Metro North Train Stations: Additional or Unnecessary?

[Noel Weaver]

I would suspect that the layout of the streets etc, makes it wise to keep
both stations in use.
Marble Hill gets quite heavy use and Spuyten Duyvil gets quite a bit of
use as well.
I do not think it would be smart to close up any stations on Metro-North.
Noel Weaver

[GMac]

I have a poster in my apt advertising Giants Football Specials on the Harlem Line, run by Penn Central to Melrose... back when the Giants played at Yankee Stadium! How long ago? The Baltimore Colts and Saint Louis Cardinals were on their schedule

From the 70s.

The Giants played at Yankee Stadium from 1956 to 1972 (plus 2 games in 1973), so it could be 1971 (both teams were hosted by the Giants that year).

GM

[Otto Vondrak]

GMac- thanks for the info! That would make sense...

and Noel, for the record, I don't really want to see any MN stations closed either.

-otto-

[MickD]

Did the football specials run into High Bridge?How did folks get to YS?
Bus?Don't mean to jump forums,but.....Otto,any update on NYW&B book?

[Otto Vondrak]

MickD....

I have a poster in my apt advertising Giants Football Specials on the Harlem Line, run by Penn Central to Melrose... back when the Giants played at Yankee Stadium!

-otto-

[Tom Curtin]

One reason Spuyten Duyvil is busy is simply because it is not near any subway . Combine this with its being a residential neighborhood, and you see there is a lot of pedestrian passenger traffic.

[AlM]

A few comments:

1. There definitely have been some station abandonments on the Harlem Line in the Bronx. I still have a Hagstrom Atlas that shows a Morrisania station.

2. It's a long walk from Marble Hill to Spuyten Duyvil, and everything is steep hills around there. If your destination is near the Spuyten Duyvil Station, going to Marble Hill and walking or taking a bus will add 30 minutes to the trip.

3. I sometimes take the 7:53 NWP local, which stops at Melrose and Tremont, more often taking the 7:23, which doesn't. The 7:23 often crawls through Tremont because there is a train right in front of it at Fordham. I don't think the 7:53 really loses any time stopping at Melrose and Tremont because the single outbound track is so full of trains it just catches up to the train in front of it soon anyway.

The real reason the 7:53 is such a slow train is because of the interlocking at Woodlawn, not because of the 2 extra stops at Melrose and Tremont. It usually comes to a near stop waiting for a wrong railing inbound New Haven Line train to cross in front of it.

[DutchRailnut]

ok there is no wrong railing on MNCR all tracks are CTC signalled in both directions.
Yes with higher speeds the signal blocks have become longer. a higher speed does impair the amount of trains that can be run.
The bronx at one time was 60 mph max and yes between Melrose and Tremont their was a Morrisiana but the platform was removed during Conrail days.

[Noel Weaver]

Two other lost stations on the Harlem; one at Claremont Parkway which I
believe was about 172nd Street and at 183rd Street. Morrisiana and
183rd Street closed about the same time and I think it was in the Penn
Central era but I would have to check to be sure of it. Clarement
Parkway was closed some years earlier. Seems to me that Wakefield was
on that cut list but the powers to be had second thoughts and decided to
keep it. Understand Wakefield is quite busy these days.
Noel Weaver

[DutchRailnut]

Correct the service was discontinoud under Penn Central, the low level platforms were demolished during Conrail when first concrete ties were installed.

[Tom Curtin]

Yes, Morrissania (168th) and 183rd St. (no name other than 183rd) were discontinued when the first hi-level platforms were put in. And yes, Claremont Parkway (172nd) had been discontinued way back in the 50s sometime. Remnants of all 3 are visible from trains today if you take a good look.

RE Wakefield: there is a checkered tale about the survival of this one. It was destroyed by fire in the early 50s, following which NYC applied to the NY State Public Svc. Commission (a tough-as-nails regulatory agency) to discontinue the station, this on the grounds that it is so close to Mt. Vernon. (Hey folks, you can easily see between the two stations, and it only a short walk between them). But, the PSC, whose policy appears to have been "whatever you want, the answer is no, period" required NYC to reconstruct the station.

Oh, one other thing, while on the subject of ex-stations, don't forget the 3 in the Park Ave. tunnel which I believe were closed when the Lexington Ave. subway went in a block away. Remnants of those are visible today too

[Otto Vondrak]

Are we talking abound un-needed stations or abandoned stations?

-otto-

[Noel Weaver]

Are we talking abound un-needed stations or abandoned stations?

-otto-

I guess if they are abandoned, they were "un-needed" at one time, Huh?
Noel Weaver

[Otto Vondrak]

ok ok :)

-otto-

[Tom Curtin]

Oh, one other----- Remember Holland Avenue?