"New York Central" diesel on display in Riverside Park

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... 25_jeh.JPG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What is the history of the loco? How do you get to it? I know its somewhere near the West Side Line in Manhattan, NYC

I'm guessing, here, but…
I'd say about 70th or 71st street. Enter Riverside Park at its extreme south end (72nd Street and Riverside Drive), go as far down toward the river as you can, turn left.
There was a freight yard immediately south of 72nd street: freight service lasted at least until the late 1970s.
The last time I was in New York (ca. 5 yrs ago) the ruinous remains of the docks for NY Central car float traffic were still visible at the bank of the river about 71st street; my guess is that this preserved locomotive is near there. (In the 1970s I would occasionally go to the extreme west end of 71s street to look for railroad activity: there was sometimes a switcher parked around here, so it's not an inappropriate place to put a display locomotive! Of course, the only moving trains you'll see here are Amtrak's Empire Service: tracks are under Riverside Park but above ground and visible for a few blocks south of 72nd Street. If the photo is taken where I think it is, the Amtrak track is between the foreground locomotive and the background buildings.)
Go, check it out. An effort has been made to transform much of the old railroad yard here into park/recreational area: at the very least it's a pleasant place to walk on a summer afternoon.

the locomotive came from one of NY cross harbour rail float operations, it was trucked in.
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 93&t=51910" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cool thanks

tjensen wrote:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... 25_jeh.JPG

What is the history of the loco? How do you get to it? I know its somewhere near the West Side Line in Manhattan, NYC

It's several blocks farther downtown than a previous post says --- around 62nd Street. You can get there multiple ways: 1. Get off the M57 bus as 11th Ave & 57th, then walk west to 12th Ave, cross the highway (You will probably have to walk a block or two north or south to get to a spot where you can cross). You will find the west side walkway/bikeway, walk north a couple of blocks and you will come to the locomotive. OR 2. Take the M72 bus to Riverside Blvd & 69th Street. Walk one bloick south on Riverside Blvd and down the long stairway to the river level. Turn left (south) and you will come to the locomotive in a few blocks.

TCurtin--
Thanks for correcting me about the location: I was in semi-guesswork mode!
Re:
"Take the M72 bus to Riverside Blvd & 69th Street. Walk one bloick south on Riverside Blvd and down the long stairway to the river level. Turn left (south) and you will come to the locomotive in a few blocks."
---The south end of Riverside Drive is at 72nd, not 69th. I think the route you describe (which is what I would use) is "Take the M72 as far west on 72nd as you can. (Or any other way of getting to 72nd Street far west: #1 or #2 or #3 subway to 72nd street puts you at Broadway and 72nd, which is only two blocks east of Riverside.) Go west until you get to Riverside, cross into the park: the long stairway is at the extreme south end of the park: go down to the river, turn left, and…)

(But I haven't been there in a few years.)

Allen Hazen wrote:TCurtin--
Thanks for correcting me about the location: I was in semi-guesswork mode!
Re:
"Take the M72 bus to Riverside Blvd & 69th Street. Walk one bloick south on Riverside Blvd and down the long stairway to the river level. Turn left (south) and you will come to the locomotive in a few blocks."
---The south end of Riverside Drive is at 72nd, not 69th. I think the route you describe (which is what I would use) is "Take the M72 as far west on 72nd as you can. (Or any other way of getting to 72nd Street far west: #1 or #2 or #3 subway to 72nd street puts you at Broadway and 72nd, which is only two blocks east of Riverside.) Go west until you get to Riverside, cross into the park: the long stairway is at the extreme south end of the park: go down to the river, turn left, and…)

(But I haven't been there in a few years.)

Wow, I guess you haven't been here in a while!
Note that I said "Riverside Blvd" not "Riverside Drive." Riverside Blvd is a relatively new road --- built on the site of NYC 72d St. Yard --- that begins at 72 St and runs south paralell to the West Side Hwy. And the M72 bus does indeed operate on it for a few blocks. Take the 1/2/3 subway to 72nd St station and transfer to the M72 bus

Thanks everybody for the directions :thumbs up: