Railroad Forums 

Discussion relating to the operations of MTA MetroNorth Railroad including west of Hudson operations and discussion of CtDOT sponsored rail operations such as Shore Line East and the Springfield to New Haven Hartford Line

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, nomis, FL9AC, Jeff Smith

 #1193595  by R36 Combine Coach
 
Ridgefielder wrote:For what it's worth, that building is pretty new-- it dates from the mid-90's renovation when the building was elevated to be level with the high-level platforms. Before then I think the taxi dispatcher was in the old baggage room-- can't remember for sure, though.
That renovation would have been 1998-99. Either way that structure is faithful to the original 1868 design.
 #1193596  by runningwithscalpels
 
Ha, could have fooled me! Thus why I asked to begin with - I thought maybe it served some other purpose way back when!
 #1193924  by Noel Weaver
 
That building is the same building that was the taxi office back in the 1970's and 1980's when I made many trips on the New Canaan Branch either on the dink or on one of the through trains to or from New York. The taxi people in New Canaan were a good bunch of folks, a couple of reitred railroaders worked here too. I am not saying that the taxi office was never in the station but if it was it was after my Metro-North years.
Noel Weaver
 #1193983  by Ridgefielder
 
Noel Weaver wrote:That building is the same building that was the taxi office back in the 1970's and 1980's when I made many trips on the New Canaan Branch either on the dink or on one of the through trains to or from New York. The taxi people in New Canaan were a good bunch of folks, a couple of reitred railroaders worked here too. I am not saying that the taxi office was never in the station but if it was it was after my Metro-North years.
Noel Weaver
Noel- It might be the same design but I don't think it's the same building. Part of the '98-99 renovation involved jacking up the station to be level with the high-level platform, and then raising the grade of the parking lot by about 5' so it too would be on the same level.

I commuted from New Canaan for summer jobs from 1994-1996, and then year-round until I moved to NYC in 1999, and my father took that train from 1987 or so until his retirement, so I was pretty familiar with the pre-renovation layout of the area. I just don't remember that building being there before the grade was raised. The west end of the parking lot just sort of trailed off into cinders around where the spur went off into the lumberyard.
 #1256308  by metroduff
 
Does anyone know the history of the current taxi stand at the New Canaan station? How long has it been there? Has it always been a taxi stand?

Thanks for any help.
 #1256417  by Ridgefielder
 
If you mean the structure at the south end of the platform, I believe that only dates back to the renovation of the station in the late 1990s. If I remember correctly, prior to that the dispatcher for Hoyt Taxi worked out of the old baggage room in the depot itself.
 #1382217  by Jeff Smith
 
Okay, since I created this thread by merging multiple threads, let's see if there are any updates on the branch other than the inevitable crossing incidents and minor derailments... and the occasional Opposing Trains on the Same Tack incident :wink:

or the occasional Amtrak on the New Canaan Branch happenstance.

So last I know, these were some of the issues confronting the branch:

-Signalization of the yard/PTC
-A Springdale passing siding
-A possible new branch station at US1 ("Stamford East")

Options for improving the branch are limited, of course.
 #1534373  by BranchRider
 
Just a note here to highlight that Stamford and other towns are advocating for the Passing siding again at Springdale in the Lamont 2030 planning. Working with local reps to get the siding into the budget. Leveraging the new Platform 7 at Stamford to store trains during the mid-day shuttle period.

Interested in whether there is any additional blocker to adding another track opposite the current Springdale Platform.
 #1534374  by DutchRailnut
 
hard part is for state to get property back, it was given to Cemetery
 #1534420  by Backshophoss
 
FYI,both links are deader than a Doornail! :( :(
There was the return of the NH 4400 MU's and a GG-1 at New Canaan.
There was the failed test runs of ex PRR/PC MP54 MU's on the Branch.
Figure on some tree whacking,graves relocations for that passing track.
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