Retracing the NYC’s Harlem Division (Martindale to Millerton)

I had originally planned to ride the rail trails at Millerton / Copake Falls but with the crappy weather (dark, overcast and sporadic rain), I opted to do a RR research tour by car instead.

Using Acme mapper as a guide, I stopped and snapped photos along the abandoned ROW of the New York Central’s Harlem Division.

The New York Central’s Harlem Division between Chatham and Millerton was abandoned in 1972. Freight service north of Millerton was terminated in 1976 when the tracks north of Wassaic were dismantled. During the summer of 1981 the remaining tracks were removed.

Driving east from Martindale

Heading back from upstate NY, I turned off the Taconic at Martindale onto Rt 23. Photos of the Martindale RR bridge were posted back in April.

Scenic Pond

Craryville

The railroad line through Craryville was built between 1849 and 1852 and provided both passenger and freight train services. The station even included a high-level freight loading dock. With the demise of the passenger services in 1972, the station was closed for passengers and provided freight only services until 1976.

I was pleasantly surprised to find both the bridge AND the station.

Historical Photo

Hillsdale

Vestiges of a grander industrial past are evident from these photos…

Historical Photo

Hillsdale Station 1915

See also: 1912 Map of the industrial area >>

The trail head to this section of the HVRT

1904

Black Bridge

The ROW ran high up along this stretch.

Historical Photo

Copake Falls

Once a bustling hub for trains, the original Copake Falls station was completed in 1852 but later was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1905. The tracks were then only used by freight trains sporadically until that service ended in 1976. The rails were removed in 1981 and the right of way was converted to a rail trail in the 1990s.

What a sweet little spot! I picked up a delicious sandwich and a local Chatham IPA at the Depot Deli. I vow to return soon on a sunny Autumn day to ride the rail trail and soak in the beautiful Fall colors…

Depot Deli

Historical Photo

As the 1904 historic map below indicates, the Copake Iron Works had a narrow-gauge railroad. It was built in 1862 to move goods to and from the furnace and bring completed cast-iron goods to Copake Station.

Boston Corners

It's hard to believe now but at one time, Boston Corners was a busy railroad junction for three railroads: the Harlem Division, the Central New England Railroad (CNE) and the Poughkeepsie & Eastern Railroad (P&E).

At Boston Corners, the Harlem Division and the Central New England Railroad crossed each other and shared one station. Until the 1930s, it was possible to transfer from a Harlem Division train to go east through Connecticut or west to Poughkeepsie and onto Middletown, New York.

By 1940, service on the Harlem Line at Boston Corners was reduced to a flag stop. On September 28, 1952 the station was closed by New York Central.

There is very little left to find of the railroads' presence here.

One of the ROWs ran thru here

A few scattered railroad remnants

Historical Photo

Millerton

Millerton was founded in 1851 when the New York & Harlem Railroad was built through the area. The village was named for the railroad’s chief engineer, Sidney Miller.

There are two parallel railroad bridges here obscured behind a formidable wall of prickler bushes!

Behind this Four Brothers Restaurant are the bridges

Aerial view of the bridges

The centerpiece of town features the former railroad stations.  The New York Central Railroad’s Harlem Division passenger station pictured below was built in 1912 and the original New York & Harlem Railroad station, built in 1851, stands on the west side of the railroad right-of-way and is occupied by a florist. The Millerton Station had two tracks and served as a location where Harlem Line riders could transfer to the Central New England Railroad and points east and north.

The passenger station was closed in March, 1972. The freight agent’s office closed in 1974, although freight service continued until 1981 when the tracks were removed.

Train Station

Super short video

This is the trailhead of the southern section. The rail trail obviously adds a huge economic boost to the town.

HVRT Trailhead

I'll be back shortly to ride the rail trails and take photos. It should be beautiful in the Autumn!

Further Info

• Harlem Valley Rail Trail
• Remembering the Upper Harlem Division
• Harlem Line (Wikipedia)

Harlem Line Train Stations (Wikipedia)

• Boston Corners
• Copake Falls
• Millerton

Hillside Avenue RR Spur - Aqueduct, NY

After our trek down by the abandoned trolley bridge across the Mohawk River; Gino, Gary and I drove up to the Hillside Avenue industrial complex to sniff out vestiges of the spur.

Hillside Avenue RR Spur (1951 to 1984) 

Right in the parking lot of the industrial complex is a surviving remnant of the rail spur. Intriguingly, rails were left in the pavement for just a short stretch and abruptly end a few feet later.

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ALCO and the War Effort

 It is hard to imagine now but this empty off-the-beaten path spot was once a bustling center of activity.

In November of 1940, ALCO was awarded a government contract to produce tanks for the war effort. In just five months, the first tank was successfully tested in front of government officials.

In 1951, this spur was built for the Korean War. Production had increased substantially and the spur was needed to transport the tanks up to testing grounds without destroying the city streets. The tanks were assembled in the huge plant in downtown Schenectady and brought by train up the spur to the test track located off Hillside Avenue. The test track is still visible in Google Aerials. When combat ended in 1953, production dropped to a trickle.

The spur was officially abandoned in 1984.  It probably last saw service in the late 60s.  It's last use was servicing the CONDEC (Consolidated Diesel Equipment Corp.) and later the Nova Bus Company that located to the former ALCO Tank site.

Historical Photo
A Multitude of Tanks Parked by the Testing Grounds

The tank testing track

Google Aerial View

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Hiking the Spur

Using Bing Bird's Eye View, the ROW is visible

Near the top of the hill, the ROW cuts thru an open field.

 Gino is on a mission! :-)

  We found coal all along the ROW...

...and even a half buried section of rail.

 As we hiked down the ROW, it became a little more picturesque thru the woods...

 but where the soil was softer, it was carved out by water runoff.

 We reached the bottom...

 ...and Gino salvaged a tie plate along with a few S hooks (not pictured)

We then hiked back up to the top and found a huge stash of railroad ties. Rarely in any of our treks, do we find this many discarded railroad ties. When railroads were abandoned, they were generally bankrupt and hard up for cash. The rails and ties had monetary value and were resold for recycling. Since this spur was basically built as a government-sponsored war effort, apparently resale value of ties wasn't considered!

It was an enjoyable few hours out in the fresh air, exploring railroad history. Gino had a blast as well and we will be planning more RR explorations together soon!

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Further Info About ALCO and the Tanks

• ALCO AND WW II
• American Locomotive Company - Salute To Freedom
• Schenectady County - Contributions in World War II
• U.S. M47 Patton tanks being demonstrated at American Locomotive Company facility in Schenectady, New York. Video >