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Discussion relating to the operations of MTA MetroNorth Railroad including west of Hudson operations and discussion of CtDOT sponsored rail operations such as Shore Line East and the Springfield to New Haven Hartford Line

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 #832602  by airman00
 
I have a question on this piermont branch: I understand this used to be the part of the NJT Pascack valley line, that connected with suffern and NJT's main/bergen lines. Was this the row that went to piermont train station? Or was that station part of the northern branch line that used to serve continental can company in piermont? I seem to be figuring out that their was 2 different piermont branches?
 #832670  by Tommy Meehan
 
airman00 wrote:I have a question on this piermont branch....Was this the row that went to piermont train station? Or was that station part of the northern branch....
This would probably be better asked (and answered) in the New York State Forum. But as long as you asked....

The Piermont Branch's history goes all the way back to the 1840s. The eighteen mile section from Piermont (actually Piermont Landing) to Suffern via Sparkill and Nanuet was the Erie Railroad's original main line opened in September 1841. By 1853 the Erie had rerouted from Suffern to Jersey City via Paterson and the former main line to Piermont had become a branch. In 1869 the Northern Branch used a 1.2 mile section of original Piermont Branch -- between Sparkill and Piermont -- to extend itself to Nyack. The Piermont Branch was then reduced to the 16 mile Suffern-Sparkill Jct. section.

Around the same time the old New Jersey & New York began using a 2.3 mile section of the Piermont Branch between Nanuet Jct. and Spring Valley. But that section remained part of the Piermont Branch.

So yes the Piermont station was at first part of the Piermont Branch and then transferred to the Northern Branch in 1869. Everything east of Sparkill Jct became Northern Branch track, including the CCC facility which was worked by a Northern Drill.

How it has evolved under CR-NS-MNRR I'll leave for someone else. That's too recent for me! :-)
 #832701  by airman00
 
Now I think I'm starting to understand it all. There was once a connection between what is now the Pascack valley line and the Northern branch. So there is only one piermont branch and it was broken into the part that became the PVL and the part that became part of the Northern branch.
 #840384  by Roadgeek Adam
 
This does normally belong in the Metro-North forum, but I will quickly summarize the Piermont Branch.

The Piermont Branch is what I call the Erie equivalent of DL&W's Old Main. The Erie Railroad's main line originally ran from Dunkirk to Piermont, basically a Lake Erie-Hudson River line. The Piermont station had docks nearby to serve other locations. However, in the 1870s, the Erie took over the Passaic and Hudson RR (the current NJT Main Line up to Paterson) for use as their main line. The old main line was, like the DL&W, relegated to branchline status. In 1938, only one passenger train serviced the Piermont Branch from Suffern - Piermont. The amount of stations along the line were pretty large although only three stand, Spring Valley, Suffern and Piermont. The rest were demolished or collapsed at some point: Sparkill, Orangeburg, Blauvelt, Nanuet (burned), Monsey and Tallmans. The chances we're going to get line service back on the Piermont Branch is slim. Tallmans and Monsey are both NIMBY central. For more info on the proposed alignment, go check the Metro-North forum, they have a semi-active topic.

Here is a horriby drawn schematic of the railroad, does what I need it to do:

Image
 #842071  by airman00
 
I was under the impression that railroad companies are autonomous and can pretty much do what they want. They only need DEP approval, and nothing else. (correct me if I'm wrong) Now I know the railroad might just be trying to be a good neighbor and do things right, but if local towns are going to put up that much of a stink, then the railroad should just go ahead anyway.
(I'm making an assumption they want to restore peirmont line.)
 #844201  by n01jd1
 
Remember, Metro North, like NJTransit are state agencies and are therefore subject to political pressure that a private, for profit railroad like NS is not. All the NIMBYS have to do is raise a big enough stink and the bureaucrats will kill a project fearing for their or their masters political lives. Thats why there is no passing sidings on the PVL in the state of NJ.
 #844235  by Sirsonic
 
n01jd1 wrote:Thats why there is no passing sidings on the PVL in the state of NJ.
Hackensack, Teterboro, and East Rutherford are in New Jersey.
 #844243  by airman00
 
It's funny how there always seems to be political pressure against rail, but never any for it. And for that matter I always find it amazing that a small handful of homeowners can derail an entire railroad company project.
 #844723  by cruiser939
 
Sirsonic wrote:
n01jd1 wrote:Thats why there is no passing sidings on the PVL in the state of NJ.
Hackensack, Teterboro, and East Rutherford are in New Jersey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytCEuuW2_A
 #844808  by morris&essex4ever
 
n01jd1 wrote:Thats why there is no passing sidings on the PVL in the state of NJ.
Are you referring to the proposed siding in Oradell that was never built?
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