Railroad Forums 

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

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, nomis, FL9AC, Jeff Smith

 #998300  by Clean Cab
 
The old station was just a few hundred feet further east of the current station, within what is now CP 256 (PECK).
 #998309  by Clean Cab
 
Noel Weaver wrote:The old Bridgeport Station wasn't damaged/destroyed by fire until after its use as a passenger station had ended. The present station was built to accomodate the high level platforms required by the M-2's. It was put into service around 1973, I have the exact date somewhere here but I am not going to try to find it right now. I remember being on a light move right after the date and we had to stop to pick up a dead MU car on old track 5 in the old station and I went inside to look around at that time. It became a center for seniors for a while and then it was closed up. Downstairs was a motor generator powered from Cos Cob which produced DC for the motors to to operate the drawspan on the bridge, this remained for a time even after the fire probably until the bridge was totally replaced. There was a switch in the tower to activate that generator when it was needed to open or close the bridge. For those who do not remember the old station, it was decent, big and included a second floor for offices a large baggage room and express office on the track level, many ticket windows, information desk (Ethel Burns ran it for years), newstand and snack bar and a stationmaster's office which was manned 24/7. Westbound you had in addition to track 3, track 5 which was mostly for mail and express at the end plus track 7 on the old Berkshire side to get to North Bridgeport. On the eastbound (track 4) side there was a shelter/canopy and track 6 which was used for mail and express cars plus the pocket for the Naugy. The only passenger train that regularly used track 5 in the staion in my memory was train 465 from Waterbury which terminated there and had a lot of mail and express and occasionally 379 if track one was out either in Bridgeport or west of Burr Road. One thing I remember is that all or practically all of the lights in that building were on railroad power which meant 25 cycle power and it flickering constantly. It was not bad in a station but it was a pain to have to read by. The towers also had 25 cycle power for most everything but both 60 and Burr Road and I think the others as well had signal power too which was 60 cycles so a flourscent light for the operator's desk along with a radio or something else that needed 60 cycle power was possible in these cases.
Noel Weaver

I stand corrected. I knew that the current station was built in the early 1970's and it was always had high level platforms. Bridgeport was one of the stations that was relocated due to it being on a curve along with Mt. Vernon East & Noroton Heights.
 #1001196  by Otto Vondrak
 
While I'm all for adding new stations where needed, I can't see how the east side of Bridgeport needs a station (and another stop to slow down the ride for everyone else). If this announcement was made in conjunction with plans for new units of housing and retail, then I might see the need.

-otto-
 #1001218  by DutchRailnut
 
Hmm with Stamford at MP0.0 and Glenbrook at MP2.2 , I seriously doubt you will see that.
Unless Connecticut Dept of Tar wants to convert entire railroad to a trolley system.
 #1001223  by DutchRailnut
 
the more stations you put in the bigger the inefficiency of heavy rail.
It takes a set of M-8's several Mw to get going at each stop.
The New Canaan is rediculous already with 5 stations in 7 miles.
 #1001414  by Noel Weaver
 
DutchRailnut wrote:the more stations you put in the bigger the inefficiency of heavy rail.
It takes a set of M-8's several Mw to get going at each stop.
The New Canaan is rediculous already with 5 stations in 7 miles.
Dutch,
You should have been around when we had six station stops on the New Canaan Branch not including Stamford. Springdale and Springdale Cemetery were only .33 mile apart and Woodway was less than a mile from the Cemetery. When the M-2's came it was decided not to put in high level platforms at these two stops and they were closed and removed. There was nothing at the Cemetery except for a street light which might still be there, we stopped on the crossing. Incidentally a lot of the engineers in Stamford did not like covering the New Canaan Dink in years past. The reasons: it was considered monotonous, you were always on the go, it had a lot of dangerous crossings and it paid only a minimum day seven days a week. It was a good job to deadhead up from New York to cover, however, and I did my share of it over the years. More memories!!!!
Noel Weaver
 #1001427  by DutchRailnut
 
Noel at that time the dink was a single car or sometimes two and everone needed to transfer.
Todays New Canaan branch primadonna's want trough service so each dink is 5 cars or more.
and that while a one car train (off peak) is to much even today.
 #1001585  by Noel Weaver
 
I agree that ridership on the NCB has grown just like it has everywhere else on Metro-North. In the 50's there were two through trains each way between New Canaan and New York and both ran express west of Stamford and carried a lot of passengers. Train 331 had a club car (private car) which returned on 332. It usually ran with 11 cars (4400's) while 333 and 334 ran with a few less cars but I don't recall just how many. Both trains were considered important commuter trains by managemet. I ran all of them too at one time or another. I know today there are a lot more than just the two through trains, how many are there?
Noel Weaver
 #1001609  by giljanus
 
Amtrak, thru it's Great American Stations website and project has a good history of the current station, and the one it replaced:

http://www.greatamericanstations.com/St ... ation_view
Opened in 1975, the current rail station is the fourth to stand in the general vicinity, and plans were drawn up by the local architectural firm of Antinozzi Associates.

...

Manufacturing created thousands of jobs and attracted immigrants who flocked to the city and built communities based on shared experiences and culture. As the city expanded, the area around the old station became a dangerous, congested mess. Trains arrived at street level, thereby interacting with pedestrians, carriages, and newly invented automobiles, and tracks crossed one another, resulting in back-ups. To solve this problem, the New Haven spent approximately $5 million to elevate the tracks through downtown.

The raising of the track bed demanded a new station, which was constructed in 1904-1905 on the site of the present BTC bus terminal. The station stood at the apex of a wye, with the New Haven’s main line heading east across the river and the leased Housatonic line continuing northward up the riverbank. Designed by local architect Warren R. Briggs in a simplified Romanesque style, the base of the station below the viaduct was composed of granite while the two upper floors were of buff brick. Passengers had to ascend to the second level to access the platforms which were sheltered by extensive canopies.

From afar, the station was identified by its 115 foot high tower capped with a pyramidal red slate roof. Its facades had grouped trios of elongated but narrow round-arch windows while its four corners sported copper gargoyles that provided a playful element long remembered by many travelers. Inside, the brightly lighted two story waiting room was covered by a beamed ceiling from which hung large metal chandeliers. Closed in 1973, the station remained standing six more years until it was destroyed in a suspicious fire.
This should help with the dates - Amtrak's site has some really good info about the current and previous (and in some cases) future and or remodeled stations. It is a work in progress - so some stations are missing and or routes - using the State index gets you to the most current info (as far as I can tell).

Gil, known as Bill somedays ...
 #1001796  by Ridgefielder
 
Noel Weaver wrote:I agree that ridership on the NCB has grown just like it has everywhere else on Metro-North. In the 50's there were two through trains each way between New Canaan and New York and both ran express west of Stamford and carried a lot of passengers. Train 331 had a club car (private car) which returned on 332. It usually ran with 11 cars (4400's) while 333 and 334 ran with a few less cars but I don't recall just how many. Both trains were considered important commuter trains by managemet. I ran all of them too at one time or another. I know today there are a lot more than just the two through trains, how many are there?
Noel Weaver
Eight through trains each way nowdays, I believe. Inbound, 6 in the a.m., two in the late afternoon; outbound, one early in the morning, 7 in the afternoon/evening. Probably the best service the branch has ever had-- although I know some still mourn the passing of the club car.
 #1001829  by Jeff Smith
 
My fault. I made a one-off observation that the NC branch could use a station at the route 1 overpass before Bridgeport gets a second. No need for a split, unless TermProc wants one.
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