#peekskillnewyork

The EMD FL9

In a series of posts, let's look a this unique unit, designed specifically for Grand Central Terminal and the tunnels leading to it (under Park Avenue from 97th all the way down to 42nd Street).

In this first post, we see a northbound Metro North Hudson River commuter train just north of Peekskill, New York on the former New York Central. That's the Parkway Plaza in the background up on the hillside; the Hudson River is off to the right of the frame.

Number 2006 was built for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad in September of 1957. While it most likely later wore an all black or blue and yellow scheme during the Penn Central years, it had been put back in it's original, fabulous New Haven scheme (designed by Herbert Matter) by the time of this photograph. Amtrak also used these units at this time, as you'll see in subsequent posts.

As mentioned above, this locomotive was bespoke for the New Haven due to all the underground running it was to do—it had a diesel prime mover but also a shoe to pick up electricity from the third rail (and it was able to over-run or under-run the rail, could do both). The whole idea was that the FL9 could use diesel out in the countryside but third rail while in the tunnels leading to and within Grand Central Terminal.

Lastly, something to add to this unit's charisma—the FL9 had a B-A1A wheel arrangement, fairly unusual. (Thanks to @alco-luvr for some information on this.)

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.

The EMD FL9

In a series of posts, let's look a this unique unit, designed specifically for Grand Central Terminal and the tunnels leading to it (under Park Avenue from 97th all the way down to 42nd Street). Please see the first of three posts for details of this unique design built by EMD.

In this third post we first have a going-away shot of a Metro North commuter train kicking up the fallen leaves at Manitou. One can see the Bear Mountain Bridge in the distance. Metro North always ran with the locomotives on the north end of their trains, pulling when northbound, and pushing when southbound.

The second image, of a New York bound Amtrak train, was taken from the top of Bear Mountain itself, on the west side of the Hudson River; Bear Mountain Bridge can be seen in the foreground. The train has just blown through Manitou, which is between Peekskill and Garrison.

While we're here, let me put in an image that actually came just prior to the first one above: that Metro North train approaching Manitou.

The EMD FL9

In a series of posts, let's look a this unique unit, designed specifically for Grand Central Terminal and the tunnels leading to it (under Park Avenue from 97th all the way down to 42nd Street). Please see the previous post for details of this unique design built by EMD.

In this second post we see Amtrak 486 piloting a train southward through Peekskill, New York, on the former New York Central; in the going away shot we can see that we are forty miles north of Grand Central Terminal.

This particular unit was built for the New Haven as number 2013 in September of 1957. By the time of this photo, it had been rebuilt significantly (in 1980) by Morrison Knudsen of Boise, Idaho.

Roa Hook This spot is on the Hudson River, just north of Peekskill, New York. The rail line is the former New York Central Railroad—Metro North Commuter Railroad at the time of shooting.

Transportation Along the Hudson

One morning back in the early nineties, I spent some time along the Hudson River, just north of Peekskill, New York. We see the right-of-way of the former New York Central Railroad, by this point the Metro North Commuter Railroad.

In the black and white image, we can see the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, which is scheduled to be closed in 2021. And lastly, we spy a tug with barge, headed down river.