Patterson, New York

Consider the possiblty of a "shared" industry track at Towners for a customer that wanted a choise of RRs to move "his"
freight,and a "backwater" (forgotten) interchange point for NY Central/New Haven RRs.
There was an "Ice pond" nearby(Knickerbocker Ice Co,NY City).
This is just a thought.

Lew was working as a dispatcher in that time period I think, 1978.

But when I mentioned Lew saying he did not recall that "they" took the Brewster interchange track out of service he meant New York Central. I don't think he was talking about post-1968.

Larry as I stated in a post above, the connection to the Maybrook at Brewster was removed around 1960

Years ago there were several sidings for diff. things in Patterson. The lumber yard and passing siding already mentioned. Not to far below the current station there was a siding on the west side and there was a building there (not sure if it was the old freight station). Years ago this served a company name Eaton Kelly, they were the supply company of the day. They had stores in Patterson, Brewster, Holmes, Stormville and several more locations. Last I remember this siding and building being used was in the 70's. There was a farm machinery buissiness name PhilBeth they "rarely" would get something in on rail. And once in a while Dykeman Dairy (they were west of town where the cement silo stands alone on a hill) would get in a car load of feed. I have brothers that were involved with the dairy operation, I'll see what other things they can add. Off subject but next town north in Pawling once ya got north of the village crossing ther were tracks fanning out to serve sidings of many buisinesses there.

The New Haven transfer at Putnam Junction was discontinued between ETT No. 9 of April 30, 1961 and ETT No. 10 of Oct. 29, 1961. Reference is Special Instruction No. 104 in ETT No. 9 which read in part as follows; Switches, Electrically Locked Switches, Putnam Junction. Harlem Main to New Haven Transfer Tracks controlled from "B" which was Brewster station. That reference was eliminated in ETT No. 10.

Regarding the connection at Dykemans. It is my recollection that the connection was not installed until Conrail came into being because the union agreements prohibited such an arrangement i.e., New Haven crews operating in the territory being discussed. In any event, my Penn Central and Conrail ETT's and General Orders suggest that the connection was installed sometime between General Order No. 720 of April 25, 1976 to Conrail ETT No. 7 and Conrail Northeastern Region ETT No. 1 of June 18, 1978 wherein the connection is listed on page 23, Maybrook Branch.

FYI, General Order No. 719, Effective Sunday, April 1, 1976, to ETT No. 7 of May 19, 1974 stated that the (Penn Central) Northeastern Region (is) now operated by the Consolidated Rail Corporation. My General Orders are not complete from G.O. No. 720 of April 25, 1976 to G.O. No. 733 of April 30, 1978 and there were likely additional ones issued between that date and the effective date of ETT No. 1 of June 18, 1978.

i was in the signal dept.and worked on the installation of 'CP DYKE' and froze my bones during the winter of 1977-78. I donot recall the date the project was completed but it was in the spring of 1978.

Thanks pbass for the confirmation on the completion of the work at 'CP Dyke.' I concluded that it had to be in the Spring of 1978 but I could not support it with fact. Jack

The purpose of the link between the Harlem and the former New Haven at Dyke was to allow for dimension and other cars to move from Selkirk on one hand to Danbury and the lower Harlem on the other hand. The line between Wassaic and Chatham was abandoned on day one of Conrail which was April 1, 1976. This connection was put in to service at that time and I have timetable general orders someplace here to cover this change.
As for crews, the separation went "out the window" with the Penn Central take over of the New Haven which took effect January 1, 1969. It was not too long after that date that crews began working in territory totally foreign to them. One of the first places that this took place was in the yard at Oak Point where some work went to New York Central, Grand Central Terminal Roster crews and it spread after that. Employees began accruing seniority as of November 1, 1968 and T and E employees of both the Penn Central (former New York Central in this case) and the New Haven could bid on assignments of the other railroad with seniority as of November 1, 1968. In the case of the New York Central/Penn Central they hired a number of T & E people on both the River Division and the B & A and New Haven people had the opportunity fairly early on to bid to these divisions. I took advantage of this opportunity but not until early 1974 on the River Division. Much later on in Conrail years engineers were given an opportunity to bid on through freight assignments using their full seniority but that was a complicated story and much later than this period. I took advantage of that too.
Noel Weaver

While the last train from Chatham was on March 27, 1976 the last train from Millerton to Wassaic was not until March 28, 1980 when the traveling switcher with the 2523 departed Millerton at 5.30 P.M. Reference is Lou Grogan's book Coming of the New York and Harlem page 323 and 324.

Noel, thanks for clarifying the union agreement. Jack

I was in the signal dept.on the New Haven at the time the switch was installed between the Harlem & the Maybrook.When I transfered to the signal dept.on the former NY Central side,CP DYKE was already in the process of becoming a contolled point and completed in the spring of 1978.Between DYKE and south of Towners,we also installed a signal and I can't remember which signal rule it was,but it's purpose was to inform the engineer if the train had permission or not for clearance at CP DYKE.

I saw one once and can't for the life of me remember where. Perhaps in the NHRHTA's Shoreliner? I vaguely recall that in the photo the station was east of the road overpass and on the north side of the ROW

CP dyke was just the signal just north of interchange track. the switch was a manual electric locked switch and not part of CP Dyke.
The Signal could display Clear block for northbound moves or regular signal indication for southbound moves.
namely Stop - Approach - Diverting Approach or Clear
A Approach restricted or Approach Clear was displayed about 1/4 mile north at Ice pond, indicating entry to signal system.

Railroadrod, about the old bed you speak of behind Bakers farm. I've been told this was what to be the New York, Boston and Montreal RR this line was to be made up of some laid track and a lot of trackage rights on other RR's. The bed in/near Holmes was excavated and culverts and such put in but track was never laid on this part. I have been told that the Old Put div. was part of this RR They had track laid form NYC to Caramel when one of 1800's financial collapse hit. So after things settled track was run from Carmel to Brewster and the rest was abandoned. This is a vague history of this line there are others on here that know many more facts than I on this subject.


The cement foundation near the Holmes road crossing was an old Milk Plant, I believe it was owned by Borden's.


Also I believe I saw some picture(s) of West Patterson in a book about the CNE (original RR that laid the present day Beacon/Maybrook line). There is a gentleman on here named Bernard R. that has much info on the early life of RR's in Dutchess/Putnam counties. To contact him look for the post on the Old Hopewell depot on this, the New England and New York state forums as he writes and maintains it.