foreign roads' rolling stock on NYNH+H

I know that there would be an occasional D+H car found in GCT on an NYC train carded for Montreal. Was wondering if a CN or B+M car would ever be seen on a NH train in the station as well.

As far as I know, B&M yes, CN no (although it could have happened). The NH operated pool service with the B&M on express' like the Bar Harbor, so B&M cars were common. Regarding CN, they did ship a TON of boxcars onto Long Island.
C.J.V.

In the early/mid 1960s, a CN RPO car could be found in Grand Central every day on the NH-B&M-CV-CN Ambassador to Montreal.

B & M equipment operating into GCT would be on the State of Maine, East Wind on the summers that it operated and Connecticut River Line trains (NY-White River Junction). While the Boston & Albany was not exactly a foreign road, most of its equipment in heavy weight days was lettered Boston and Albany, not New York Central, and much of the rolling stock on Boston-Springfield-New York trains was provided by the B & A which to outward appearances had a lot more independence than most of the leased components of the NYC System. The Bar Harbor for most of its life was a Penn. Station train except in its earliest days and on its last day. The last run in Sept., 1960 was routed into GCT because the PRR was on strike.

I remember riding a New Haven train between New Haven and Springfield around 1967-- don't know what train; it was probably either an afternoon northbound or a late evening southbound -- and noticing that one of the cars ws a CN car, with bilingual English/French interior signage.

After passenger cutbacks on the Delaware and Hudson in the 60's, they leased a few HW coaches to the New Haven. They were often used on train 20 out of New York (GCT) at 3:00 PM for Boston, returned I think on 9 the next day. Maine Central coaches also appeared from time to time on trains 124 and 125 (The State of Maine).
There were problems with a lot of foreign road passenger cars as to their operation between New York and New Haven, many cars were equipped with soft springs and that made them a no no between New York and New Haven unless the springs were blocked and when that was done the cars were restricted to 35 MPH. An example the New York Central had a few SS coaches that could run on the New Haven and did between New York, Springfield and Boston as through cars until 1952 when they stopped running through cars between New York and Boston via Springfield. The situation with the soft springs was eased when the signals at Bridgeport WB for Jenkins Curve were set up so that no two trains could pass on adjacent tracks around that curve at the same time and I think this restriction is still in place today. There were one or two other problem spots but I don't remember just where they were and today the tracks have been set up so that these restrictions are no longer necessary. The signal changes at Bridgeport took place during the Penn Central period to allow Amtrak to use cars that previously could not operate on the New Haven.
Noel Weaver

edbear wrote:The Bar Harbor for most of its life was a Penn. Station train except in its earliest days and on its last day. The last run in Sept., 1960 was routed into GCT because the PRR was on strike.

I was thinking of The State of Maine but couldn't remember the name at the moment, so I went with The Bar Harbor. Interesting that it operated to GCT on it's last day though.
C.J.V.

At one time or another one could find PRR, ACL, CN and B&M passenger-carrying cars routinely operating between Penn. Sta., N.Y. and points east (Boston, Mass. or Portland, Me.) and points north (Montreal, Que.). Also, the aforementioned Ambassador operated with both NH and CN cars between Grand Central Terminal and Montreal.

I remember seeing some photos of NH locomotives pulling some ACL baggage cars behind and even some ACL passenger cars. I’m assuming this was for the Florida trade. I’m surprised that there weren’t the occasional sleeper cars from other lines besides the ones mentioned above. Did the Seaboard (SAL) venture into NH territory?

I don't think the soft spring situation was a problem on heavyweight sleeping cars as I remember seeing them on the New Haven too. They were definately a problem with lightweight sleepers and coaches that were equipped with soft springs. Many Pennsylvania Railroad passenger cars were OK on the New Haven but only a few other foreign road passenger cars were OK. I don't know if such a table exists of cars from other railroads that were permitted to operate between New Haven and New York. I am reasonably sure that certain coaches from the ACL, SAL etc were able to operate between Penn Station and New Haven but such cars were not equipped with soft springs. I don't think there were any restrictions on head end cars either except maybe certain LW baggage/dorm cars.
Noel Weaver