FDR Funeral Train, April 1945

I'm interested in knowing the routing of FDR's April 1945 funeral train enroute to Hyde Park NY, specifically the exact routing from New Jersey to Hyde Park NY.

I've always speculated it came up the PRR thru the North River tunnels to Pennsylvania Station, handed over to the New Haven, thru the East River tunnels, over the Hell Gate Bridge into The Bronx, up to New Rochelle and then ???

Possibly from New Rochelle towed backwards down to Mott Haven, handed over to NYC, reverse direction and proceed north on the Hudson Division to Hyde Park.

or

Possibly up to Danbury and then northwest thru Hopewell Junction to Beacon, handed over to NYC and then proceed north on the Hudson Division to Hyde Park.

I do not have a TN for this particular move but the normal move was to turn the train over to the NHRR at Penn Station, NY.
The NHRR would move the train to New Rochelle, change ends or run around the train, take it to MO and turn it over to the New York Central and move up the Hudson to Hyde Park.
I don't think the Beacon Branch on the New Haven was normally used for a move of this nature and maybe it was never so
used.
Noel Weaver

Probably 25 or 30 years ago TRAINS had an article on the FDR Funeral Train and it has the routing and I think that route via Penn Station to NH to NYC is correct.

PRR: Washington-New York
Train "...was pulled backward into Mott Haven Yard...via the New Haven branch from New Rochelle..."
NYC to Hyde Park
Quote from Bill Withers book, The Presdent Travels by Train, p. 360.
You can read a full account of the entire FDR funeral train operation in this book from p. 346-364.

Hope this helps.

work safe

Here's the definitive scoop on this: a new book, "FDR's Funeral Train", by railroad writer and historian Robert Klara. Interesting and detailed, and very well researched. Find it on Amazon Books, etc.

There was supposedly a siding for the estate at Hyde Park, but I've never found any sign of it, say for a track at the station. FDR was unloaded at the station and brought through Main Street I believe. I would be interesting to see an interview with any locals who can remember the event.

Was the Central 4 tracks at Hyde Park at that time? I tend to think so. Looking at Google Earth, there doesn't appear to be any shortcut from the Estate to the tracks for a closer, private siding.

D/

The FDR siding was not at the Hyde Park Stn. but north of there on the border of the estate off Tk. 3.

SHELDON is correct. Location then was called "Lacys Middle" and used for delivery of coal to the ESTATE from a 'skip-hoist' that took coal from the siding up to the main HOUSE. Hyde PARK was at M.P. 79.27, and LACYS MIDDLE was off TRK #3 about midway from there to SS-65 Railroad in this area was FOUR TRACKS.......regds all LARRY BAGGERLY

Amazingly, the new book by Robert Klara, titled "FDR'S FUNERAL TRAIN", reveals that three J-1d NYC Hudsons were moved south from Harmon to Mott Haven to serve as: (a)The pilot locomotive (running light); (b)The power for the Congressional train (first section of two); and (c)The funeral train bearing FDR's body. This event was repeated later the same day when the two trains headed back to Washington from Hyde Park. I grew up in Riverdale from 1948-1955, and never saw a single steam locomotive on the Electric Division except once just north of DV Tower, on a work train.
I wonder why this unique event has never even been reported before.