BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildriver:

My pleasure!

It is incredible to think that NOTHING....repeat, NOTHING remains of the once-vast New York Harbor railroad navies....I know of ONE restored ex-LV covered barge, and that's about it.

The ex-DL&W/E-L ferry "BINGHAMTON" was recently scrapped on the mud flats at Edgewater, after being severely damaged during Superstorm Sandy (she had been a popular restaurant/night spot since the 1970's, but had been closed several years before the storm hit)

I do know that several ex-CNJ tugs were sold for service somewhere in the south, but that was many years ago (they had F-M power plants!)

For decades, countless old barges, lighters, and carfloats littered the mud flats in the harbor; decaying tugs and ferryboats literally rusted and rotted into oblivion at WITTES on Staten Island.

The NYCRR had the distinction of being the last railroad in New York Harbor to operate steam tugs, circa 1968 (all other railroads had all-diesel fleets by that time); recall, Barbra Streisand belting out "Don't Rain On My Parade" while on the bow of a NYC steam tug in 1968's "Funny Girl"!

Thanks Be for photos....and, of course, memories........

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Recall, earlier, I had mentioned that all but one of the NYCRR's ferry fleet (West Shore) featured pilothouses on the upper deck, instead of on the bridge deck, as was "the norm" for other railroad ferries.

As a (handsome!) example*.......

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?142305

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

*Check out that cool Chevy wagon on the main deck!

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The West Shore ferry "ALBANY" (as mentioned earlier here) was unique to the NYCRR fleet, as she was the only ferry to have her pilothouses located on the bridge deck, as was common with all other NY Harbor railroad ferries.

She was also the only NYCRR boat to be built with provisions for conversion to upper deck loading; note that railings are in place where folding scissor gates would have been, aboard the DL&W and CNJ boats.

The "ALBANY" is seen here at the Weehawken terminal, just after all NYCRR ferry service ended in early 1959........

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?142337

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

A timeless waterside view of the West Shore (NYC) terminal at Weehawken.

This photo was taken after ferry service to W. 42nd St. and Cortlandt St. ended; note that only two boats are docked in the slips, the others already towed away......

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?142336

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's the NYC's "SYRACUSE" seen loading at W. 42nd St, back in the 1950's..

Again, with the exception of the "ALBANY", there was no mistaking a NYC boat for the ferry of another railroad.

Also, note the girder-type loading aprons; the NYC was also the only railroad not to use the familiar arched truss main loading aprons in its ferry terminals.

Like the ERIE, there was no upper deck loading facilities, unlike the PRR, CNJ, and the DL&W/E-L.......

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?142414

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In contrast to the previous photo, here's the ERIE's "TUXEDO" entering one of the two slips at the ramshackle Chambers St. terminal.

Service to Jersey City ended in December of 1958.

Like the NYC's "West Shore" boats, there was no provision for upper deck loading.

However, note that the main loading apron features the same heavy trusswork seen in the ferry terminals of the PRR, CNJ, and DL&W.

The terminals used by the Staten Island boats also used the same type of heavy wooden (main deck) loading aprons; these were also used at the slips of the Battery Maritime Building, which at one time, served ferries to Brooklyn.

Until 1942, the only terminal where ERIE boats could load from the upper decks was at W.23rd St (service from the Pavonia Avenue terminal to W. 23rd St. ended that year).......

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?142332

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The ERIE's Pavonia Avenue terminal in Jersey was built in the late 1870's; by the 1950's, it was so decrepit it was almost picturesque!

The terminal was unusual, in that, aside from an entrance to the H&M tubes in the main station concourse, each platform had two IRT-style entrance/exit kiosks that led into what was known as the "Erie Concourse", which, in turn, led to the H&M platforms.

The world's first "Travelator" (moving pedestrian conveyor) was also installed in the long inclined passageway leading up to the main concourse in the early 1950's (though long out of service, it was still in place into the early 1980's)

By 1956, non-rush hour and through trains were being shifted up to the DL&W terminal at Hoboken (the Erie-Lackawanna merger itself did not take place until late 1960)

By the time the Chambers St. ferry ran (December, 1958) only trains of ERIE's Northern Branch and trains of the NYS&W continued to use the facility.

In 1960, the ERIE Northern Branch trains were shifted up to Hoboken, while the NYS&W trains were cut back to "SUSQUEHANNA TRANSFER" in North Bergen.

By this late date, the ferry service to Chambers St. was down to only one boat, with one other held in reserve.

All but two ERIE platforms were closed, and the main station building and ferry house were torn down during 1959.

To this very day, the columns supporting the arched ceiling of the PATH station (now "NEWPORT") still display "E" carvings at their crowns, harking back to the days when the station was called "ERIE".

From the 1960's and through the 70's, the station was called "PAVONIA"; and, later, "PAVONIA-NEWPORT".

Like the PRR Exchange Place terminal and the West Shore terminal at Weehawken, not a trace remains today of the once-busy ERIE terminal and its complex of support facilities........

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?142360

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?142363

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The monumental (and long abandoned) BERGEN ARCHES, an integral component to ERIE operations in Jersey City........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergen_Arches

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Through 1938, PSNJ streetcars operating on the "PAVONIA" car line (Union City-ERIE terminal) used both private ROW and a short bridge to cross the multi-tracked ERIE row using the Bergen Arches in Jersey City......

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?116275

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?116283

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's a close-up of one of the cast-in "E"'s which stood for "ERIE" that decorate the columns of PATH's "NEWPORT" station.

This station has not been known as "ERIE" in nearly 60 years; these columns, in fact, are the last vestiges of the former ERIE terminal above......

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?28411

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's the area leading to the PATH station at Newport today; as you can see, there is not a trace of the once complex ERIE terminal area and yards, which have been totally obliterated as though they had never existed......

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?49184

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In this 1950's photo, the ERIE ferry "ARLINGTON" is seen heading west across the Hudson, bound for the train connections at Pavonia Avenue.

At the end of ferry service to Chambers St., the "ARLINGTON" was docked at Jersey City as a "relief" boat......

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/frt/erie-arling-ajh.jpg

(courtesy: fallen flags railroads)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

This circa-early 1960's photo shows the area adjacent (to the north) of the former ERIE terminal on Pavonia Avenue; the site of the passenger terminal itself (torn down during 1959) would be just out of the photo on the right.

Note the "AMERICAN PRESIDENT LINES" pier; at the end of the pier is the building that houses the Holland Tunnel's ventilation shaft; the pier structure itself has been gone now for many years.

The towering "ERIE" water tower lasted until the development for the Newport Mall area in the 1980's; it should have been saved as a landmark.

A number of freight cars (E-L was running the show by this time) can be seen at the left, in this dreary scene.

Only the Holland Tunnel ventilator building survives today; the area is now so totally built up as to be totally unrecognizeable from what is was during the railroad era......

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/bldg/erie-jcter-alb.jpg

(courtesy: (fallen flags railroads)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Compare this 1950 photo with the previous view, using the ERIE water tower as a focal point (it is a QUITE different scene, to be sure!)

*Note: The comments on this page were courtesy of Your's Truly, made sixteen years earlier.......

http://www.godfatherrails.com/photos/pv.asp?pid=58

(courtesy: godfatherrails)

[N4 Jamaica]

Thanks for the two photographs of the PAVONIA streetcar line. I had no idea of that service, closed before I rode remaining Hudson County routes.
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Currently, Pavonia Avenue is split in three sections: From Kennedy Blvd to a merge with Newark Avenue south of Dickinson HS; reapearing at Brunswickk Street, then a gap at Hamilton Park. Then you can see a straight line where it would go to Pavonia H&M station and the Erie terminal. Did the streetcar use any of these sections of Pavonia Avenue?