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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

 #652330  by expbusop
 
Does anyone know what they are doing at the old BN Yard site in the Bronx? It seems that a private contractor has set up shop and the past two weeks they have been cleaning up and installing new ties on the tracks that are still there.
 #652368  by DutchRailnut
 
I believe thats were their gone unload construction debris from ESA project.
 #652418  by DutchRailnut
 
Of Hudson Line just north of University heights, at MP 9.2, its old south end of Putnam Division, there are only 3 tracks or so.
 #652426  by RearOfSignal
 
Next to the BN curve just South of Marble Hill where they built the new Target.
 #1485503  by mainline
 
Quick question I understand where the yard is. But is the brick structure is it an old NYC powerhouse or repair facility?

Thanks
Bill
 #1485512  by Backshophoss
 
BN was the tower that allowed the Put to connect with the Hudson line,was the normal freight connection.
Believe there's a substation there for 3rd rail power on the Hudson line and the Put when there was 3rd rail installed to Getty Square in Yonkers,
from Sedgwick Ave.
 #1489250  by Jeff Smith
 
Somewhat related, but BN will soon be all that's left of the Put in the Bronx. Copied from a post in Rail Trails:

Per Schumer's FB page, and Riverdale Press, CSX to move on this: The Riverdale Press: CSX agrees to appraise Putnam Line land for greenway

Who owns the former ROW in Van Cortland Park? Of course, from Yonkers up through Putnam County, it's already a rail trail.
Months of stalled negotiations are back on track that could finally take a long-abandoned rail line and turn it into park land.

CSX Corp., has backed off its earlier demands of $10 million for a mile or so stretch of land along the Broadway corridor that used to be part of the Putnam Line, and instead agreed to have an appraiser give his own assessment of the land’s value.
...
While CSX demanded $10 million, the city was only willing to pay $2 million, Padernacht told The Riverdale Press.

City officials found the demand to be far too high for property that had not been used for nearly two decades, and which would have limited value in the private market.
...
There are some, however, who feel the stretch of land between West 230th Street and West 238th Street should have a much lower price tag. CB8’s environment and sanitation committee chair Laura Spalter said in April CSX has donated land for parks projects, including a section of the High Line to Manhattan in 2005.

Padernacht sees opportunity with the land, not only to provide a new “nice and safe entrance” to Van Cortlandt Park, but also something that could benefit businesses along the Broadway corridor stretch.
...
 #1489683  by Ridgefielder
 
Jeff Smith wrote:Who owns the former ROW in Van Cortland Park? Of course, from Yonkers up through Putnam County, it's already a rail trail.
My guess would be the NY City Parks Department. It's already a trail through the park, too.
 #1490161  by DogBert
 
It'll be interesting to see what the appraisal states... these days, NYC real estate is a gold mine, and $10M might have been a generous offer.
 #1490265  by Backshophoss
 
What ever is left at BN yard has been used as a dump site for the ESA GCT debris,might be considered as a Haz-Mat Site needing clean up.
Might be retained as MOW Staging location,as well as the GCT "Trash/Recycling train" staging point.
 #1492889  by Tommy Meehan
 
mainline wrote:Quick question I understand where the yard is. But is the brick structure is it an old NYC powerhouse or repair facility?

Thanks
Bill
I think what you're referring to is actually the old Substation 3, Kingsbridge. Below is a photo taken many years ago, probably in the 1920s. The substation is the big building on the left. The smaller building on the right was a circuit breaker house.

.
 #1492895  by Backshophoss
 
Sub station 3 was the feeder for Put's 3rd rail to Getty Square station?
 #1492899  by Tommy Meehan
 
I think I remember reading that Mott Haven Substation 2 supplied the power for the lower part of the Put third rail, Kingsbridge the middle part and Substation 4 (located next to the Glenwood Power Station) powered most of the Getty Square Branch. That was (and is) the problem with DC electrification. Transmission loss and the need to have substations every few miles.