NEW BOOK: "More of... The Old Put"

I know some of you guys are fans of the rustic old commuter/freight line, that ran through the Bronx, Westchester and Putnam counties, known as the Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad. Some of you have the book, "The Old Put" by Joe Schiavone. Well, I just read that Joe is coming out with a second book, "More of... The Old Put." It should be available in the next couple of weeks.

Here is link to an article in the Journal News from 9/24/09

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... /908240325

The video shows a few pics from the new book.

Jon

As long as we are talking about books about the Put, my book has a detailed chapter about the put (with color photos) and a second chapter just about the Yonkers Branch. Check it out...

http://www.nywbry.com/forgotten/

-otto-

Otto,

I have your book and highly recommend it. Having grown up in Yonkers and played as a child on the abandoned Yonkers Branch right of way, I especially like the photos of the Yonkers area. In fact you're book has a photo that answered a question I had for many years. I always wondered what the Yonkers branch looked like between Lawrence Street and McLean Ave. Thanks!

I have noted that your book has great coverage especially ofthe southern end of the Put. Joe's 1st book concentrated more on the nothern end of the Put. It will be interesting to see what he covers in the new book.

Skip Natoli wrote:I have noted that your book has great coverage especially ofthe southern end of the Put. Joe's 1st book concentrated more on the nothern end of the Put.

We had our fair share of north-end material (last train to Carmel, 1970, thanks to Art Deeks). Joe's last book was very nice, I'm looking forward to see what he came up with this time.

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:As long as we are talking about books about the Put, my book has a detailed chapter about the put (with color photos) and a second chapter just about the Yonkers Branch. Check it out...

http://www.nywbry.com/forgotten/

-otto-

I jumped on that book a soon as it came out. Really was a great source of information and I loved it from cover to cover. It was just missing one thing that I really wish had been in there. There was no write-up on the Lake Mahopac Branch which was laid down well before the Put went through Mahopac.

John P. wrote:There was no write-up on the Lake Mahopac Branch which was laid down well before the Put went through Mahopac.

Lake Mahopac Branch was not part of the Putnam Division, built by and always operated as a part of the Harlem Division. Lake Mahopac Branch was built in 1872, the ancestor of the Putnam Division did not reach the area until 1880. Check out our book for more info... http://www.nywbry.com/forgotten/#putnam

-otto-

The branch also ran for a few years after Put mainline passenger service ended, using the branch and remaining northern end mainline as a loop around to Brewster called "around the horn". IMHO, since it's not part of the northern trail yet, it would be a good idea to have this branch back in service. Never gonna happen, though, but it might take some cars of US6, 100, and 22.

Jeff Smith wrote:The branch also ran for a few years after Put mainline passenger service ended, using the branch and remaining northern end mainline as a loop around to Brewster called "around the horn". IMHO, since it's not part of the northern trail yet, it would be a good idea to have this branch back in service. Never gonna happen, though, but it might take some cars of US6, 100, and 22.

The branch between Golden's Bridge and Lake Mahopac did not last too long after the Putnam passenger trains came off effective on June 1, 1958. The employee timetable for the fall of 1958 shows the line still in with one round trip six days a week and two round trips on Sunday. The spring timetable of 1959 which took effect April 26, 1959 not only shows no more passenger service but by then the branch had been abandoned and was no longer in the timetable. I believe the passenger trains lasted until total abandonment in this particular case. The area around Lake Mahopac is not difficult to reach from Golden's Bridge or Brewster and even back in 1958 the ridership on these trains was probably not enough to fill a bus, the New York Central was justified in pulling this line up in my opinion and restoration is not warranted.
Noel Weaver

Jeff Smith wrote:The branch also ran for a few years after Put mainline passenger service ended, using the branch and remaining northern end mainline as a loop around to Brewster called "around the horn". IMHO, since it's not part of the northern trail yet, it would be a good idea to have this branch back in service. Never gonna happen, though, but it might take some cars of US6, 100, and 22.

That service came off with the April 1959 timetable change. Branch removed shortly thereafter as no service remained.

Putnam Division remained in service from Brewster to Carmel until 1970 for freight.

-otto-

Is this new book out and if so where can you get it? At the NHRHTA Show in CT yesterday there were a few New York area book dealers and nobody had it

Tom

Tom Curtin wrote:Is this new book out and if so where can you get it? At the NHRHTA Show in CT yesterday there were a few New York area book dealers and nobody had it

Tom

Danbury Railway Museum carries both books.

Got it!!