What route to New England was used before the Hudson River tunnels were constructed? I assumed passengers were ferried with Exhange Place as one terminal but where was the other ferry terminal?
Well if you are talking about the Pennsylvania Railroad and its predecessors to Exchange Place...ferries at one time or other ran to Cortland Street, Desbrosses Street, 23rd Street, and 34th Street in Manhattan, Fulton St and Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn. Passengers pre Hell Gate Bridge and Penn Station could then go to Grand Central Station (Before GCT) to go on to NE.
Some trains were put on car floats from Jersey City to the Bronx. (notably the Federal Express)
However, there were also some B&O trains, after 1889, that ran through, avoiding NYC,(Philly, Bethlehem, Easton, Maybrook,Poughkeepsie, Northhampton) and on to Boston,via the B&O, Reading, PRR, L&HR, CNE&W, NYNH&H, and B&M over the Poughkeepsie Bridge. http://lhr.railfan.net/BO92TT.htm
And for three years in the teens,the PRR famous Federal Express ran this route.