Port Morris Branch Melrose - Oak Point NYC PC CR CSX

[ChiefTroll]

I didn't look up high enough in the thread. Jack Shufelt nailed the date of construction - 1842. My great great grandfather was a latecomer to Morrisania.

[trainjunkies]

If you are northbound on the Harlem/NH line, just after Melrose, there is track branch that goes off to the east past the car auction building.

Does anyone know what the branch was used for? It appears to be out of use now.

What other seldom used trackage is there?

[Tom Curtin]

You are looking at the old NYC Port Morris line, which has largely dropped into disuse --- perhaps total disuse --- since the completion of the new Oak Point-Harlem River connecting track. That new track leaves the Hudson Line south of Yankee Stadium and runs on pilings along the edge of the Harlem River down to Harlem River yard. You cross over this new track on the MN Harlem River lift bridge, so I presume you have seen it and know what I'm describing.

[UpperHarlemLine4ever]

Does anyone know if the Port Morris branch has been completely abandoned. Who owns it? CSX?

[DogBert]

CSX owns it, I believe they filed for abandonment a few years ago. It has seen no trains since the oak point connector opened.

[trainjunkies]

Tom,

Thanks...I know exactly what you are referring to.

[jacksons]

I have seen this track and although it's appairently not used, thought that if there were ever some sort of emergency i.e. Park Ave tracks closed at 177th St. the track could be used to send some trains to New Rochelle via the Amtrak tracks. But I'm sure that there is probably some rule prohibiting that.

[DutchRailnut]

No it can notbe used for passenger moves. The track is exepted track, no longer allowed by occupied passenger cars or hazmat cars

[7 Train]

The Port Morris branch is non-electrified. You can see it from a IRT 2/5 after elevating from 3 Av-149 St.

[DogBert]

It is also entirely single track and filled with rubbish and growing brush. By the tunnel there are a few (probably more than that by now, it's been 2 or 3 years since I was around there) homeless people living at the north/west end of it. The south end of the tunnel had a fair amount of water up to or over the track.

I can't imagine how CR and CSX ran trains through there up until 1999. it's a dirty, cramped little line.

[UpperHarlemLine4ever]

This line at one time was double tracked and electrified. Also, at the point where it met the Harlem line besides the current track that goes south onto the Harelm line, there was another track that went north onto the northbound Harlem.

[john_ct]

Here are some facts on the Port Morris Branch from Louis Grogan's terrific book "The Coming of the New York and Harlem Roalroad".... The branch is 1.91 miles in length from Melrose (mile post 0.0) at the jct with the Harlem Line to Port Morris on the Long Island Sound. The branch is a portion of the original "Spuyten Duyvil and Port Morris Railroad" which was planned by Commodore Vanderbilt and build by "Gouverneur" Morris in 1867. The line was build for freight transfer and industrial switching, never for passenger service except for an occasional passenger excursion (Grogan describes one from 1880). There was a large yard at MP 0.77 (Westchester Ave. yard). East of the yard is the St. Mary's Park Tunnel at 1,670 feet in length. The branch crossed at grade the New Haven's Harlem Branch at MP 1.66. Grogan describes nine curves and significant grades (up to 2.25%) along the branch. The branch was double tracked for ~4,650 feet from MX tower at Melrose to Westchester Avenue then single tracked east of Westchester Ave. and yes there was a wye track located at the Harlem line junction. In the book there's a photo (circa 1950) of two NYC R-2 switchers at Westchester yard operating under 3rd rail.

I'd be curious to know how many tracks comprised the Westchester Ave yard and how many of those tracks had 3rd rail. Too bad the branch is in such a rotten area otherwise it would be very interesting to explore by foot.

[john_ct]

Found a thread on the NYC forum with excellent first hand accounts of the Port Morris branch...

www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8022

[jacksons]

What is "exepted track"? I thought that if something happened that shut down the NH line in the Bronx that track could be used to circumvent the problem.

[DutchRailnut]

PART 213--TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS--Table of Contents

Subpart A--General

Sec. 213.4 Excepted track.

A track owner may designate a segment of track as excepted track
provided that--
(a) The segment is identified in the timetable, special
instructions, general order, or other appropriate records which are
available for inspection during regular business hours;
(b) The identified segment is not located within 30 feet of an
adjacent track which can be subjected to simultaneous use at speeds in
excess of 10 miles per hour;
(c) The identified segment is inspected in accordance with
213.233(c) and 213.235 at the frequency specified for Class 1 track;
(d) The identified segment of track is not located on a bridge
including the track approaching the bridge for 100 feet on either side,
or located on a public street or highway, if railroad cars containing
commodities required to be placarded by the Hazardous Materials
Regulations (49 CFR part 172), are moved over the track; and
(e) The railroad conducts operations on the identified segment under
the following conditions:
(1) No train shall be operated at speeds in excess of 10 miles per
hour;
(2) No occupied passenger train shall be operated;
(3) No freight train shall be operated that contains more than five
cars required to be placarded by the Hazardous Materials Regulations (49
CFR part 172); and
(4) The gage on excepted track shall not be more than 4 feet 10\1/4\
inches. This paragraph (e)(4) is applicable September 21, 1999.
(f) A track owner shall advise the appropriate FRA Regional Office
at least 10 days prior to removal of a segment of track from excepted
status.