West Point, and the Hudson Valley generally.

Garrison Landing: Thirty-Eight Years Apart In the top (recent) image we see an inbound Metro North train (with Conrail heritage unit), on the right, passing a northbound Amtrak train on the left. In the vintage photograph a commuter train of Metro North, is being powered by an FL9. In each photograph, the commuter train is moving away from us, approaching the station—note the marker lights are lit as opposed to the headlight in each case.

Metro North runs all trains to Grand Central Terminal with locomotives on the north end of their consists, so it's not always easy to tell which direction these trains are moving in still images. Additionally: Amtrak trains sometimes have locomotives on each end (as is the case above), which can further cloud how a viewer might perceive the direction of travel of their movements.

I've always loved how the light on the vintage Metro North locomotive reveals its form (in the second shot). In the past, I've posted about the interesting model of locomotive from EMD: if you are interested, search the term, "FL9" to learn more about that intriguing locomotive that was designed for use in Grand Central Terminal specifically.

On the re-photography aspect: I couldn't match the angle here as the bridge on which I was standing had been moved significantly: to the north and higher as well.

Guinan's Store, Garrison Landing

In another time-comparison diptych, we see images made 34 years apart. Guinan's Store and Pub was an institution in Garrison, New York. I had the privilege of getting a cup of coffee and the New York Times every morning before taking a train on the Hudson Line down to Grand Central Terminal (then walk a mile to a photo studio).

The store and pub closed as Guinan's in 2008, but became a restaurant for a time in this century—though may now be closed as well as I write this. There are articles in the NYT and a local newspaper that discuss the well-earned "institution" moniker, but I couldn't get past paywalls. I did find some information to share on this blog.

Back in the late eighties and early nineties I would purchase my cup and paper from the proprietor himself, James Guinan, who was an authentic Irishman. One can read his obituary here.

Bannerman Castle Over Time

Following up on my previous post that showed Bannerman Castle, on Pollepel Island (in the Hudson River), from atop Breakneck Ridge, here are two more images of it taken over a time span of forty-four years. Both of these were taken from moving trains, and so are of lower quality, but they are from roughly the same angle.

The first shot above shows the castle as seen in May of 1981 during my first trip to the big city (post for that event here). At the time, despite the danger, one could position oneself in the vestibule area of a moving train and even open the top half of the Dutch doors for clear access for photography.

The second shot was taken earlier this week as I was traveling out of town, headed north. I'm now using a phone-camera and shooting through a window (ugh). It appears that the most decorative and tall part of the castle has fallen down at some stage. This site shows some of this decay that happened during a storm in 2010, and it seems that more has gone since then.

The island and castle are owned by the State of New York (Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation). Additionally, there is a group helping to preserve the place: the Bannerman Castle Trust. They have a site where you can read about the history of the place.