UK visitor to NY

Hello

I shall be in NY city for 5 days from tomorow (Monday). I will be 'allowed' one day of railway activity by the grumpy girlfriend - what should I do?

Is there any type of loco that is about to be withdrawn that I should see? Are there any depots / works I can get to? Can I take photos of trains without being arrested for being an insurgent?! Is there a good day trip out that will allow me to experience US railroads at their best (or worst!)?

Thanks in advance

Simon

There are plenty of train trips you could take from the via for reasonable distances via commuter rail.
NJ Transit
North Jersey Coast Line down to Pt. Pleasant-very nice scenery below perth amboy. Take it to Pt. Pleasant and the beach and amusement areas are walkable from the station. Many good photo opportunities.
Northeast Corridor-if you are interested in Amtrak trains, this line is a must for you. Places like Princeton Jct are nice for viewing southbounds. The top speed here for Acela is 135.
Port Jervis Line-on this line north of suffern, you can get views of valleys as well as going on this viaduct called Moodna just below Salisbury Mills-Cornwall stop. In Pt. Jervis, one can view the former erie turntable as well as the old erie station. Pt Jervis is located in NY state on the border of jersey and pennsy. In NY state, this service is run by Metro North.
metro north railroad
take a trip up the hudson to poughkeepsie. The city has gotten better. Poughkeepsie is a nice station to photograph Amtraks as well as Amtrak service continues north to Albany and points upstate.

Taking PATH from Hoboken to Newark Penn is a real fun trip. I love the fact that you go past a yard and all the engines in the yard. By the way what yard is that? Oh theres also a good pizza place in Newark Penn too! Also if you go are up along the Hudson go to the other side of the river and watch the action on CSX's Riverline. You can see a good amount of foreign power too. My uncle saw a good mix of stuff today mostly BNSF and CSX but he also saw a CN unit. And Moodna Viaduct is amazing because the view is so beautiful. I once went over it at sunset and it was a beautiful site. Well i hope this helps you. And have fun in the states!

Folks, it sounds like Simon has one DAY to explore the railroad scene, and he probably wants to see as much as he can. If you have one day, and you are staying in New York City, I reccomend the following intinerary- especially if you dont have time to bop all around to New Jersey and other places like that. This is the intinerary I usally take my railfan friends on when they are visiting New York for the first time.

1. Ride the NYC Subway from Grand Central to Queensboro Plaza and back on the No. 7 line. You'll be on an interesting elevated line in Queens, and you will pass over Sunnyside Yard. Sunnyside was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad as a place to store and service their long-distance passenger trains. Today it is used by Amtrak and by NJTransit. Ride out to 33rd Street (in Queens) station and get out for some fantastic views of the NYC skyline (from here: http://railroad.net/photos/nycarea/media/ov-22.jpg). As long as you dont exit the system, this trip will cost you $2.00.

2. Ride the PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson) from New York to Hoboken, NJ. Board at 33rd Street terminal, and ride to Hoboken. Get out and explore Hoboken- the last of the waterfront railway terminals. Used to be that all the railroads from New Jersey used to terminate on the waterfront of the Hudson River and ferry their passengers to Manhattan. Since most service was switched over to the old PRR route in the 1960s, this terminal is the last remaining waterfront rail passenger terminal. It's an excellent open air terminal built at the turn of the century by the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western. Check it out.

3. Re-enter the PATH system and ride to Newark (you will be required to change trains at Journal Square- just follow everyone else). Best part is the high-speed running and you'll pass through a CSX freight yard as well. As you approach Harrison station, you join up with the busy Amtrak/NJT Northeast Corridor- the famous PRR mainline. You'll arrive at the terminal, Newark Penn Station. Get out and explore this fantastic art deco monument to the PRR. The Newark City Subway runs out of the basement, but has since been converted to light rail, removing the vintage PCC cars from service, so it may not be worth a look (you only need to pay the fare if you plan to ride, you should be able to visit the platform down there without having a ticket). At Newark Penn Station, you'll see Amtrak trains and NJTransit commuter trains. The bonus on the PATH system- you can see out the front windows.

4. Board the PATH and return to 33rd Street New York City. Walk over to 34th Street and visit Penn Station. This is a station for Amtrak, NJTransit, and the Long Island Rail Road. You may want to consider riding out to Jamaica station on the LIRR, which is a major transfer point located in Queens- trains seem to arrive and depart every five minutes on multiple tracks. Electric MU's (new and old) and diesel-hauled trains.

5. Ride back to Penn Station and take the subway over to 42nd Street-Grand Central Terminal. You can easily spend an hour in Grand Central exploring both levels, and seeing the Metro-North trains there. The fifty-year-old FL9 locomotives are slowly being withdrawn from service, but they no longer run into Grand Central- you would have to travel out to one of the branch lines to see them, and you wont have time to do that.

If you can handle all this travelling and walking, you will have seen a lot!!

Have fun in the states and enjoy your visit! I know some good bars and restaurants, too that have nothing to do with trains that you and the girl may enjoy... feel free to email me.

-otto-

ps- here are some pics from around the area:
http://railroad.net/photos/nycarea/index.php

I will be 'allowed' one day of railway activity by the grumpy girlfriend - what should I do?

Dump girlfriend...............

trainfreak wrote:Taking PATH from Hoboken to Newark Penn is a real fun trip. I love the fact that you go past a yard and all the engines in the yard. By the way what yard is that? Oh theres also a good pizza place in Newark Penn too!

I use to think that area was Meadows yard, but this map claims it's South Kearney (actually, I think there are/were several portions of the yard designated with different names)
http://www.panynj.gov/commerce/Regional ... minals.htm
Not sure if that map is looking forward, since it lists the SIRR Arlington yard and Travis Branch as 'active'. It is also missing several lines/terminal, such as the East Jersey RR yard in Bayonne, or the LIC branch of LIRR/NY&A, which has many NY&A freight customers...
By the way, to squeeze an extra day out of your travels, take the GF (by PATH) to Newark, and leaving Newark Penn Station, head South East on Ferry St. - several very good Brazilian/Portugese Restaurants there (I have eaten there several times myself), plus a lot of interesting little stores to window shop in (if you end up at the uninteresting strip-shopping center at Wilson Ave, you've gone too far south). Heck, check the performances at NJPARC for that night, so you can check out the progress of the Newark Subway Broad St. Branch, and Squeeze a whole 'nother day from your GF without her knowing it...

LIRR Jamaica...PATH to Newark......to Hoboken...GCT to Yonkers or Bronx and return...J train to Broadway Jct...Staten Island Ferry with Girlfriend, if she is still a pain, drop her overboard!