Travel from Boston to Highland in 1942

I have a question that I am hoping someone can help with. I am researching a relative that was on a Navy ship and was in Boston, he left and made a wedding in Highland NY while on a one day leave. So In June of 1942 if someone wanted to travel from Boston MA to Highland NY, would I be correct in assuming that the trip would be on the NYC from Boston to Albany, then transfer to the West shore RR (NYC) to Highland NY? Does this make sense? I think this trip was possible (though tight) to make, attend a wedding and return within 24 hours. Would there be a more direct route then the one I mentioned? Thanks in advance

He could also have gone to Albany B & A and then Hudson Div. to Poughkeepsie and ferry across Hudson. Bus could have been an option too.

edbear wrote:He could also have gone to Albany B & A and then Hudson Div. to Poughkeepsie and ferry across Hudson. Bus could have been an option too.

Thank you for the quick response! That is very interesting route, probably much faster then the West Shore RR, I have to see if I can find ferry and bus schedules for 1942. BTW I forgot to mention that this was on a weekend, either Saturday or Sunday.

Probably Boston - Highland would be the NHRR to New York and a Central commuter or otherwise train to Poughkeepsie. Probably the fastest schedule and the best service.
Noel Weaver

Was the Poughkeepsie - Highland ferry service still in existence in 1942? The bridge had been built in 1930 to replace it and the ferry did continue for a number of years but I do not believe it lasted until 1942.

And for my own curiosity, when did passenger service on that part of the West Shore end?

Probably 1958. Last about a year and a half longer Weehawken-West Haverstraw

Passenger service in the 1950's on the West Shore was few and far between and slow with a lot of local stops. If the ferry service was gone most likely there was still bus service of some sort. It wasn't a hopelessly long ride either so maybe even a taxicab would work.
Noel Weaver

Also, since he was going to a wedding, possibly someone from the wedding party could have picked him up at Poughkeepsie, even granted the gas and tire rationing that prevailed at the time.

edbear wrote:Probably 1958. Last about a year and a half longer Weehawken-West Haverstraw

Yes, I believe that's right for Weehawken-Albany. I believe it was June 1958 to be exact

It looks like Noel has it. According to the December 1944 Official Guide, the Murray Hill left Boston at 8.00 am, arriving GCT at 1.00 pm, and #41, the Knickerbocker, left at 2.00, arriving in Poughkeepsie at 3.45 pm. By coincidence, the B&A had an 8.00 am departure arriving in Albany at 1.15 pm, by which time the sailor could have been having a sandwich in GCT while waiting for 41. The West Shore still had service from Albany, but the first connection arrived in Highland at 5.25 pm, and the first available on the Hudson Division arrived in Poughkeepsie at 5.08 pm. There were two others earlier, but both were nonstop to Harmon. The last connection that night to Boston was the Owl (which carried a coach on Saturday nights); he could have left Poughkeepsie as late as 10.03 pm, with a 20-minute connection at GCT. I think there's a good chance that he was able to fiddle something at the Boston end so that he'd be covered as long as he got back sometime Sunday. As to the question of the ferry, there is a reference mark showing ferry service between Beacon and Newburgh, and a summer-only bus connection between Greendale and Catskill, with no mention of Poughkeepsie, so the ferry was apparently gone by 1944.
As to the Haverstraw service, I remember the last ferry from Cortlandt St. left while I was working in New York in 1959 and part of 1960; I think the 42nd St. ferry lasted a little longer.

The Beacon-Newburgh ferry ran into the 1960s and it was coal burning steam. I rode it in the 60s, but
don't remember the exact year it ended.

During my firing days out of Cedar Hill (New Haven) I covered a WB to Maybrook one Christmas Day and being off my division it meant an automatic deadhead home from Maybrook. The normal move deadheading in either direction was the next available freight train and the next available freight train that evening was ON-6 which was an all night horror show making a lot of stops and ending up in East Bridgeport. Instead of that, I paid off the caller who used his own car to give me a ride in to Newburgh where I got the ferry over to Beacon and took a Central train to New York and then a Springfield train to New Haven. At New Haven I went up to see if the engineer would drop me off behind the RR Y at Cedar Hill, he said sure, I got home hours before I marked up again on the board and did not get called for a while, I needed the break. I think the year was probably 1961 but my timebooks have not been unpacked yet from my move so until they are again at my fingertips I guess a guess will have to do.
Noel Weaver

Jack Shufelt wrote:Was the Poughkeepsie - Highland ferry service still in existence in 1942? The bridge had been built in 1930 to replace it and the ferry did continue for a number of years but I do not believe it lasted until 1942.

The final trip of the Poughkeepsie - Highland Ferry was made on December 31, 1941. The ferry was able to remain in business after the Mid-Hudson Bridge was built in 1930 because there fare was slightly cheaper, about 10 cents. That may not seem like much now but it was a lot of money during the Great Depression.

Larry, RedbirdR33

edbear wrote:Probably 1958. Last about a year and a half longer Weehawken-West Haverstraw

Service between West Haverstraw and Albany came to an end on June 30, 1958. Service between Weehawken and West Haverstraw ended on December 11, 1959

Larry, RedbirdR33