Found this very interesting picture. The St. John’s Freight Terminal at Hudson and Laight St. Caption says New York Central and Hudson River RR. Perhaps it was just the New York Central by this time?
How long did this very interesting Freight Terminal last? Quite the place.
The NYC&HR became NYC in 1914. St. Johns was replaced by the St. Johns Park terminal at some point during the High Line construction, completed in 1935. Some street level trackage in lower Manhattan remained into the 1940s, not all of it NYC as B&O and Erie had float bridges nearby. The name moved with the terminal, which was no longer actually at St. Johns Park (sort of like Madison Square Garden,)
Thank you very much rcdrye.
Looks kind of dangerous and confusing. Those two tracks side by each going into the building particularly. Suppose they knew exactly what they were doing back then. You sure had to have your wits about you.
That switcher looks like Toby from Thomas & Friends, or tram engine used in the EU’s tramways. I didn’t know NYCRR had some geared steam engines like this (not the same engine type shows in the pic above):
“They were built in 1923 by Lima Locomotive Works for use on the West Side freight line in New York City, chiefly on street trackage on 10th and 11th Avenues”
https://www.railarchive.net/nyccollection/nyc7189.htm
Time travel:
Don’t try to walk or ride between cars on those tracks! Also remember that this is from the era when it was considered normal to walk (run?) on top of a moving train without any form of fall protection, not even handrails!
Life (human and animal) was a lot cheaper back then.
NYC had a number of 0-6-0T steam dummies converted from tender locomotives between 1908 and 1918. The Shays arrive in the 1920s.
Mike sends us this: St.John’s Chapel, park and freight
https://archive.org/details/areportontermin00mordgoog/page/n28
More from Mike … fascinating!
Vanderbilt’s Statue
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/19/realestate/the-curious-travels-of-the-commodore.html
Not sure, I think it’s the removal of Vanderbilt’s statue and frieze from the freight station
Varick Street side, showing St. John’s Chapel halfway down the block on the left
More historical items from Mike:
Men and Iron by Edward Hungerford (1938)
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4503614;view=1up;seq=9;size=125
A Huge Joke in Brass
American Railroad Journal evidently believed Vanderbilt would have his statue at Grand Central Depot. Perhaps critical reviews changed his mind.
From Mike: More on St. John’s Park of
Canada Southern website
Hoppy Easter to all! You may now eat chocolate in abundance.
Runkel’s chocolate factory was visible from the 30th Street Yard
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-fe85-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
.
Runkel’s was across 30th St. from the Hudson River RR station where Lincoln’s inauguration train arrived and his funeral train departed.
From Mike : some great scenes at the 30th St. Station
