What was the location of the Van Cortland Park Station on the Putnam Division? Was it closer to Broadway or the Major Deegan and how far north of Van Cortland South (West 240th Street?) was it. Thanks.
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BAR wrote:What was the location of the Van Cortland Park Station on the Putnam Division? Was it closer to Broadway or the Major Deegan and how far north of Van Cortland South (West 240th Street?) was it. Thanks.
pbass wrote:The last time I was an engineer on the Putnam Industrial Track as it was called then,the steel frame work for the VC Park station canopy was still there.One of the new GE B23'S radiator wing span was dented by the structure prohibiting B23'S on the PUT.If it is still there today,you can use it as a marker for the former station and also going north a little ways,you will see where the Getty Square Branch veered off to the left.I read in a NY newspaper,the ROW is now a railtrail through that location.It is indeed still there. The Getty Square Branch isn't visible at that point, but yes, further to the north becomes a rail-trail for about a mile and a half. You can cross over the Henry Hudson Parkway on a bridge which obviously used to be a railroad bridge, because it's two tracks wide. It comes to an abrupt stop at the north end of VC Park where some apartments were built on the ROW.
Backshophoss wrote:Van Courtland (VN) station was listed as 4.51 miles from Sedgewick ave, west of the Major Deagan(I-87) and closer to the Saw MillThe ROW through the park is an "unimproved" rail-trail. Meaning: nobody stops you from riding on it, but nobody has put a lick of effort into making it easy either. South of the station is rapidly gets brushed-over (because it ends at the end of the park). North of the station it's a dirt tracks, then close to the Westchester line the ties are still in place, and people have just routed the trail of to the side of them.
River Parkway,was the Juction of the Getty Square Branch(Yonkers).
The Put followed the Hudson line to BN tower,then went it's own way north thru Van Courtland Park,Not sure if the ROW
thru the park is used as a trail.
granton junction wrote:What is the closest subway line and station in the Bronx to the Van Cortland Pk station? Even if it is a long walk, that is fine with me. Thanks.Did you miss the Google Maps link I posted earlier? C'mon...
RussNelson wrote:Backshophoss wrote:Van Courtland (VN) station was listed as 4.51 miles from Sedgewick ave, west of the Major Deagan(I-87) and closer to the Saw MillThe ROW through the park is an "unimproved" rail-trail. Meaning: nobody stops you from riding on it, but nobody has put a lick of effort into making it easy either. South of the station is rapidly gets brushed-over (because it ends at the end of the park). North of the station it's a dirt tracks, then close to the Westchester line the ties are still in place, and people have just routed the trail of to the side of them.
River Parkway,was the Juction of the Getty Square Branch(Yonkers).
The Put followed the Hudson line to BN tower,then went it's own way north thru Van Courtland Park,Not sure if the ROW
thru the park is used as a trail.
Otto Vondrak wrote:up the Getty Sq. Branch to the Westchester County Line where it abruptly ends. Some of the train is "lost" as the embankment was removed after the line was scrapped in 1944. But the "trail" is easy to follow.AHA!! I knew it!! Just on the south side of the bridge over the parkway, the trail start a rapid descent down where the ROW should have been. I guess was that they removed the embankment. Makes me wonder why -- that happens so rarely absent the building of something they. Maybe they wanted the park to be more "rustic", or maybe the embankment was in the way of some crossing path?
BAR wrote:1. Did the Putnam Division cross West 240th Street (Van Cortland Park South) at grade? I was in the area in the late 1950's but can't remember.Bill-