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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

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 #560335  by Joepho
 
Those GE U34s certainly were loud and had a distinctive "chug" to them. Now the EMDs and the newer GEs are much quieter. They have all been retired by now?

The spot where the Piermont branch junction was is now a parking lot for the fitness center. The foundation block for the signal was there when I last checked a few years ago, but it may be gone now with all the recent construction in that area. All remnants of the old Hutton & Johnson lumber yard are gone. I believe that was the only freight customer on the line until Glenshaw glass in Orangeburg. The line between Nanuet and Orangeburg had been abandoned in the 60s according to other posts here, but the tracks remained until 1981; shortly after the lumber yard burned down.
 #804013  by Jeff Smith
 
Note: as you read into the article, the portion of the line being leased was not considered for the TZB project. Track will be removed.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20100504/N ... trail-path
The trail would be part of the unused portion of the Piermont Branch line. It would run east from nearby Monsey Heights Road in Airmont, under the Thruway, cross routes 59 and 306 in Monsey, go past Robert Pitt Drive and end at West Central Avenue in Spring Valley.

"It's something that's going to enhance the town's parks and recreation program, really give people an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors in a safe environment," Troodler said.

Metro-North Railroad, which owns the line, recently granted the town a 20-year license to lease the property for $1 a year, however, it waived the payments.
 #806188  by pnaw10
 
R36 Combine Coach wrote:I assumed the Piermont Branch was NS, not MNCR.
The "Fast Facts" sidebar in the upper-right corner of the page (which I almost missed myself) details the history of the line. It says MNR bought the Piermont Branch from Conrail for $1 on 1/1/83. As part of the deal, NS, as Conrail's successor, has trackage rights on the line "for perpetuity" at no cost. NS makes one run per week to deliver wood to a lumber company along the branch.
 #807135  by Tommy Meehan
 
pnaw10 wrote:NS makes one run per week to deliver wood to a lumber company along the branch.
That's probably the dealer just west of the switch from Spring Valley station to the Woodbine yard, isn't it?

There was some talk of eventually putting the eastern part of the branch back in service if MNRR ever got extended over the Tappan Zee replacement bridge.

Since the economy crapped out you don't hear much about that anymore. :(
 #807880  by andegold
 
Could this actually be a good thing? This would at the very least clear the line in this area and get rid of any encroachments. Future homeowners would be less inclined to view the line as abandoned and push realtors harder on the question of whether or not trains could ever run through their backyards. It could make it easier to institute Service between Suffern (or as far north as Harriman) and Spring Valley in the future using GTW type or similar DMU equipment.
 #827429  by airman00
 
I was looking on google earth and just past spring valley station, track splits off into two sections. I know the one section goes to an NJT yard, (woodbine yard?) and so I noticed the other part that split off went on for some distance. I thought it dead-ended just after splitting off. Does that trackage ever get used any more, or is it oos? (I do know it used to connect to main/bergen line)
 #827844  by TDowling
 
I'm not sure, but I think it is out of service. It used to connect with the Main Line at Suffern Industrial. This would probably go in the New York State Railfan forum
 #828003  by Hawaiitiki
 
More or less, totally out of service for several years now. The ROW, however, has been maintained with the prospect of future usage. Lets just hope it doesn't go the way of the Rail Trail.
 #828010  by airman00
 
I had a feeling it was out of service, but thought since it appeared to go on for some time, it could be used for mow equipment, or car storage, a protect engine, etc.
 #828080  by pumpers
 
THere are people around here who know the exact operational and legal status of just about all track related to NJT it seems. Try posting on the NJT forum ... JS
 #830370  by Passaic River Rat
 
airman00 wrote:I was looking on google earth and just past spring valley station, track splits off into two sections. I know the one section goes to an NJT yard, (woodbine yard?) and so I noticed the other part that split off went on for some distance. I thought it dead-ended just after splitting off. Does that trackage ever get used any more, or is it oos? (I do know it used to connect to main/bergen line)
That is Metro-North's Piermont Branch. The portion between Spring Valley and Tallman has been OOS for decades. There are several threads on this line in the MNRR Forum.
Click gere for one.
 #832203  by airman00
 
Wasn't this the trackage that had lumber car delivery? Also to clarify one thing...This was a separate peirmont branch, from the one associated with the northern branch? In other words this wasn't the line that had piermont train station and also served continental can?
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