CSX is still choking on NY State taxes, and is a major reason why they're reluctant to expand the West Shore.
I wish I could remember my father's entire story about the demise of the Putnam. The Central wanted to kill that line for so long it wasn't funny. I have a shareholder's report from 1906 where even then one can see that it was losing money. The Putnam Division hauled more milk from the farms than people, and as the farms disappeared, so did justification for keeping that Division alive.
My father was disgusted that the trains were never switched over to Hudson Division rails for the trip to Grand Central. He said that the Central wouldn't permit it, as management was intent on killing the line. If you think about it, it's a similar strategy and time frame as when they killed service to Weehawken. "Make it a HASSLE, and they will LEAVE."
Mr. Weaver, I too recall hearing contemporaries of that time talking about there being some Union issue, but that may have been smoke blown by the railroad to take the heat off of themselves.
As far as the Putnam Division ROW being intact, that's not entirely true despite a vigorous project to preserve it for joggers.
Rehabilitating the Putnam is not as easy as one might think. It may be possible to double track it in some spots, depending on how wide the row is, but there are places where structures have been built over the row. In particular, the bus company in Ardsley, and a sizeable sewage treatment plant tucked in the swamp in Millwood. Briarcliff Manor and Millwood are also locations of realignments of Routes 9-A, 100 and The Taconic which would be a major headache to remedy.
To say that the Putnam was close to both divisions is true for certain areas, however, north of Millwood, it's another issue entirely. Yorktown was and still is in the middle of nowhere. Yorktown has grown, and is still growing. Anyone who lives there can tell you what a pain it is to commute into Manhattan from there, especially in the winter. It's a loooong drive to get to any railhead from Yorktown.
Light Rail may be the answer from Eastview (with a PARK AND RIDE) down, but is a poor investment when you see the pressing need for congestion relief in the middle of Northern Westchester. A good point brought up is the folks from Connecticut coming over to the Harlem, seeking better service than they get on the Danbury Branch. Have you seen the parking nightmare at Golden's Bridge?? Yorktowners and Nutmeggers adding to a growing number of newbies in the communities with existing railheads, and expanding "Beeline" bus service isn't going to relieve the pressure.
Oh, and let's not forget an insane plan to bring people from Rockland County over to the Hudson Division, while tacking a new Tappan Zee Bridge to the ticket! That seems to be an easier way to deal with West of Hudson Commuters than cutting a deal with CSX for closer-to-home-service. Obviously the people pushing that plan don't use a train to get around.
This isn't a Railfan's whimsical thought. The need and time has come to seriously reevaluate reconstruction of the Putnam Division.
Dieter/
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