NYC railroad tunnels in new york

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any info on NYC railroad tunnels in new york state? NOT the tunnels leading into new york city, but those going westward, like the one at "breakneck mountain"? I hear they had several, and one was very short, about 4 car lengths - would like to do something like that on my coffee table layout on one corner. I have "googled" all I can on this - got some info, but no details, and no photos. Any help would be appreciated. Also any good layout plans for 2'x4 1/2 ' would be appreciated. Thanks!

[rrinker]

Model Railroader did a multi-part article on building an N-Trak module of Breakneck Mountain in 1988 (don't know the exact issues, but it should be in the online index). Lots of modelling how-to and prototype information.

--Randy

[retsignalmtr]

it's a 20 min drive from where i live to the hudson division where those mountains are located. although i've never been there i have seen several photos of them . they run north from nyc not west. there are several small tunnels in this area. it seems from the pictures that the mountains come right down to the rivers edge and the railroad decided to go through them instead of going around them. there is a video ( along the hudson division) by pentrex that has several scenes of these tunnels. this may help you out.

[CNJ831]

I live quite close to Breakneck and have passed it many times. There is a very narrow shelf of flat land sandwiched between the mountain and the Hudson River upon which runs the RR and Route 9D for some miles. But at one point there is a rugged, narrow, spur or offshoot from the mountain that reaches out right to the river bank. It is here that the NYC was forced to tunnel through for perhaps 250'.

As already indicated, the best discussion of modeling this area was MR's N-Trak module article which appeared about 15 years ago. There's quite a bit of interesting scenery and unusual detail worth modeling in this particular area of the Hudson Highlands.

CNJ831

[Anonymous]

The D&H has a short Tunnal up in the Poconos somewhere..as well as the Erie has tunnels...West Point there is a big tunnel

[Anonymous]

I also used to live in that area. Here's an aerial view of the tunnel at Breakneck Mountain:
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=10&x=2926&y=22941&z=18&w=1
If you zoom out slightly, you can switch the view to topo map for more info.

Across the river on the West Shore, there is, in addition to the tunnel at Bear Mountain, a long tunnel near Haverstraw. NY.

The book Rails Along The Hudson has photos of one portal of the Bear Mountain tunnel and both ends of Breakneck Mountain Tunnel. Remember, on portal is the highway tunnel.

Added: A site with photos of the tunnel & immediate area: http://www.hvgateway.com/PT17.HTM

Wayne