Four track Hudson Div. between Spuyten Duyvil and Albany?

I must admit this question piqued my curiousity. I think the time period is a key element.

From a 1940 Hudson Div ETT's track map-

Four tracks extended west from the west end of the Croton-on-Hudson yard to SS37 east of Peekskill. From SS37 to SS43 at Garrison the right-of-way is shown as two tracks wide. From SS43 it was four-tracked to SS71 at Barrytown. From there west to Rensselaer it was double-track save for a short stretch of four track from SS90 at Stuyvesant west to the leads for the Castleton Cutoff to the Hudson River Bridge and Selkirk yard.

By 1957 things had changed a bit.

In an ETT issued in April of that year the Hudson Division is shown as still having four tracks from Croton-on-Hudson to SS37 near Peekskill. Then two tracks from there west to Garrison and SS43. There the four tracks resumed but only as far west as SS60 west of Poughkeepsie where the main line was reduced to three tracks. It was triple track from SS60 west to SS71 at Barrytown and then double-track from there west to Renssalaer save for the short four-track section at SS90.

By the early 60s the Hudson Division's four tracks west of Garrison had been further reduced. In photos taken by Brian Solomon at the Breakneck Ridge tunnels in 1963 the right-of-way had been reduced to two tracks, though the ballasted road bed for Tracks 3 and 4 were still there.

Came upon this picture. This appears to be the mainline of NYC on the Hudson, showing the 6 tracks, two non electric.

http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigi ... m=&pos=128

That is on the section between Mt. St. Vincent and Spuyten Duyvil. Land to River side, Tracks are 3, 1 , 2, 4, 5, and 6.

Lronan wrote:Came upon this picture.
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigi ... m=&pos=128

That's a terrific shot too, thanks for posting. An excellent shot of the six-track ROW.

If you look at the photo the two non-electrified tracks (5 and 6) already have extended ties installed in anticipation of having third rail placed. If you click on "DETAILS" the photo was copyrighted 1915 a good many years (over twenty, I think) before third rail was installed on those tracks.

It was always planned to electrify the West Side freight line, the delay was in relocating the track in Manhattan (which had two long stretches of mid-street running).