Poughkeepsie Bridge after Fire
The “Maybrook Line” was important to New England before the advent of Penn Central and before the Poughkeepsie Bridge burned. This piece of the railroad carried freight from Maybrook Yard, across the Poughkeepsie Bridge to Hopewell Junction where it joined a line from Beacon. The railroad then went to Brewster, then Danbury, and finally to Cedar Hill Yard in New Haven. See the effects of this fire on Eastern Railroading.
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The east end of the Poughkeepsie RR bridge was blocked off after the fire in 1974.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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Looking up under the east end of the railroad bridge after the fire in 1974. The burned ties and warped tracks were removed because debris was falling down on route 9 and the streets of Poughkeepsie.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee
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The west end of the Poughkeepsie Bridge was blocked after the fire in 1974. The City of Poughkeepsie is in the background.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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CONRAIL still ran on the Poughkeepsie side of the Maybrook Line in 1981, eight years after the bridge fire.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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Work crew removing rails of the Maybrook Line near Manchester Bridge Poughkeepsie in 1983.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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Work crew removing rails of the Maybrook Line at Manchester Bridge Poughkeepsie in 1983.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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Removing the rails from the Maybrook Line at Manchester Bridge Poughkeepsie NY in 1983.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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Picking up the Maybrook Line rails at Highland NY in 1983.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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The tracks in Highland near the west end of the Poughkeepsie Bridge were torn out in 1983.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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The tracks in Highland near the west end of the Poughkeepsie Bridge were torn out in 1983.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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The tracks at the west end of the Poughkeepsie Bridge were torn out in 1983.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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Removing the Maybrook Line bridge over route 55 at Manchester Bridge Poughkeepsie.
Photo by the late Austin McEntee.
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Removing the Maybrook Line bridge over route 55 at Manchester Bridge Poughkeepsie.
Photo by the late Austin McEntee.
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Removing the Maybrook Line bridge over route 55 at Manchester Bridge Poughkeepsie.
Photo by the late Austin McEntee.
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Removing the Maybrook Line bridge over route 55 at Manchester Bridge Poughkeepsie.
Photo by the late Austin McEntee.
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Removing the Maybrook Line bridge over route 55 at Manchester Bridge Poughkeepsie.
Photo by the late Austin McEntee.
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Removing the Maybrook Line bridge over route 55 at Manchester Bridge Poughkeepsie.
Photo by the late Austin McEntee.
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Removing the Maybrook Line bridge over route 55 at Manchester Bridge Poughkeepsie.
Photo by the late Austin McEntee.
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Housatonic RR #3601 picking up rails from a siding east of Hopewell Junction.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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Removing the Diddell crossing underpass in 1997 after the Maybrook Line was torn out.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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Removing the Diddell crossing underpass in 1997 after the Maybrook line was torn out.
From the collection of the late Austin McEntee.
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Rusty bridge supports after years of neglect.
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A fan trip passing through Hopewell Junction on the former Maybrook Line in May 2004. The locomotive is just entering the Beacon branch tracks.
Photo by B. L. Rudberg
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Work train parked at Hopewell Junction in November 2003. This train was used to bury fiber optic communications lines along the former Maybrook line amd the Beacon branch.
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In early June 2007, Bernie Rudberg got a chance to take a walk on the big bridge in Pok:
“It was hot and hazy but the view is great. We will probably include the bridge on next years CNE tour.
The walkway is a steel grating so they tell you not to look down while you are walking. Check out the picture of my toes looking straight down over the West Shore Line.
I talked to the Walkway people and they say it should not be a problem to handle our CNE group. Just for legal reasons, they get you to sign a paper before you walk out on the bridge. That would make it easier on our insurance.
I think a walk on the big bridge would be a high spot on next years tour.”
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A New Hudson Bridge, Revived Beacon Line, HYPERLOOP and More
The Maybrook Line was a line of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad which connected with its Waterbury Branch in Derby, Connecticut, and its Maybrook Yard in Maybrook, New York, where it interchanged with other carriers.
If one looks at the most popular Pages on our WebSite, over half directly reference the Maybrook Line. Lot’s of folks have an interest in it. The “Maybrook Line” was important to New England before the advent of Penn Central and before the Poughkeepsie Bridge burned. This piece of the railroad carried freight from Maybrook Yard, across the Poughkeepsie Bridge to Hopewell Junction where it joined a line from Beacon. The railroad then went to Brewster, then Danbury, and finally to Cedar Hill Yard in New Haven.
WHY and How To Fix The “MAYBROOK LINE”?
Container port/intermodal facility/rail bridge
The construction of a railroad bridge between New Hamburg and Marlboro is likely the least expensive place to build a Hudson River crossing between Manhattan and Albany. The stone for ramps, sand and gravel for concrete and a steel beam assembly and storage area would be right on sight. All materials and equipment could be transported by barge or boat. The bridge itself would have only four or five piers (the most costly part to build) since the Hudson River is about the same width as it is in Poughkeepsie.
The Hudson River component connects Dutchess, Ulster and Orange counties to the world economy (finished goods, spare parts, components parts, raw materials, food stuffs) and the railroad and interstate road components connect these NY counties to the rest of North America (US, Mexico, Canada).
With the container port/intermodal facility/rail bridge, the flow in and out of raw materials, spare parts, partially finished goods, foodstuffs and components will allow for new industries and businesses to locate near this facility and add to the tax base of these three NY counties: Dutchess, Ulster and Orange counties.
Although the Dutchess County Airport is a tiny regional airport with a 5,000 foot runway, it has some big potential. The airport land extends a mile Northeast of the present runway end at New Hackensack Road and borders on the former New Haven Maybrook Line/Dutchess Rail Trail. As the NY Air National Guard gets crowded out by international air traffic at Stewart International Airport their operation could be moved over to Dutchess Airport without disrupting the lives of the guard members and their families through forced relocation.
Beacon itself is exploding with “developer” activity, and it needs a trolley or light rail for the city only to transform back into a pedestrian oriented city.
Other activities include: Solidization of rail links in Connecticut to handle increased traffic; a possible HYPERLINK for improved service along the Beacon Line and in/out of New York City
Now you are going to ask. What does the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority have to do with the “BEACON LINE”? IT OWNS IT! Must realize that NYCMTA is a “regional” organization. With all that went on with Penn-Central and CONRAIL somebody had to own it!
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2007 Walk on the Bridge
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2007 Walk on the Bridge
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2007 Walk on the Bridge
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