Left Hand Running on NY & Harlem RR?

-anyone recall or have a reference? What years was the NY& Harlem running its trains "left hand" running, from Westchester down to Manhattan. I think it ended when the new Grand Central Terminal was sufficiently rebuilt, not sure exactly when they switched to right hand, normal operations. Thanks

Roger

Hi Roger-

Fact is, I don't know, but my impression is that left-hand running on both the Hudson, Harlem, and NH lasted until either the electrification of the terminal area in 1906 or the start of GCT's construction. The reason, as you know, was to place the arriving trains on the east side of the terminal and, I assume, to facilitate the flying switches to get the steam power out of the way. When the GCT work started, it began on the terminal's east side and worked westward, requiring a whole new arrangement of incoming and outgoing tracks.

Ive always wondered where the crossover points were outside GCD/GCS. I had always thought Woodlawn on the Harlem-NH, but I have an early 1900s postcard of the present Scarsdale station (1902) from the Popham Rd. overpass showing a steam train running left hand. I'd guess that the photo was taken shortly after the station opened.

You might try this one on the NYC RR Yahoo discussion group.

Herb

OK, here's the answer, taken from an exhaustive company-prepared history of signaling in the GCD/GCS/GCT area:

"RIGHT HAND RUNNING

In September 1906, after many years of left-hand running to Spuyten Duyvil, block station 8, traffic was turned from the left to right hand movement, at a temporary mechanical interlocking plant located at the Walton Avenue bridge, just beyong "MJ", West Mott Haven electro-pneumatic plant.

"REVERSAL OF TRAFFIC

At 4 A.M., Sunday, August 25th, 1907, traffic was diverted from the left-hand running tracks to the right-hand running tracks from Grand Central Station to Walton Avenue just beyond "MJ" West Mott Haven interlocking and Mount Vernon...."

There's more, lots more, but that's the essence.

As best I can tell from the same source, the famous flying switch operation fully ended January 15, 1907. Already the switch and signaling layout had been modified because of encroaching GCT construction on the terminal's east side.

Herb

-Herb, Many thanks. Best wishes. Roger