Metro North Poughkeepsie Station

Hello,
Anyone out there live near/use/recently been to Poughkeepsie station? I was wondering if MNRR's jet snowblower is always near the platform (as seen in satellite map photos and photos from other rail fans)? Or is it moved somewhere during non-winter months? I am a big MOW guy and I want to go up to get some shots but would rather wait until winter if it's moved somewhere since Poughkeepsie is pretty far from me. I am just trying to find out if it's there (no photo from anyone else is necessary).
Thanks for any help!
Mike McGuire, New Jersey (Philadelphia/Atlantic City area)

If you are indeed going to go that far, then you HAVE to walk across the Walkway Over The Hudson.

RussNelson wrote:If you are indeed going to go that far, then you HAVE to walk across the Walkway Over The Hudson.

Good idea! I remember walking the Bear Mountain Bridge many years ago but I don't think I ever walked that one.

Was railfanning the River Line last week and looking across the river it looked like they moved the jet blower from the station. It's just north of the station on the west side of the main on a spur that Conrail used to serve a lumber yard at. If I head up there in the next week I will confirm for you.

AMK0123 wrote:Was railfanning the River Line last week and looking across the river it looked like they moved the jet blower from the station. It's just north of the station on the west side of the main on a spur that Conrail used to serve a lumber yard at. If I head up there in the next week I will confirm for you.

Excellent! Thanks for the info! Please keep me posted if you remember next week. I may head up there and check it out if it's visible.

as a point of reference the Hudson line from Marist College in Poughkeepsie north to Renssalaer WAS owned by CSX but now Amtrak owns this section of the Hudson line and beyond to Schenectady - CSX has track rights in this section - from Marist College south the Hudson line is owned by Metro North and everybody else has track rights well.. onto the topic at hand

the MOW equipment you refer to is on a siding that served the old Dutton lumber yard - at one time the jet powered track de-icer was near the platform area - also of interest in this area on the east side, for quite some time was a special locomotive and a special cable laying rig - the name on the loco is MICHAELS - don't know if it is still there


picture taken from the Walkway Over The Hudson SP



blow up of another photo from same location as above showing MOW equipment on the siding at the very (very) end of Water St.


and don't forget about the CSX freight action on the west shore line - good view from the WOTH


and in addition to the Walkway a MUST see is the restored Hopewell depot in Hopewell Jct. about 15 miles (via road) SE from Poughkeepsie - the restored depot opened to the public Wednesday 4/25 - the depot is also the southern terminus of the Dutchess RT - phase 3 from SR 55 in the twn. of Pok. to the north end of phase 1,the first section to open in 2007 also a short bit from the south end of phase 1 to the depot and mile HJ 0.0 opened last year during the Memorial Day weekend 2011- one of the new enhancements to the entire trail is RR related historic interpretive signs at certain points along the trail - for more about all of the trailways in the area,and photos, please visit my area trailways and cycling adventure blog site

to be able to see both the Walkway and the Hopewell depot you will unfortunately need a car (or a 2 whheled SUV - bicycle) - I say unfortunately because Metro North purchased the Beacon line in 1995 - the BL goes from the Hudson line at Beacon through Hopewell Jct., IE: the depot, and beyond to Danbury CT. - there is a connection to the Harlem line near the Southeast station - however MNRR has YET to restore passenger service on this line 17 years after they purchased it - of course now MTA/MNRR is broke etc. etc. etc.- for more about this please visit my special facebook page http://www.facebook.com/TransDutchessRA


perhaps 2 trips? or stay in the area for the weekend?? to be able to see everything

PS: there is a fully restored and operational (sort of - there are no trains of course) signal on the phase 2 section of the DRT here in Pok. at the No. Grand Ave. crossing

Transit guy, I did make the drive over there yesterday for you. As Big K illustrated in his photo, yes the jet blower is currently located on the the old Dutton lumber siding. I checked the rest of the area and there is no other MOW equipment in the area and also on the east side the CSX CNE yard is empty. CSX used to serve a scrap dealer and would have cars filled there (you can see the cars in the photo through the trees on the east side) however, I believe they stopped at least six months ago. Don't know if that's permanent or if they are still as needed, but the CSX local only goes as far as a lumber yard in Chelsea, NY. And, I also was under the impression that CSX was just leasing north of Poughkeepsie to Amtrak, and that it was not in effect yet, (but I guess that's for another topic on another forum)

Thanks for the info guys! This helps a lot! Guess I have to make a run up there soon! I was just on Long Island today but maybe next week.
Thanks again!
Mike McGuire, NJ

So is that a standard NYC sign embedded in the wall of the Poughkeepsie Station? Did lesser stations get brass signs too or like painted (yellow on black?) metal or wood?

It certainly appears to be a standard NYC sign - that's about the right size, and certainly the right lettering and colors. From photos I've seen of other stations, I think most of the stations along main lines (B&A, Hudson Division, Harlem Division, etc.) had similar signs. Some of the stations on lighter-served lines (Putnam Division, at least) had painted versions that were a similar appearance, though.

BandA wrote: ↑Thu Jun 22, 2023 4:19 pm So is that a standard NYC sign embedded in the wall of the Poughkeepsie Station? Did lesser stations get brass signs too or like painted (yellow on black?) metal or wood?

B&A - Look closer...The POUGHKEEPSIE Station sign is bolted to the wall above the doorway...
This IS a New York Central-type station sign that is either one of two possible types:
1-An original that was restored with its NYC colors of metallic brass on black -OR-
2-A reproduction casting from an original NYC sign used for display as pictured...
I know of both of these instances in the subject of classic rail station signs...

I am familiar with both New York Central and Pennsylvania RR signs dating before the Penn Central merger
which was February 1, 1968 for the record - Most if not all passenger stations had original NYC or PRR signs
in use in some form - and eventually got preserved in some manner if they were replaced by Penn Central
-in this case Poughkeepsie was a PC then CR Metropolitan Region station conveyed to MNCR in 1983...

On further thought - The New York Central System Historical Society may know about the Poughkeepsie
Station sign origin in the photo - contact:
https://nycshs.org
https://nycshs.org/contact-us/
For the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society (any former PRR station sign questions):
https://prrths.org
MACTRAXX