CNE west of the Hudson

1) It appears the CNE was realigned with straightened curves in two locations - Highland to Lloyd, and Maybrook to Campbell Hall. I'm looking at some old topographic maps and it appears that prior to 1940 both segments were much curvier - or at least 1940 is when that change showed up on topo maps. I'm pretty sure about the former location, but the latter may be an artifact of more accurate mapmaking. Did this happen, in either location? I would have expected it around 1910 during the New Haven's double-tracking and curve-straightening blitz.

2) Where was the Maybrook passenger station, and what route did trains take to get there? I'm assuming it was near downtown and so any trains destined for it skirted around the west side of the yard, but any clarification would be welcomed.

3) Of all possible places, why terminate at Campbell Hall? Was it just coincidence that there were several other railroads in the area?

Pretty much for the New Haven the west end of the railroad was Maybrook Yard. Almost every move between Maybrook and Campbell Hall was Erie, New York, Ontario and Western or Lehigh New England all of which ran between Maybrook and Campbell Hall on the New Haven under trackage rights. I got a group together and chartered a Budd Car to ride from New Haven to Campbell Hall and return in September, 1968 not too long before the Penn Central took over. We picked up the General Yard Master at Maybrook as none of the crew was familiar with the line between Maybrook and Campbell Hall.
Noel Weaver

Kilgore Trout wrote:1) It appears the CNE was realigned with straightened curves in two locations - Highland to Lloyd, and Maybrook to Campbell Hall. I'm looking at some old topographic maps and it appears that prior to 1940 both segments were much curvier - or at least 1940 is when that change showed up on topo maps. I'm pretty sure about the former location, but the latter may be an artifact of more accurate mapmaking. Did this happen, in either location? I would have expected it around 1910 during the New Haven's double-tracking and curve-straightening blitz.

Highland to Lloyd relocation is here: http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/relation/2833093
The old route on the east end started north of the current route (now the Hudson Valley Rail Trail), then it cut back to the south, back to the north, back to the south (and crossed a creek), then finally came in from the south. I've looked from roads and from the rail-trail and it's definitely a relocation.

I can see on the map why you suspect a relocation between Maybrook and Campbell Hall. But look at the contour lines -- the old route goes straight over a hill that wasn't there in the old map. I suspect ... better mapping.

Noel Weaver wrote:Pretty much for the New Haven the west end of the railroad was Maybrook Yard. Almost every move between Maybrook and Campbell Hall was Erie, New York, Ontario and Western or Lehigh New England all of which ran between Maybrook and Campbell Hall on the New Haven under trackage rights. I got a group together and chartered a Budd Car to ride from New Haven to Campbell Hall and return in September, 1968 not too long before the Penn Central took over. We picked up the General Yard Master at Maybrook as none of the crew was familiar with the line between Maybrook and Campbell Hall.
Noel Weaver

Thanks Noel. I figured it only had to do with the several railroads meeting in that area. I realize there wasn't much of a reason for most NH crews to be qualified on that stretch, but I'm amused by the fact that you had to go all the way up to the yardmaster to find someone who was qualified on one of the most important pieces of the New Haven system

RussNelson wrote:

Kilgore Trout wrote:1) It appears the CNE was realigned with straightened curves in two locations - Highland to Lloyd, and Maybrook to Campbell Hall. I'm looking at some old topographic maps and it appears that prior to 1940 both segments were much curvier - or at least 1940 is when that change showed up on topo maps. I'm pretty sure about the former location, but the latter may be an artifact of more accurate mapmaking. Did this happen, in either location? I would have expected it around 1910 during the New Haven's double-tracking and curve-straightening blitz.

Highland to Lloyd relocation is here: http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/relation/2833093
The old route on the east end started north of the current route (now the Hudson Valley Rail Trail), then it cut back to the south, back to the north, back to the south (and crossed a creek), then finally came in from the south. I've looked from roads and from the rail-trail and it's definitely a relocation.

I can see on the map why you suspect a relocation between Maybrook and Campbell Hall. But look at the contour lines -- the old route goes straight over a hill that wasn't there in the old map. I suspect ... better mapping.

The confirmation of both places is very helpful, thanks. I thought it was a little weird that the route appeared to go over a hill instead of around one, in contrast to the approach favored on the entire rest of the CNE system. Still not sure of a date for the Lloyd area but in the absence of other evidence I'll assume it was circa 1910 with the rest of the Maybrook route upgrade.

On that particular trip I don't think any of us (myself included) had ever ridden Maybrook - Campbell Hall. Even "E. M. Frimbo" was with us on this one.
Noel Weaver

To answer my earlier question, I found the Maybrook station - it was on Main Street, right where the road abuts the tracks. I'm also pretty sure that passenger trains used the westernmost track in the yard complex.

Now I have one more - were the towers controlling Maybrook yard numbered signal stations?

"END OF TRACK"
On June 26, 1955 I rode a fan trip from Providence to Cambell Hall. One of the features of the trip was to have a photo stop at the end of the New Haven's track in Cambell Hall where I took the picture below. The New England Railfan's Association trip was unusual because it originated in Providence with six cars attached to the "Murray Hill" -- it became a special train at New Haven pulled by a single ALCO PA. The trip was scheduled to leave Providence at 8:24 A.M., arrive at Campbell Hall at 2:45 P.M., and return to Providence at 9:42 P.M. There was a photo stop on the Poughkeepsie Bridge and a 45 minute layover at Maybrook. The 476 mile roundtrip fare was $6.85. Ed Ozog