MNR Ardsley-on-Hudson, NY
The original rolling stock and infrastructure from the New York Central New York Terminal Electrification finished in 1913 provided continuous reliable operation until the Penn Central merger in the late 1960s. Although the locomotives and passenger MUs have been replaced several times with modern equivalents, it is astonishing that the third rail design and power distribution infrastructure continue to serve on the Hudson Division more than 100 years later. The original distinctive tapered pylons lining the right-of-way on the east bank of the Hudson still carry High Voltage AC - now provided by public utilities - to railroad substations for conversion to 660 V DC to power the third rail. The upper cross arms used for signal and communication are now bare.
The Manhattan skyline has undergone dramatic change since the Hudson Division was electrified. The 1916 zoning resolution requiring set backs to preserve light and air space shaped the Art Deco stepped design of the Empire State Building completed in 1931. Its iconic 200 foot spire made it - for a short time - the tallest building in the world. Recent featureless boxy skyscrapers in midtown Manhattan now look down on one of the greatest symbols of New York City.
As the evening light fades, northbound MTA train 869 to Poughkeepsie speeds up the Hudson leaving the details of the city including the shining spire of the Empire State Building shimmering in its wake.
MNR Ardsley-on-Hudson, NY
The original rolling stock and infrastructure from the New York Central New York Terminal Electrification finished in 1913 provided continuous reliable operation until the Penn Central merger in the late 1960s. Although the locomotives and passenger MUs have been replaced several times with modern equivalents, it is astonishing that the third rail design and power distribution infrastructure continue to serve on the Hudson Division more than 100 years later. The original distinctive tapered pylons lining the right-of-way on the east bank of the Hudson still carry High Voltage AC - now provided by public utilities - to railroad substations for conversion to 660 V DC to power the third rail. The upper cross arms used for signal and communication are now bare.
The Manhattan skyline has undergone dramatic change since the Hudson Division was electrified. The 1916 zoning resolution requiring set backs to preserve light and air space shaped the Art Deco stepped design of the Empire State Building completed in 1931. Its iconic 200 foot spire made it - for a short time - the tallest building in the world. Recent featureless boxy skyscrapers in midtown Manhattan now look down on one of the greatest symbols of New York City.
As the evening light fades, northbound MTA train 869 to Poughkeepsie speeds up the Hudson leaving the details of the city including the shining spire of the Empire State Building shimmering in its wake.