Switching at Grand Central Terminal

[Tyler Trahan]

I've read that Grand Central Terminal has quite a few coachyard tracks and once had several electric switchers assigned to it. A few of the S-Motors which powered the first electric trains into the terminal in the 1900s hung around until 1981 in this assignment, then were replaced by steeplecabs from the Niagra Junction Railroad.

But there are many factors which seem to reduce or eliminate switching in the busy station:

• Grand Central also had a turning loop and a coachyard at Mott Haven, nearly six miles away. I imagine this would allow road engines to lead their own trains between coachyard and terminal, rather than having a station switcher handle the train.
• Most commuter trains serving the terminal used Electric Multiple Units, although the station hosted New York Central's long-distance trains until Amtrak moved everything to Penn Station in 1991.
• New Haven trains which had through sleepers south of New York used Penn Station via the Hell Gate Bridge.

What sort of switching took place in Grand Central Terminal itself? Do or did trains lay over in the coachyard tracks between runs?

[daveklepper]

In the classic era, most long distance trains did not use the loops.  An S coupled on the rear, pulled the train to Mott Haven, where were located all cleaning operations and the two comissaries. The wye there was used to turn any equipment that required turning, and an S hauled the outbound consist backwards to GCT for departure.   The T road power simply moved from the track where it arrived to the head of an outbound train.  The every-day exception was the 20th Century.  The S motor cut off from the obs car, moved to the rear of the train, and pushed the Century to its berth so the obs car was displayed as people boarded.  I do not remember this being done with any other train, not even the Empire State Express, where one saw the S before the obs.  New Haven trains, more running to GCT than Penn (only seven ran to Penn: Federal, Senator, Colonial, Montrealer-Washingtonian, a Boston - :Pittsburgh train whose name I am unsure of , possibly the Pilgrim or Patriot, and a mail-express train that carried riders but lacked a name.  All others ran to GCT, about ten or twelve that ran north or east of New Haven .  Many of the Central's and New Haven's commuter trains were locomotive hauled, and would more likely use the loops.  Any locomotive-hauled suburban train using the lower (suburban) level used the loop there.  Not sure which trains specifically usesd the upper loops, but the Century and the Empire State Express and the State of Maine and the Yankee Clipper and the Merchants Limited and the Wolverine and Montral Limited and the Laurention and the Owl and the Narragansett were not among them.  And these almost always used a specific same departure track each day.

The Ss handled the New Haven  Mott Haven moves as well as the Central's, with NYCentral engine crews.  Road power for the Central was always a T.   Even for suburban loco-hauled trains.  On the New Haven road power included only EP-2, EP-3, and EP-4, used intechangeably. 

The rectifier EP-5s were in the future.  The EP-1s that had not been sold to the B&M for Hoosack Tunnel service were used on the New Canaan through trains, two into the city in the morning and two back to New Canaan in the evening.  Each train had two in mu, so at least four were in use at one time.  I do not remember them on any other train, but they probably were used on the Waterbery train as far as Bridgeport.

The GCT tracks without platforms were mostly for middle-of-day suburbzan equipment storage.   Both mus and trail coaches.

Around 1958, the New Haven stopped using Mott Haven.  The Owl's and the State-of-Maine's equipment was deadheaded all the way back to Stamford with road power.  Other trains were simply reversed, the Yankee Clipper becoming the Merchants, etc.  The commissary in Boston stocked the diners for round-trips, and the Springfield trains lost their diners except for one, whch turned Boston equipment at GCT.   Those who rode might remember the Merchants had its parlors at the rear and the Clipper at the front.  The obs had been dropped by then, soon both had train-doors cut in the rear, and served as commuter bar cars. 

.

[daveklepper]

A correction has been made.   The Waterbery through train changed power at Bridgeport.  The Pittsfield train changed power at Dambury.

[MidlandMike]

I rode around one of the GTC loops in an RDC pulled by a couple of EMUs about 1970.  I remember the wheels really squealed around the loop.  Only about 5 platform tracks on the upper level connected to the loop.

[daveklepper]

Soon after the NYNH&H vacated Mott Haven, the Owl and the State of Maine were combined GCT - Przovidence, meaning that there was only one dead-head GCT - Stamford move each way each day, further reducing expenses.

The EP-1s were 1-B-B-1s or 2-4-4-2s

The EP-2s were 1-C-1 + 1-C-1 or 2-6-2 + 2-6-2

 Both EP-3s and EP-4s were 2-C + C2 or 4-6-6-4

The EP-3 tested by the PRR led to the GG-1.

The EP-4 were the streanlined units.

The EF-3s were similar, but without DC capability and used on freight and Penn Station trains.   

All New Haven electric passenger power had steam generators, as did the Central's.

[Tyler Trahan]

Thank you, Dave and Mike, for the information.