Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

First railroad depot on the Hudson River connecting to New York City

3789 views
17 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    June 2010
  • 104 posts
First railroad depot on the Hudson River connecting to New York City
Posted by toptrain on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 7:25 PM

Well In reading through old Railroad Journals and finding articles on the New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company I became interested in it. I found it to be the railroad that opened up railroad transportation to the area in which I live. It was chartered by the state of New Jersey in 1832. This being the second railroad to complete its charter. The first the Camden and Amboy chartered in 1830, and the second railroad chartered was the Patterson and Hudson River in 1831. It never completed its charter to build to Hoboken. The third the New Jersey Railroad as it was known of at the time opened with their service from their depot on the Hudson to Newark NJ in 1834. Completed to Elizabethtown in Dec 1835. to Rahway at the end of the same month. to East Brunswick July 1 1836. Complete to New Brunswick on Oct. 31 1837. They completed their charter in 1838 when the Bergen Cut was completed and opened railservice from their depot on the Hudson River through to New Brunswick. Their railroad was a link in through service between New Yory City and Philadelphia that opened in 1840. This is the year I picked to model My First Depot on the Hudson River. 

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 7:34 PM

toptrain
Their railroad was a link in through service between New Yory City and Philadelphia that opened in 1840. This is the year I picked to model My First Depot on the Hudson River.

Are there photos or paintings of this first depot?  That time frame was the dawn of photography too.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    June 2010
  • 104 posts
Posted by toptrain on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 7:38 PM

depot headhouseYes Henry there was, but very little. The depot at this time 1840, consisted of The Greek Temple style Head House of many columns 17, fronting on Hudson street across from the ferry terminal which was leased by this railroad, and the attached train shed which covered three tracks for more than 250 feet. West past Green Street and between it and Washington Street was located the necessary locomotive roundhouse and turntable, locomotive repair shop, and machine shop all connected together on the north side of the two main line tracks. Across on the south side of the main lines was the Car manufactory and repair building. These are the buildings I modeled. 

  • Member since
    June 2010
  • 104 posts
Posted by toptrain on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 8:04 PM

About the head house, the front Hudson street side was 9 columns. There were four columns on each the North side and South side. This head house for 1840 presented a beautiful entrance to this the New Jersey Railroad. Their is but one view I could find of the front of this Depot. It is on a lithograph attached to a 1848 map of Jersey city. it shows about three quarters on its east facing front.  

I recieved good info on how to post photos.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 8:22 PM

Just for a start, go to the General Discussion Forum, the first "sticky note" about posting photos.

Other will chime in with other options, just saying, a place to start.

Mike.

  • Member since
    June 2010
  • 104 posts
Posted by toptrain on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 8:32 PM

There are three lithographs, one other drawing, two maps, of info I built my depot from.  

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 8:36 PM

Shorpy has a few photos of outstanding detail if you search their site. For instance:

http://www.shorpy.com/node/9060?size=_original#caption

The facade:

http://www.shorpy.com/node/7369?size=_original#caption

 

[edit] In retrospect I see I misunderstood the subject. I thought it was the original Grand Central (pre 1913) on Manhattan. Enjoy the photos anyway Embarrassed

Good Luck, Ed

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Duluth, MN
  • 424 posts
Posted by OT Dean on Thursday, January 3, 2019 12:08 AM

gmpullman

Shorpy has a few photos of outstanding detail if you search their site. For instance:

http://www.shorpy.com/node/9060?size=_original#caption

The facade:

http://www.shorpy.com/node/7369?size=_original#caption

 

[edit] In retrospect I see I misunderstood the subject. I thought it was the original Grand Central (pre 1913) on Manhattan. Enjoy the photos anyway Embarrassed

Good Luck, Ed

 

Say, Ed, never mind that it's the wrong railroad, at a later date, they're wonderful photos!  If the reader hasn't tumbled to the fact, they're also huge: all you do is use the scroll wheel on your mouse for vertical movement, or the up and down arrows, and side to side arrows to see enlarged views of vintage "stuff."  Wow!  Thanks.

Deano

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Thursday, January 3, 2019 7:44 AM

OT Dean
Say, Ed, never mind that it's the wrong railroad, at a later date, they're wonderful photos! 

Glad you enjoyed those, Deano.

It is fun to explore Shorpy for historical photos. There are many classic Jack Delano photos there plus many FSA and OWI photos, too.

I've spent many hours admiring the great views there.

Cheers, Ed

  • Member since
    November 2018
  • From: Just another small town in Ohio
  • 268 posts
Posted by Erie1951 on Thursday, January 3, 2019 9:04 AM

Hello, toptrain...here's a link showing what one modeler did to construct his version and I hope this can help you with your project.

http://forums.railfan.net/forums.cgi?board=Scratchbuild;action=display;num=1528978167;start=

Russ

Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ.  Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, January 3, 2019 9:20 AM

Russ, is that you in the thread responding to the builder, which appears to be the OP, Toptrain.

Thanks for posting that excellent build!

And to the OP, great work!  Talk about old time railroadin!.

Mike.

  • Member since
    November 2018
  • From: Just another small town in Ohio
  • 268 posts
Posted by Erie1951 on Thursday, January 3, 2019 10:59 AM

Oooops...sorry guys, I guess I let the cat out of the bag. That link is to toptrain's build, but on another forum and, yes, I did reply to toptrain's post there, too. We're both using the same screen names on the same forums. I just now realized that it's our own toptrain here as well as there. Gettin' old will do that to ya.

Russ

Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ.  Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/

  • Member since
    November 2018
  • From: Just another small town in Ohio
  • 268 posts
Posted by Erie1951 on Thursday, January 3, 2019 5:35 PM

Frank, I apologize for stepping on your OP, it wasn't intentional. Just moving faster than my brain, that's all. So, let's see more of your wonderful build!

Russ

Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ.  Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/

  • Member since
    June 2010
  • 104 posts
Posted by toptrain on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 7:39 AM

Russ dont worry. i dont know what a OP is.

BigDaddy,  No photos just 3 lithographs and one drawing. The drawing being the oldest and is said in text in the book about the Patterson and Hudson River RR, "From the Hills to the Hudson" on page 178 to be a view of the first depot as it appeared on opening day. This is a bad drawing of the depot that another artist embellished by adding surrounding details drawn in a much better quality than the drawing of the trainshed itself, most likely to make the drawing more interesting. All below drawings are found on-line

 

*An Appleton lithograph from one of the travel guides published in the mid 1840’s is below the drawing of the trainshed. A small view from the west on Green Street of the train shed entrance.  

*A second Lithograph is on an 1841 map of Jersey City in its lower right hand corner. It is a view drawn from the west side of Washington Street looking east, along where the two main lines pass through that street. It shows the roundhouse and turntable with the south side of the locomotive maintenance building. To the right is half of the front of the car manufacturing and service building.

* The third lithograph is the same location on the 1948 map of Jersey City. It shows the only view of the east side of the depot head house, with it Greek temple like appearance.

* Now that is all that I have found to be use full in building this depot. There is no architectural drawings found anywhere of these buildings. They did exist. Length and with measurements for the buildings come from the footprints of the buildings on the 1948 map. The footprints are the same on the 1841, 1844 and 1848 maps. The only difference is the location ot the 17 columns that make up the complete colonnade of the south, east, and north wall of the head house is shown of the 1848 map. So these maps will give you length, and with of all buildings. Height is something else and all the views in the 4 drawings I mentioned did give me the proper perspective for height measurements.

* Sources for historic information on the New Jersey railroad and Transportation Co.  are the best first;

1 Bulletin No. 88. The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, May 1953. Page 100 to 174 end of Bulletin.

2. From the Hills to the Hudson, by W. A. Lucas.

3. The Railroads in New Jersey, by Cunnigham.

4. From Indian Train to Iron Horse, by Weaton J. Lane

 

  • Member since
    June 2010
  • 104 posts
Posted by toptrain on Thursday, April 4, 2019 7:58 AM

I

  • Member since
    June 2010
  • 104 posts
Posted by toptrain on Friday, April 26, 2019 10:02 AM

I guess nobody liked my trying to copy a 185 year old lithograph view with the models i built to copy them. frank

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Friday, April 26, 2019 10:11 AM

toptrain
I guess nobody liked my trying to copy a 185 year old lithograph view with the models i built to copy them. frank

Why do you say that? Confused  

And your question in a previous post above, OP means original poster, as in this thread, you are the OP.  Smile, Wink & Grin

Mike.

  • Member since
    June 2010
  • 104 posts
Posted by toptrain on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 4:49 PM

so much for this

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!