Eastern Railroad Discussion > Poughkeepsie

Had the chance to walk the former RR bridge this week. Spectacular 21 stories high!! TRAINS!! Who owned this bridge line??/ Thanks.

It was built by the New York, New Haven & Hartford, then Penn Central when it burned. Gerry

GPutz Wrote:
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> It was built by the New York, New Haven &
> Hartford, then Penn Central when it burned. Gerry


I believe the Central New England was the railroad that actually built it, but the CNE was acquired by the New Haven.

Prior to the CNE, the Poughkeepsie Bridge was operated by the Philadelphia, Reading & New England Railroad, a subsidiary of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway.

Here's a link to a very interesting website on the bridge's history:

http://academic2.marist.edu/foy/esopus/essays/poughkeepsie_railroad_bridge.htm

I am also providing link to a Poughkeepsie Journal article published on the 40th anniversary of the fire on the bridge. Embedded in the article is a video comprised of historical photographs and narrative from Poughkeepsie residents and a firefighter. There is also a slide show with photos of a Penn Central freight and a train with a steam locomotive crossing the bridge.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/2014/05/07/poughkeepsie-railroad-fire-anniversary/8831573/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/14 07:28 by RuleG.

Thanks to all. Well worth a visit. Eat at the Ice House by downtown city park. Park and parking on west side of river give good afternoon views. Fencing makes Amtrak photos tough, but you can focus the fence out. I hope. Thanks again.

Trains magazine had a 1950s article about a derailment out on the bridge in the steam era. Putting down cribbing, running a crane out on the trestle in the howling wind and snow, inching the derailed cars up, and sliding new trucks underneath, etc.

These old time railroaders earned their pay that night and the following day.