Railroad Forums 

  • Port Morris Branch Melrose - Oak Point NYC PC CR CSX

  • Discussion of the operations of CSX Transportation, from 1980 to the present. Official site can be found here: CSXT.COM.
Discussion of the operations of CSX Transportation, from 1980 to the present. Official site can be found here: CSXT.COM.

Moderator: MBTA F40PH-2C 1050

 #473197  by Otto Vondrak
 
1) The branch was abandoned by CSX

2) CSX removed the switch

3) Metro-North rebuilt the Melrose station over the switch site

Creation of the Oak Point Link made the branch moot... but that's kinda outside the scope of a New York Central discussion.

-otto-
 #474674  by Tom Curtin
 
I actually rode a fantrip on this line. IIRC it was the fall of 1967 --- which would've placed it a few months before PC. The consist was an RS-3 and a few NYC heavyweight commuter cars.

The same trip went down the West Side Freight Line and up the Put to East View. It originated at the 138th st. ("The Bronx") station. Lots of rare mileage that day. Does anybody else on the forum recall being on that trip?
 #475631  by Tom Curtin
 
No, we didn't go down the High Line --- only to 30th St. yard.

As I think about this, it occurred to me this may have been the last NYC fantrip of all time

 #475905  by bill8106
 
Back in the late 60's a fellow who worked for my Dad by day and for the RR at night took me (about 13 years old) over there for the railroading time of my life. I ran the switcher NYC 9679. Alas no pictures. Anyone know anything about this engine?
NYC 9679 was an Alco S4 1000HP engine, built in 3/52 in Schenectady, NY.

Here's a picture of her sister: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/nyc9676ags.jpg
 #750573  by cyoc51
 
Jack Shufelt did nailed the date of construction - 1842. My great great grandfather was a latecomer to Morrisania.

The New York Central Historical Society also has the same date of construction. Below is what is written in the website.

The Port Morris Branch

The industrial track that ran from the Harlem Division at Melrose over to a connection with the New Haven on the East River at Port Morris was built as the Spuyten Duyvil & Port Morris in 1842. It split from the Harlem near 162nd Street (near Melrose), and ran to a point on the East River known as Port Morris. In 1853, the NY&H purchased the railroad and it was designated as the Port Morris Branch. In later years, the line was electrified with third rail, and was operated as a freight connection to the New Haven's Oak Point Yard.

I wrote a report a long time ago that chose the 1853 date which is incorrect. I originally thought that the NY and Harlem Railroad was the original owner, since Gouverneur Morris was a principle stockhoder of the railroad.

Also, the report's proposal is to convert this line into a greenway, connecting the South Bronx Greenway at the Hells Gate underpass. Does have an idea of ownership of the line? My research lead me to RAMS-SPEC incorporation, they are located in California. However, this was for a section of the line.
 #751216  by Noel Weaver
 
At one time years ago in the third rail days the third rail extended all the way up behind New Haven SS-3 (Bungay) at the
west end of Oak Point) where the third rail ended and overhead wire began. At least in theory it was possible to run a New
Haven AC/DC electric motor through this branch from Oak Point to Mott Haven and Grand Central Terminal. It was never
done in my time on the railroad but many years previous to my time I suppose it could have especially for a light motor, it
would surely have save considerable time for a move of this nature especially from the motor shop at Oak Point which was
close to old SS-3.
Noel Weaver
 #751540  by Statkowski
 
The Sept. 27, 1953 Engine Assignment book shows the NYC's Port Morris Branch as a detour route for New Haven trains if the line was blocked between Woodlawn and New Rochelle Junction (sending everything to Penn. Station) or if the line was blocked between Harold and New Rochelle Junction (sending everything to Grand Central Terminal if possible). Commuter trains would use the Westchester Avenue station adjacent to the subway and transfer passengers.
 #752433  by Tom Curtin
 
i actually managed to ride this line on a fantrip (1967). As you can imagine the ain't much to see, the line being "walled in" for most of its length.

(That was an outstanding fantrip by the way--- we also went up The Put to East View and down the WSFL to 30th Street.).
 #753812  by Jeff Smith
 
Tom, that must have been a pretty rough ride. I figure by then the NYC was only going as far as the A&P in Elmsford, right? Stopped at Eastview once, long after service ended, just to check out the remnants and the bridge over the SMRP.
 #753943  by R Paul Carey
 
With due regard and appreciation for the posts of others, I believe the A&P facility was actually located at Beaver Hill, once a station, West of Elmsford.
 #753964  by Jeff Smith
 
I know the East View station was at the very top of the hill. I can't say for certain where the distribution facility was. I was just thinking that if the fan trip extended past the distribution facility, it might have been rough, although I'm sure the entire stretch was rough.
 #753977  by ChiefTroll
 
Paul is correct about the actual location of the A&P. Elmsford, the open agency station at the time, was at MP 14.85. Beaver Hill, now just about the location of Beaver Hill Road crossing, was MP 15.70. A&P was just west of the crossing, on the north (RR) side of the track. East View, MP 17.10, was the end of track after 1961. When I was the yard clerk at BN Yard in the Bronx, 1960 and 1961, we originated the Put Switcher which included the A&P cars. I'm almost certain that they were billed to East View, a non-agency station under the jurisdiction of the agent at Elmsford, who was Lewis N. Catone at the time. In 1960, while the Putnam Subdivision was intact between BN and Put Jct, Yard Limits extended from Elmsford to East View. By 1965, both remaining segments of the entire Putnam Branch were under Rule 93, Yard Limits.

Gordon Davids
  • 1
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8