Early NH passenger service into Penn Station

[Statkowski]

Prior to the overhead electrification of the New York Connecting Railroad's passenger tracks, Pennsylvania DD-1 third-rail electrics would be used between Pennsylvania Station and Sunnyside Junction. At that location, the New Haven established a signal station (S.S. 2), which may or may not have been interlocked. From Sunnyside Junction eastward, New Haven I-2 steam engines were used, deadheading between there and Oak Point Yard (I believe they were serviced at Harlem River Yard, which had steam facilities).

Westward, the New Haven steamer would uncouple at Sunnyside Junction and deadhead backwards back to Oak Point. At Sunnyside Junction, the PRR engine woule couple on to finish the run to Penn. Station. Eastward, the situation, of course, was reversed, with the New Haven engine deadheading over from Oak Point backwards.

Once the wire went up, New Haven electrics were able to run all the way through, and S.S. 2 was eliminated.

Of note, S.S. 2 was a NEW HAVEN signal station, manned by NEW HAVEN personnel, yet was physically separated from the New Haven by another railroad (the New York Connecting Railroad). The interlocking tower at Fremont, on the LIRR's Bay Ridge Branch, was similarly operated.

[Noel Weaver]

Henry, I think Fremont was manned by Long Island Rail Road employees.
After Penn Central took over the operation of that line and took over the
New Haven, Penn Central employees took it over.
I never recall any evidence that New Haven Railroad employees actually
worked that tower.
The operator there worked both railroads and obviously had to be fully
qualified on both rulebooks etc.
Noel Weaver

[Statkowski]

Noel: Harold Fagerberg, whom I posted for at S.S. 4, worked at Fremont prior to his retirement. But, as you mention, perhaps it was handed off to Penn Central (ex-New Haven) when they took over control of the line. I can't say with certain either way except that, for a while, at least, it was manned by New Haven people.

[Noel Weaver]

Henry, for what it is worth, the Bay Ridge Branch was retained by the
Pennsylvania Railroad at the time that they sold the LIRR to the State of
New York. Maybe they decided to put NHRR operators there at that time.
By that time, I had enough seniority so I did not to go near that neck of
the woods until I got set up to engineer and by then, the Penn Central
manned the tower.
I seem to remember that there was a period of time around then that they
used New Haven switchers at Bay Ridge too.
Noel Weaver

[w2dsx]

When Fremont was finally closed, it was staffed by LIRR personnel. Two of the former operators who owned jobs there posted me prior to their retirements in the mid-90's. It was unique among the LI tower jobs in that they were permitted to operate catenary power panels at the direction of the Load Dispatcher, as opposed to LI where there is another craft (ET) who does that. They also answered to the NH dispatcher who I believed was called "Section A" - which was also done at Harold prior to the close of Market Tower.

I forgot the date when they said it was closed, but it had been open as long as it was due to an agreement between the LI and possibly the NH prior to the PC takeover, as they vividly remember the change in traffic and the wire getting deenergized soon after. At the end there was a LI secondary track leading from Fremont to New Lots, and 2 tracks to which I can't remember which ones by their NH designations. There was a switch shanty at Linden Shops, and a block limit called Bay at then other end.

I wish I could remember half of what they said, but those two bitterly hated each other, were famous for their to-the-minute reliefs, and antics such as watering down their papers in the waste basket to ensure the other couldn't read it, and I think one of them mentioned the grudge came from the bump that came with the closure of Fremont. And as fate would have it, they both retired from the same tower, one was 1st trick the other the swing...

[Noel Weaver]

Fremont Tower was NOT operated by LIRR people at the end. The whole
line after Penn Central took over the New Haven was owned by the Penn
Central and what local work that remained was done by former New Haven then Penn Central crews.
I worked both the local jobs which worked the sidings and the job that
delivered cars from Selkirk.
Long Island crews after the PC takeover did not work this line after a very
short period. Bay Ridge facilities were shut down very shortly after the
Penn Central takeover and the surprising thing was that Fremont Tower
lasted as long as it did after PC took over. I will hunt for the closing date
when I get a chance but I think it may have been in late 1971 or 1972.
At the end, the operator also acted as a freight clerk with interchange
cars between PC and LIRR.
Many years later, Conrail sold the trackage at Fremont and beyond to
Bay Ridge back to the LIRR and eventually the New York and Atlantic
ended up with it. Guess there is still some local business down there today.
Noel Weaver

[Henry Frick]

we have some material on our sociey site
You might consider joiniing
NY Connecting RR Society
www.nycrs.org
Henry Frick - President

[Tom Curtin]

Folks, I will not absolutely swear this is true but I recall reading that New Haven Electrics did not operate into Penn until the EP-3s came in 1931. The EP-2 "Westinghouses" and other early NH electrics were not equipped with PRR-compatible cab signals. Until the EP-3s all passenger jobs bound in and out of Penn changed to and from PRR power at Sunnyside Jct.

Also, all NH electrics operating into Penn remained on AC overhead. The only NH power to use third rail into Penn were the FL9s. I understand the FL9s' third rail shoes were not 100% effective on the LIRR third rail, but good enough. The New Haven's normal practice, all the way to "the end" was to run straight electrics on Penn jobs --- as long there were enough serviceable electrics on a given day to cover them. And, some days there were, and other days there weren't.