new haven hump yard at cedar hill

[BM6569]

When was the hump yard at cedar hill closed? How many classification tracks were there and how much of the yard was elctrified? Also, does anyone know of any photos of the yard? I have several books on the new haven and can't seem to find many pictutures of the yard, just some diesels going by. How far north of new haven did the electrified part go?

thanks for any help,
Warren

[Noel Weaver]

I can't recall exactly when but it seems to me that the East Hump at
Cedar Hill was closed in the early 1980's. The West Hump was closed
much before that in the early years of Penn Central.
The electrified portion of the yard in the last days of the New Haven
included most of the westbound departure yard and the eastbound
receiving yard up to the hump lead at the north (east) end of those
tracks and far enough out on the hump lead to permit a reverse move
down to the engine house.
I can't recall just how many tracks were in the East Class Yard which was
basically the "bowl" of the hump.
As business around the area dropped off, Conrail made the decision that
it was no long necessary, practical nor economical to run the hump so it
was closed down. Some flat switching is still done at the East Class Yard
which is the only remaining CSX operation at Cedar Hill.
Noel Weaver

[shadyjay]

If you go to the NERAIL photo archive [url]photos.nerail.org[/url] and do a search for Cedar Hill, you can find numerous photos, including a nice overview that was posted lately, although that photo is more modern. IIRRC, the electrification extended to the north hump, which I'm guessing would have to be somewhere near where Home Depot is today, off I-91 Exit 9. There's a nice old pic of the yard in the book "Connecticut Railroads: An Illustrated History" by Turner & Jacobs (not sure if still in print, but possible to find at train shows, rr museums, etc). Still, there's quite a bit of Cedar Hill remaining, with CSX in the northern half and an Amtrak maintenance/welded rail facility near the coal tower on the south end.

Noel, how exactly did the size of Cedar Hill compare to Selkirk? I surveyed Selkirk's 80 (err...70) classification tracks a few years ago, and that was one busy place. I only wished I was around in the NH heyday, but alas, I was born 9 years after the charter was exchanged for the wreck.


-JH

[Noel Weaver]

First off, there was no such place as "North Hump" at Cedar Hill, there was
the East Hump and the West Hump. The wires ended on the hump lead
at the crest of the hump on the East Hump. The West Hump was not
electrified, only a portion of the westbound departure yard had wires.
Cedar Hill may have occupied more property than Selkirk does but I do
not think Cedar Hill had the capacity that Selkirk has. Cedar Hill had a lot
of short tracks where as Selkirk has much longer tracks in which an entire
train can be made up on. I can remember going out of Cedar Hill west
would require two and sometimes three doubles where as going out of
Selkirk would usually be that the whole train would fit on one track in the
north or south departure yards. The trains are longer now days too.
I do not think Cedar Hill could nearly equal the capacity of Selkirk.
Selkirk is a much more efficient yard too, modern in every respect where
as Cedar Hill although a retarder hump yard was old and out molded. It
took much more workers to switch fewer cars at Cedar Hill than at Selkirk.
Noel Weaver

[shadyjay]

I apologize about the North Hump reference. I was trying to recall a picture in "New Haven Railroad - The Final Decades" about the farthest extension for NH catenary. The exact wording was "top of Cedar Hill's eastbound hump".

My bad...

-JH

[fordhamroad]

- when did Cedar Hill open?

Roger

[red baron]

East Hump was closed by Conrail April 1980. Flat switching only after that.

West Hump was closed by the NH during the 1960s, however, it was briefly reopened during the early PC era to relieve snow related congestion at Selkirk.

Perhaps Noel remembers more about that.

[Noel Weaver]

The West Hump at Cedar Hill was shut down in the late 1950's when the
bridge linking the West Class Yard with the Westbound Departure Yard
burned.
Around 1960, the NHRR decided that the absense of the West Hump and
related facilities delayed too many trains and fouled up the place so badly
that the bridge had to be replaced and so it was.
Cedar Hill was then in full operation with both humps etc until the early
days of the Penn Central when the West Hump, West Class and the
New York/Maybrook (westbound) departure yard were all closed down.
Noel Weaver

[JJJeffries]

Hello All:

I probably should be posting this under PC as I worked for the PC Providence, RI yard and also at Cedar Hill.

I was at CH in the winter of 1969-70 and the snow was deep. PC might have been running the show. However, the local bosses were still NH.

I never cared for skates which were the devices placed on the rails to slow the speed of a freight car or cut of cars.

Being close to NH Sound we had freezing rain as well. Trying to climb a car in freezing rain was the most dangerous act I have ever done.

I also remember being on the Belle Dock local as well as switching mail cars and the passenger cars across from the passenger terminal.

I remember one Sunday evening being on a local out of CH and we were on the four track main and the engineer called the tower and said he had a problem that would probably take close to an hour and in reality we went to a dive for supper which turned out to be a great place for food.

As usual, I ate way too much. Good food in CT. LOL! I have many memories of the NH/PC in New England.

When the PC went broke I finally came to my senses and went back into broadcasting and spent 30 + years in a rewarding career.

Best,
Craig Johnson
Lock Haven, Pa.

[CVRA7]

As in WRKO Now Radio?

[JJJeffries]

RKO a great station and format. I worked Boston and Worcester and Manchester.
My greatest contribution was doing voice overs and later on went into sales and then management.
The good old days and nights. Semi-retired in 2000 and have done little radio since.
Still have the voice and desire...but the body has illnesses that have sidelined The Kid!

Best,
Craig Johnson
Lock Haven, Pa. for now.