Hoboken Terminal Track Lengths (In Car Lengths)

What are the lengths of platforms within Hoboken Terminal?

From track 1 on up to 17, all platforms low-level:

Tk1 - 3 cars
Tk2 - 7 cars
Tk3 - 7 cars
Tk4 - 7 cars
Tk5 - 8 cars
Tk6 - 8 cars
Tk7 - 10 cars
Tk8 - 10 cars
Tk9 - 10 cars
Tk10 - 10 cars
Tk11 - 10 cars
Tk12 - 10 cars
Tk13 - 8 cars
Tk14 - 8 cars
Tk15 - 8 cars
Tk16 - 9 cars
Tk17 - 9 cars

Track 14 is the only track that has a platform on both sides, IIRC, everything else is island platforms.

I would like to know the length of the original platforms, before the concrete was put in....? The old platforms are covered in pavement and stick out past the concrete...

Track 8 used to be the DL&W's "prime" track. It was used for the Buffalo and Scranton trains (outbound). Inbound, the issue was two or three engines along with a mail and/or baggage car taking up lengths. Passengers often had to move forward to be able to detrain. I noticed that inbound trains often ran at slower than normal speeds from Harrison to Hoboken (compared to outbound westbound running). I never asked, nor found out, why that was so, but later I guessed that it was to allow time for passengers to move forward.

Train 15, The Owl, had a sleeper that opened at about 10:00pm, and it departed at around midnight. That set of cars (and the open sleeper) generally were parked on Track 13 and left from that one as well. I always guessed that that was done for quiet reasons. That train often had only a single coach. By the 1950s it no longer had any dining. It always had a lot of express and mail traffic and cars.

Are there any plans to make the platforms high-level platforms, such as the ones that are in plenty of station, such as Secaucus Junction?

Thomas wrote:Are there any plans to make the platforms high-level platforms, such as the ones that are in plenty of station, such as Secaucus Junction?

None that I think any of us know of. If there were such "serious" plans, it would have made a local paper article at least once.

Fan Railer wrote:

Thomas wrote:Are there any plans to make the platforms high-level platforms, such as the ones that are in plenty of station, such as Secaucus Junction?

None that I think any of us know of. If there were such "serious" plans, it would have made a local paper article at least once.

It would ruin the aesthetics of Hoboken if the platforms were to be made high level. The current look is timeless, high level platforms with the canopy that low would look horrendous.

why would they need them? They have ramps for the handicap if they need to assist them getting off. There's nothing wrong with walking down or up a set of stairs.

I think making the station high level for the rear end door of the first car on out would be a good idea, put stairs for employee access at the far end of the train shed. Would 75 feet be enough room to make a gently enough sloping ramp?

Speaking of tracks... does anyone know what the deal is with track 18? When was the last revenue train to use track 18? Or was it always just a MOW/storage track. (p.s. I do know for many years it was the home of sw1500 #502)

lirr42 wrote:From track 1 on up to 17, all platforms low-level:

Tk1 - 3 cars
Tk2 - 7 cars
Tk3 - 7 cars
Tk4 - 7 cars
Tk5 - 8 cars
Tk6 - 8 cars
Tk7 - 10 cars
Tk8 - 10 cars
Tk9 - 10 cars
Tk10 - 10 cars
Tk11 - 10 cars
Tk12 - 10 cars
Tk13 - 8 cars
Tk14 - 8 cars
Tk15 - 8 cars
Tk16 - 9 cars
Tk17 - 9 cars

Track 14 is the only track that has a platform on both sides, IIRC, everything else is island platforms.

Close but no cigar...

1 Depot - 3PP/3MU
2 Depot - 6PP/6MU (7MU is possible, but extremely tight)
3 Depot - 6PP/6MU (7MU is possible, but extremely tight)
4 Depot - 6PP/7MU
5 Depot - 6PP/7MU
6 Depot - 8PP/9MU
7 Depot - 8PP/9MU
8 Depot - 9PP/10MU
9 Depot - 8PP/9MU
10 Depot - 8PP/9MU
11 Depot - 8PP/9MU
12 Depot - 6PP/6MU (Similar to track 2&3, 12 and 13 Depot can accommodate 7MU but it is extremely tight. 12 Depot can also accommodate up to 9PP/10MU to the 3rd interlocking signal on the track)
13 Depot - 6PP/6MU
14 Depot - 7PP/7MU
15 Depot - 7PP/8MU
16 Depot - 8PP/9MU
17 Depot - 9PP/9MU

1 Depot and 14 Depot have platforms on both sides.

Are all the "color code" lights long gone now?

frank754 wrote:Are all the "color code" lights long gone now?

Do you mean the colored lights that indicated a Form-D was in effect on a particular line?

Pretty sure he means the ones that used to dictate what line the train was running on.

Passaic River Rat wrote:

frank754 wrote:Are all the "color code" lights long gone now?

Do you mean the colored lights that indicated a Form-D was in effect on a particular line?

I never saw the Form-D lights, or at least never noticed them. Where were they located? And did they use the same colors as the ones mounted at the departure boards along the transverse platform for information of passengers?