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Take A Ride On The New Haven!

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  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Take A Ride On The New Haven!
Posted by Flintlock76 on Friday, June 19, 2020 8:27 PM

From Maybrook to Cedar Hill, in fact.

Here's a New Haven-Alco-GE post-war promotional film I found quite by accident.  In color, 15 minutes long, and with plenty of steam and diesel action.  I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO_qDDoa6Cc  

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • 6,449 posts
Posted by MidlandMike on Friday, June 19, 2020 9:36 PM

Thanks for the link.  I have always been interested in the Maybrook line.  In 1989 I rode a fan trip on the part of the line between Danbury and Hopewell Jct., and then on the Beacon branch.  Metro North was hoping to do something with the line, but now I see they are asking for proposals, seemingly to get out from the line.

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Toronto, Canada
  • 2,560 posts
Posted by 54light15 on Friday, June 19, 2020 10:16 PM

I remember when the tracks from Hopewell to the Poughkeepsie bridge was pulled out in about 1982. The Maybrook yard site became a massive warehouse for Yellow Freight. My late father-in-law rode over the bridge on a troop train back in Big Two and he said that you could feel it sway. It was originally double track but became gantlet track at some point.

Below the east end is Andy's restaurant that had the best chili in town! I wonder if they're still open? 

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, June 21, 2020 3:28 PM

54light15
Below the east end is Andy's restaurant that had the best chili in town! I wonder if they're still open? 

Unfortunately, no.

Here's the story:

http://www.wrrv.com/former-andys-location-in-poughkeepsie-sets-grand-opening/  

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Toronto, Canada
  • 2,560 posts
Posted by 54light15 on Sunday, June 21, 2020 7:30 PM

One would hope that still serve chili. Here's a story. I worked at Vassar College for most of the 1980s. A new company was brought in to make things more "efficent" namely Energy Resources Management, AKA Therm. The brought in a new upper management structure consisting of Therm people and squeezed out the original high-up guys. The utimate aim was to get rid of the union. The lower bosses were away one Friday on a conference, so Kevin Wager and I went to Andy's at about 11 am. 

Sitting at the bar was one of the old-time managers, George Mellenthin who didn't have a lot to do with Therm in charge. He may have seen us, he may not have. We sit down and Kevin is panicking, he thought that we were in trouble for ducking out early. "I should buy him a drink," he kept saying. I said, "Kevin, don't worry about it, he's not supposed to be here any more than us." He wouldn't drop it. He told the waitress to buy George a drink and put it on his tab. I told Kevin in no uncertain terms that I am not helping to pay for it. When we left, Kevin gets his bill and sees that George had a double Martini. Then he complained. I told him to shut the hell up.  

Therm later on tried to make Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh more "efficient." The sons and daughters of steel workers ended up burning Therm's cars one day. 

 

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, June 21, 2020 8:29 PM

54light15
The sons and daughters of steel workers ended up burning Therm's cars one day.   

Not exusable by any means, but those were their father's sons and daughters all right.  

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