ERIE RR Newburgh Branch
Robinson, Drew
How much (if any) of the old Erie RR "Newburgh Branch" (from Greycourt
to Newburgh, NY) is still in existance? I saw a map that shows a piece
of it extending SW from the connectoin with the former West Shore RR in
Newburgh. I assume it's all gone beyond Vails Gate.
What became of the right-of-way of the "Newburgh & New York Short Cut"
between Vails Gate Junction and Harriman? Closest I can tell by a USGS
map, it looks like the New York State Thruway might have used some of
it. Just wondering if any of it could still be traced/hiked up the
Woodbury Creek Valley from West Cornwall.
William Gripp (908) 704-4256
>How much (if any) of the old Erie RR "Newburgh Branch" (from Greycourt
>to Newburgh, NY) is still in existance? I saw a map that shows a piece
>of it extending SW from the connectoin with the former West Shore RR in
>Newburgh. I assume it's all gone beyond Vails Gate.
Last time I was up there (about 10 years ago), the tracks ran up to just
south of Moodna Viaduct. The old station and freight house in Washingtonville
were still standing then.
>What became of the right-of-way of the "Newburgh & New York Short Cut"
>between Vails Gate Junction and Harriman? Closest I can tell by a USGS
>map, it looks like the New York State Thruway might have used some of
>it. Just wondering if any of it could still be traced/hiked up the
>Woodbury Creek Valley from West Cornwall.
The section from Harriman through Central Valley and a bit north are
part of the Graham Line I believe and still in use. There was an old
depot (Mountainville?) on the original row near where the Graham Line wraps
around the mountain to head to Moodna. The row is pretty evident here and
is several hundred feet well east of the Thruway. Between here and Newbergh
I don't know if any traces remain.
Gary R. Kazin
The Erie Newburgh branch from Greycourt also still exists from
Newburgh south to Vails Gate. The crossing of NY 300 was rebuilt
about 5 years or so ago. I don't think it's very active, though.
The situation of the name is a little confusing, because the Erie
called both its lines to Newburgh the "Newburgh Branch" - they
ent to Greycourt and also to Harriman. The Graham line was built
later and connected to the branch between Newburgh and Harriman at
Highland Mills. Heading north (railroad west) the Graham line
branched off on the eastern side of the junction and climbed to
a higher elevation while the branch to Newburgh went lower and
under the Graham line just beyond the crossing of NY32 at Woodbury
Falls - the railroad called this Woodbury Viaduct. The Graham line
stays more west as the Thruway crosses NY 32 and then the line
to Newaburgh, both the Graham line and the Thruway staying west of
Woodbury Creek.
About 1/2 mile south of Vails Gate is the abandoned ROW of the
New York, Ontario & Western which ran east-west in this area on its
way from Cornwall and the West Shore to Middletown.
The Old & Weary shut down 40 years ago next Monday, 3/31. The NYO&W
T&HS has a series of pamphlets out that make a tour of the line
possible...
The Lehigh & Hudson also went north from Greycourt on a separate
ROW west of the Erie to Newburgh to go under the Graham line 2 miles
east of
Campbell Hall (no junction) and on to Maybrook and the New Haven's
Poughkeepsie Bridge line. The NYS&W put in a connecting track so
their trains could connect directly between the Graham line and the
L&H in 1987, and the line to Maybrook has been torn out.
Gregory w Lund
It might also be interesting to note that in the late 1970's early 80's
Conrail considered
using the Newburgh Branch for part if not all ,of a proposed connection
between the
Southern Tier line(mainline Buffalo-Croxton/Hoboken) and the ex-NYC River
line as a
bypass of the heavy Commuter territory east of Suffern.
The O&W,gone but not forgotten....guess much of the old O&W ROW east of
Middletown
is now Route 17,can still see much of it if you look........
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Gary R. Kazin
Actually, NONE of the O&W east of Middletown went into NY 17 - it's
too far north. BEginning around Monticello, pieces ended up under
the highway and the section from Livingston Manor to Roscoe did end
up getting widened and paved. The eastern sections were committed
to construction before the O&W closed! 3/29/57, RIP, NYO&W.
Dave Gianna
So, in essence, it is physically possible to connect Suffern with Spring Valley.
This means a commuter train could travel from PJ, frun from Suffern through
Nanuet and Orangeburg (very important?), Spring Valley, Piermont then ease over
a new bridge over the Hudson River to connect with the Hudson Line. Perhaps the
entire route up to Suffern could be electrified?
Also: NS freights on the Southern Tier Line could get off the "mainline" south
of Suffern and gain equal access to New York via CSX's former NYC Hudson Line.
I keep thinking about stack trains rolling down the Hudson (both CSX and NS),
using the new Harlem River Yard connection to Oak Point, interchanging with the
NY&AR there. The NY&AR traverses over the Hell Gate, Maspeth then all the way
down to Bay Ridge.
This obviates the need for Giulliani's "billion+ dollar" tunnel under New York
harbor.
The downside is that while this is great for most east-west stacks, access from
the south is limited. NS (and CSX?) trains would have to travel north to Spring
Valley, thence south down the Hudson. It _IS_ better than running up to
Selkirk, at least.
Also, is so, freights could use the Marion connection (then the old Bergen Jct
ramp) to access the "Bergen" line, and need only use it between Secaucus and
Rutherford. At Rutherford, they would pick up the lightly used "Pascak Valley"
Line. Coexistence with NJT would be minimal.
BTW, Gary, when you mentioned the "new rail bridge" which had been considered,
did you mean a connection farther south? A connection from the Little
Ferry/Teaneck area, across Manhattan to the Bronx could also serve all of the
above, perhaps better?
-- dAve
William Gripp (908) 704-4256
>So, in essence, it is physically possible to connect Suffern with Spring
Valley.
>This means a commuter train could travel from PJ, frun from Suffern through
> Nanuet and Orangeburg (very important?), Spring Valley, Piermont then ease
over
> a new bridge over the Hudson River to connect with the Hudson Line. Perhaps
the
> entire route up to Suffern could be electrified?
Possible? This WAS the origianl ERIE mainline from points west to
Piermont, NY. The line south through Ridgewood, Paterson, Rutherford
came later. No, from Suffern east you hit Spring Valley first, then on to
Nanuet. There was a wye at Nanuet at the station. Last time I was there
several years ago, you could still make out the r-o-w east toward Piermont.
A bridge to the Hudson Line would have to be pretty low to the water creating
a navigation hazzard. There were plans at one time to electrify the ERIE.
The Stillwell coaches were designed to be readily converted into MU cars.
>Also: NS freights on the Southern Tier Line could get off the "mainline" south
> of Suffern and gain equal access to New York via CSX's former NYC Hudson Line.
Huh? Where? The old Piermont branch is North of Suffern Station. There is
not easy access from the Piermont to the West Shore that I am aware of.
>Also, is so, freights could use the Marion connection (then the old Bergen Jct
> ramp) to access the "Bergen" line, and need only use it between Secaucus and
> Rutherford. At Rutherford, they would pick up the lightly used "Pascak Valley"
> Line. Coexistence with NJT would be minimal.
The NJ&NY would need extensive upgrading to handle that kind of traffic.
>BTW, Gary, when you mentioned the "new rail bridge" which had been considered,
> did you mean a connection farther south? A connection from the Little
> Ferry/Teaneck area, across Manhattan to the Bronx could also serve all of the
> above, perhaps better?
You'd probably need a ton of EMINANT DOMAINs issued to get the land for that.