How things change ...

During the course of my Internet travels, I came across this site with a history and pictures of the old Hoboken Shore Railroad. This particular photo caught my eye, as I walked past that spot many a time. Eventually, I got to thinking that I should bring my camera with me and try to get a present-day photo of the area now. Back in September, I finally did it, but it took me until now to put the two images side-by-side for comparison.

This was the result. (You might have to scroll sideways to see it all). I know the new photo isn't exact to the spot as the old photo, but it certainly shows how the area has changed.

It is close enough that it is far away. I, too, remember that scene!

I recall the tracks in the street still being present in the 1970s, but never saw any operation of the RR. A bit of it is in the classic movie "On the Waterfront."

I LOVE then and now shots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks so much!

pgengler wrote: This particular photo caught my eye

Ah, nothing like a whiff of the old Maxwell House plant to wake you up in the morning.

Most of the Hoboken Shore RR right of way was to be used for the original proposal of the HBLRT right of way. A very active NIMBY group forced it to the present "western" alignment.
Seeing all the development and the rising property values on Hoboken's west side due to the light rail, I believe a number of the NYMBYs regreat their actions.

There's still plenty of track left on river road "sinatra lane".

2005Vdub wrote:There's still plenty of track left on river road "sinatra lane".

There really isn't, though. As part of "waterfront beautification", the entirety of Sinatra Drive was repaved. The only old tracks near the waterfront are the trolley tracks in the street near Hoboken Terminal & the PATH station.

Though NIMBYs certainly were a power within Hoboken as HBLRT was planned and laid out, it's mistaken to attribute HBLRT's final routing solely to that group.

For one thing, the "anti-East Side" effort was powered and paid for by local environmentalists. Not all the of the greens were NIMBYs; some actively favored HBLRT for the West Side.

True, some others wanted to "wish it away" to the West Side, but still others actually lived near the Palisades. So for the latter group, at least, it was the opposite of NIMBY--they wanted closer, more local access.

That's before one gets to the local (and not so local?) developers. From a fiscal perspective, many of them foresaw a bigger bang for the investment dollar if HBLRT went west; the East was going to develop, LRT or no LRT. Their reasoning may have been shrewd, or selfish, or something else, but it certainly wasn't NIMBY.

The regrets voiced so far -- they are there, true -- are from East Side homeowners, many of whom have benefitted nicely from rising real estate values, who nonetheless realize that, indeed, their homes would be worth even more had HBLRT hugged the river.

I agree with Doug's statement.
Mine was short and to one point.
There were many reasons for the western alingment and in retrospect it is benefiting Hoboken more than the eastern would have.
But, I sure would have loved seeing LRVs running in the streets of Hoboken as they do in Jersey City.


pgengler

The only old tracks near the waterfront are the trolley tracks in the street near Hoboken Terminal & the PATH station.

It sure would be nice if one of the PCC cars sitting at the HBLRT maintenance yard in Jersey City could be setup on those tracks as a display.

There is another short stretch in Newark St. east of River St. The street was converted into a pedestrian walkway. Take a very close look at the tracks. During the rebuilding they were take out, then put back, backwards. The guard flange is to the outside.

AndyB wrote:
There is another short stretch in Newark St. east of River St. The street was converted into a pedestrian walkway. Take a very close look at the tracks. During the rebuilding they were take out, then put back, backwards. The guard flange is to the outside.

I believe that little bit of track is left from the original "white train" line from Hoboken to Hackensack. There's a short mention of it in Riley's Public Service trolleys book. If I get a chance, I'll look up the citation tonight.

I remember driving on those when I used to go to school in Hoboken. I always assumed they were trolley tracks. pgengler is right, they were removed a few years ago.[/list]

Lack,
Do you possibly mean Edward Hamm's book P.S. Lines in N.J. map p.208
The area, shown as private right of way on some maps, was the terminus for the "White Line" later Passaic Line to Paterson. One of the longer trolley car runs in NJ almost 20 miles.