NJ&NY RR Spring Valley, New City, Haverstraw (aka NJT PV)

More from the 1910 Official Guide. I was impressed that the north south lines, like the Northern, NY&NJ/Pascack, and Erie Main facilitated transfers via the east west Piermont Branch.

The OG says the Erie's Haverstraw station was about a quarter mile from the New York Central's station with the New York Ontario & Western.

Three trains daily (railroad) west of Spring Valley.

JC 918
Nanuet 1038
Spring Valley 1050
New Hempstead 1058
Pomona 1105
Thiells 1114
West Haverstraw 1120
Haverstraw 1125

Pretty funny that Rockland pretty much got rid of a lot of rail lines. They even got rid of their airports. But this is in keeping with the general world of suburbia. Not in my back yard...ever. As the traffic gets worse, people complain but it takes a generation of this to allow for rail to return. In fact, rail returns when the suburbs become exurbs, that is, when they become urban areas. Im often surprised at the bike trail thing. How heavily are they used? Why pour dough into these things is beyond me. Most suburbanites are unwilling to move ten feet without a car.

I have heard various stories about the Haverstraw Erie depot. It was alllegedlly located somewhere near the predsent-day middle school, if not the Knights of Columbus, where the old Grand Union used to stand. (just dated myself

I can remember riding on the Northern before the passenger trains were pulled. When I was a young kid, I heard that passenger service was going to stop and asked my mom to take me for a ride. She did.

In the 1980s, the MTA held meetings to eliminate the yard in Spring Valley and route all Pascack Valley Line trains through to Suffern. It sounded like a great idea. A much-disliked yard in a residential area would be eliminated and additional service would be provided as an alternative to the congested Thruway and Rt. 59. The NIMBYs howled "NO WAY" and the MTA killed the project. It's too bad, because it makes sense from a public transportation and operational stand point.

As Erie's last steam stand was in Spring Valley, NY. I was wondering if anybody had any Spring valley steam shots? Here is my great grandfather (engineer) in Erie consolidation #2100. (must have been the local freight ehh?)

http://www.railimages.com/albums/album78/aaa.sized.jpg

Volume 3, Number 3 of the New Jersey Midland RR Historical Society's "Midlander Trainsheet" featured an article on steam on the NJ&NY, with several photos. Copies are available from the Society:
http://njmidland.railfan.net/

Best Regards,
John

Hello
My name is Glenn Tant and I live in Sydney, Australia with an interest in the railroads around New York City.
I was wondering if someone please let me know when the actual passenger services ceased on these lines. I would like to also know the running times between each station on these lines and where I can try to get a schedule for these lines, a year or two before they closed.
Thank you in advance.
Glenn

I have timetables with these trains..I'll see if I have any extras.

The Suffern-Sparkill service was in the Northern branch timetables, the Thiels service was obviously part of the NJNY.

There was also Nanuet-Newtown, NY service.

When I have some time I can figure out when service was discontinued.

Beth Marshall

Beth
Thank you for your response. I am mainly after the timetables for these lines and only require the dates when the service was discontinued, so I know what to look for when looking them up on the web.
Glenn

Here's what I've found out...

The Jan 1 1937 Official Guide shows trains from sparkill to Suffern, and NJNY trains to Haverstraw (2 stops past Thiels) and to New City (on the New City Branch from Nanuet to New City, which I think was the orig NJNY RR) There was only 1 train a day that originated/terminated at Haverstraw, so it was probably close to the end.

Sept 1939 employee timetable...
2 trains a day between spring valley and Suffern, no nanuet to sparkill service.
The Haverstraw train now departed/terminated at Thiels.
The New City Branch appears to have been abandoned, although the diamonds at Nanuet (where it crossed the piermont Br.) was still there. If I remember correctly, part of the New City Br. was kept that formed a wye with the Piermont Br., which was known as Nanuet Jct.

April 1941...
Suffern-Spring Valley service continues. No Thiels svc.

April 1944..
No piermont Br svc. No thiels svc.

Sorry I don't have the exact dates for discontinuance. This is as close as I can find.

Don't have any extra Northern TT's or NJNY tt's that show the Piermont br, theils, or New City svc. Only extras I have are after 1944.

I do have a really neat NJNY 1906 timetable, that has Sparkill, Haverstraw, and New City service. I's scan it for you if I can
get the scanner to work..

Beth

Why did Spring Valley service survive but NJNY service past Spring Valley, being it such a short distance, dry up?

There was a population base in Spring Valley, and very little population between Spring Valley and Haverstraw,expecially
before 1960. Even in 1906, most of the trains originated/terminated at Spring Valley.

The New York Central had passenger service to West Haverstraw till 1958, so there really was no reason for the Erie to maintain service to Thiels, Haverstraw, etc.

Also Erie had their engine facilities, yard tracks, etc, at Spring Valley (Actually Woodbine, 1 mi north of Spring Valley) so this was a natural place to terminate trains. The Thiels/Haverstraw trains either operated with Doodlebugs, or there had to be a backup move from Woodbine. (There may have been a wye at Haverstraw, but definately no way to turn a train at Thiels.

During the great train-off of 1966, the NJNY was the only non-electrified stub end branch line to keep pass service. Probably a testament to Bergen County wealth, population growth, and the lack of any good roads to get to NYC.
The Northern Branch service might have survived, if not for the backup move at Croxton, lack of a yard and facilities and Sparkill, and the proximity of the Palisades Parkway. I rode the Northern trains a bit, and they weren't empty.

Beth
Thank you for the information.
If it would be possible to get a scan of that timetable and the 1937 one as well please, that would be great and would be just what I am after.
Glenn

Beth
Could you let me know if the 1939 working timetable is called 'Erie Railroad, New York Division WTT', please.
This is so I know what to look for in the 1937 one.
Thank you
Glenn

If you can find "Americas Colorfull Railroads" by Don Ball, theres a few early color shots of the morning line up.
"And here we have The New Jersey and New York Railroad". THE WHAT?
I love that line. LOL.
Also, Check out Morning Suns' "Erie Railroad Trackside" W/ Robert F. Collins" by Larry DeYoung, some in there, w/ great overall coverage of the area in late steam days.