Syracuse NY station on Erie Blvd.

Can anyone come up with a track plan or any info for the 1936
Syracuse NY station on Erie Blvd. I am researching this to
possibly build a model railroad based on this, with the correct
track arrangement and station dimensions.

Thanks
Mark

On my photos web page, I have posted the former track layout in syracuse from G. Dougherty's NYC Stations and Terminals. The track layout scans are photos 1 and 2 under Syracuse, NY. The other pictures are the ones I took in July 2003.

http://photos.yahoo.com/BugBoy1998_1999

WNYRailfan

Thanks WNYRailfan, I do have this book. And I have studied the
pictures, But there are areas, mostly on the east end of the station
complex, where the actual track arrangement is unclear. And this is
why I am hoping some of NYC's track diagrams for the station could
be found.

Thanks
Mark

I think you may have to look under I-690 to find the actual ROW and allignment. :D

One question I have is are some of the bridges for I-690 original NYC railroad bridges that have been covered with concrete?

WNYRailfan

Thought my 1936 layout diagram satisfied this query???Interestingly, the details on same really tell the story re track lengths, #of cars for each track, etc...BTW--Is the STEAM ENG/TRAIN still on the O/H of the entrance??? LARRY BAGGERLY

Sorry my site is having issues. I cannot post the link correctly.

WNYRailfan

I dont think they used any railroad bridges when they built the highway on the ROW. If you are looking for more detail than the track map, you'll have to go to the Syracuse library and find yourself a Sanborn fire insurance map- it will show all the tracks, buildings, property lines, streets, etc... usually major central libraries are the place to start looking for that kind of material.

-otto-

Dear Mr. WNY: Am I doing something wrong? I link to your photos web site and find that your "SYR" album contains only one item which is a photo of a window and the bas-relief sculpture above it. Help . . .

Mark,

In what scale are you planning on building this model? I too had wanted to build this station. My scale of choice is HO. I have not found any detailed materials, but I have not checked with the library or the city for plans. So if anyone has any other suggestions, I too would greatly appreciate it.

About 10 years ago, someone had built a model in N-scale as part of an N-trak module. I saw it at the CNY Train Show. Who it was or where he/she was from, I no longer remember.

Good luck,
Tim

You should all see the station now! Time-Warner Cable has spent
over $10 million completely restoring it, and has put some of its
offices as well as a 24-hour TV news studio inside. The old signal
tower still stands (empty); the stonework looks gorgeous; new
letters reading "NEW YORK CENTRAL STATION" were attached where
Greyhound had scraped them off. A bas-relief of a 1936 NYC
heavyweight limited (hauled by a J-1 Hudson) plus the "Dewitt
Clinton" is intact, and no longer hidden by the Greyhound canopy.
My host on a tour last month told me that the renovators had
taken something like 20 TONS of pigeon poop out of the structure,
which Greyhound had left to rot after its appalling tenancy.

The Syracuse DL&W station is also in fine shape, and is occupied by the offices of an architectural consulting firm. Greyhound had its shot
at this building as well after the DL&W terminated passenger service
on September 14, 1958...but moved to the NYC station after NYC
abandoned it for East Syracuse in the Fall of 1962.

Note to Mr.tfxr: if you're the sort of modeler who like to start with something you can kitbash (I am), rather than resorting to scratchbuilding, let me suggest you take a look at a station kit offered by Walthers. With its classic Roman columns, the Walthers kit is wrong as it comes, but it could be a good starting point. Walthers also makes good platforms for a city station like Syracuse. Good luck

Is there a website that has a topo map showing pre-1962 when the route through downtown, and through the 1936 station was in service?

I found this link that contains a news article and a 2.5 minute video of the renovations of the station

http://www.news10now.com/content/about_us/video_tour/

If you want a look at the topos for this section of Syracuse, use the following URL:

http://docs.unh.edu/nhtopos/NewYorkList.htm#S

The site has topos of New York and New England beginning with the original surveys of the 1890's, up to the 50's. The station and trackage are in the SE quadrant of the West Syracuse 7.5 minute map. The two topos for Syracuse (West and East) date from 1947 and 1943, respectively

Many thanks for that URL with the older topo maps. It's the first opportunity I have had to see what once was there.

Was just in Syracuse on business and ---- wow!!!! The old downtown station sure does look terrific. Only think missing is a Niagara up at track level (well, I might settle for a pair of E's . . . )