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New York City and Commuter Train Trips 6/16-17/2010

I arrived in New York City and took PATH to the Christopher Street station before walking a block with my bags then took a taxi to the Jane Hotel for the next two nights where I checked in and received my cabin.

This is the exterior of the Jane Hotel the next morning.

The building was built in 1908 as the American Seaman's Friends Society Sailors' Home and Institute and was designed by William A. Boring, the architect renowned for the Ellis Island's immigrant station. Originally built as a hotel for sailors with cabin-like rooms, the landmark hotel was restored for its centennial in 2008. In 1912, the survivors of the Titanic stayed at the hotel until the end of the American Inquiry into the Titanic's sinking. The surviving crew members had a memorial service at the hotel four days after the Titanic sank. During the 1980's and 1990's, the hotel was part of the downtown Bohemian Culture hosting Hedwing, the Angry Inch and Million Dollar Club, amongst the many other rock-n-roll events.

The hotel's front counter.

The hall doors have ship-like portals on them. I had Room 542 on the fifth floor.

Views inside Cabin 542.

The view from the bathroom down the hall shows the Hudson River and Hoboken, New Jersey. The room had wireless Internet, a TV/DVD player and a control for temperature, along with towels and a robe. There is plenty of luggage storage under the bed or on the shelf above the bed. The bathroom down the hall has sinks, private toilets and shower. The bed is wider than the ones I sleep in on Amtrak and I slept well with an interior room. The Jane Hotel is an interesting hotel to stay in while in New York City and I would stay here again.

I was up early and after uploading the corrections to the trip here, I left the Jane Hotel and walked back to the Christopher Street PATH station. After getting $11.75 for ten dollars on my MTA Card, I returned to 33rd Street before walking over to Penn Station and visited Tim Horton's for a doughnut before waiting in the Long Island Railroad waiting area for the track to be posted for my trip to Greenport. It turned out I had to watch for the track number for the train to Ronkonkoma.

They posted Track 18 and I was off down the stairs for the 7:38 AM train to Ronkonkoma and boarded the front car, 7230. At Ronkonkoma, I would transfer to a train to Greenport. The train departed on time, plunged into the East River Tunnel, went past Amtrak's Sunnyside Yard and the point where the Northeast Corridor takes off for Boston before we stopped at Woodside. It really impressed me just how many trains the Long Island Railroad runs during their rush hours.

We came to Tower J, which meant we were about ready to stop at Jamaica, after which we passed the Long Island Railroad's shops on the right before stopping at Mineola, Carle Place, Westbury and then Hicksville. At Divide Tower, the line to Port Jefferson takes off then just after Bethpage, where the junction with the line to Babylon is, I started my new mileage all the way out to Greenport. We stopped at Farmingdale where Farmingdale State University is located and I noted that Deer Park has a large park-and-ride lot before we arrived at Brentwood. Both Central Islip and Ronkonkoma have large park-and-ride lots.

When we arrived at Ronkonkoma, I had to transfer to a two-car train to Greenport which had Long Island DE30AC 407, coach 4102 and cab Car 5015 as its consist. Upon our departure, we passed the overnight storage tracks and the much slower speed than the electric train that taken us from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma was very noticeable. The train went to Medford, where the land opened up to farms and forest and the scenenery had transformed from skyscrapers to open land and forest in less than 45 miles. We then paused at Yaphank.

Two views of the Peconic River which we would be following into Peconic Bay as we neared Greenport.

The train stopped at Riverhead and if you look closely, you can make out a Long Island Railroad RS-3 at the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

The open lands of Long Island.

Rolling sand hills with Christmas trees being grown on them, after which we stopped at Mattituck.

Let the vineyards be fruitful Lord. Our next station stop was Southhold.

View towards Peconic Bay.

A lake along our route.

A stream and Peconic Bay.

Peconic Bay before we reached the end of the line at Greenport.

Our train at rest at Greenport.

Long Island Railroad DE30AC 407 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1998.

The Long Island Greenport station built in 1892 now houses a Harbor Museum and an office for the Long Island Railroad crews.

Views of Peconic Bay.

Think the engine might like a swim?

There is a branch of the Railroad Museum of Long Island here in Greenport.

Long Island Railroad snowplough W83 built by the railroad. The maintenance-of-way crews painted the plough with shark teeth, a tribute to the famous film that took place on the south shore and it is now known as "Jaws III".

Long Island Railroad wooden caboose 14 built by American Car and Foundry in 1927.

Trucks.

The Long Island Railroad freight station built in 1896.

In addition to the numerous structures used for housing the road’s maintenance-of-way, clerical and operations staff, a four-stall engine house was built together with a turntable utilized for turning the giant steam locomotives for their trip back to Brooklyn and Jamaica. A coaling area and water tank were also built to cater to the appetites of these great locomotives. The roundhouse, used until 1921 for maintenance, as well as the water tank and coal bins have long since vanished. The turntable, sans its approach tracks, still remains together with an original building, saved from the wrecking ball by Greenport Mayor, George Hubbard.

Our train ready to return to Ronkonkomo. I walked two blocks to Subway and brought back a roast beef sandwich and a Coca-Cola to a bench in the shade at the waterfront park and watched the ferries coming and going to Shelter Island.

One more view of station at Greenport then it was time to return to the train for the return trip to Penn Station.

Departing for New York City and I would relax most of the way back to Penn Station.

A bay along the way.

The Railroad Museum of Long Island at Riverhead which I will have to visit on a future trip.

A lake on the way back.

At Divide Tower is the junction of the line to Port Jefferson, which I will ride one day in the future, God willing.

Long Island Railroad MP15AC 157 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1977.

Jamaica station built in 1913.

Long Island Railroad SW1001 103 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1977.

Long Island Railroad M7 electrical multiple unit 7769 built by Bombardier.

The junction with the Port Washington line.

At Woodside was a subway train above us.

The Northeast Corridor returned to our route.

The skyline of New York City.

Two views of Amtrak's Sunnyside Yard which included my Lake Shore Limited train now ready to return west to Chicago today. The train went through the East River Tunnel and soon entered Penn Station. From here I went to the 33rd Street PATH station and boarded a train leaving for Hoboken which stopped at 23rd Street, 14th Street, 9th Street and Christopher Street before travelling through its tunnel under the Hudson River to Hoboken, where I would ride a New Jersey Transit train to Dover.

I went into the station and bought a roundtrip ticket to Dover for the one-way out over the Boonton Line and return via the Morris-Essex line.

Interior views of the former Lackawanna Hoboken station. The facility that was in the place of the Hoboken Terminal caught fire and burned down in 1905 after the ferry Hopatcong docked at the terminal and caught fire at midnight, which spread to the original facility. The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad decided to build another large terminal since they had more than enough funds to do so. The new facility was planned by William Truesdale who worked to modernize the DL&W railroad and the rail and ferry terminal buildings were constructed in 1907.

The large main waiting room features floral and Greek Revival motifs in tiled stained glass by Louis Comfort Tiffany set atop bands of pale cement. The terminal exterior extends to over four stories and has a copper-clad façade with ornate detailing. It is said the copper used for it is leftover from the Statue of Liberty. Its single-story base is constructed of rusticated Indiana limestone. A grand double stair with decorative cast-iron railings within the main waiting room provides an entrance to the upper-level ferry concourse.

I then picked up some timetables before going out to the platform.

This New Jersey Transit train would be going to Suffren next.

New Jersey Transit PL42AC 4024 built by Alstom.

New Jersey Transit PL42AC 4030 built by Alstom. I looked around before my train to Dover arrived with Metro-North cars for its consist.

New Jersey Transit Train 1003, which would take me over the Boonton Line to Dover.

We departed on time.

New Jersey Transit cars awaiting their afternoon assignments. The train went through the Bergen Tunnel and out across the New Jersey meadowlands.

The Hackensack River as we headed to our first stop at Newark Broad Street station, after which, when we entered CP Roseville, my new mileage started as we entered the Boonton Line. The train stopped at Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Bay Street-Montclair, Walnut Street, Watchung Avenue, Upper Montclair and Montclair State University. The Boonton Line is electrified only as far as the Little Falls Yard so upon our arrival there, the pantograph was lowered and the train ran on diesel fuel the rest of the way to Dover, stopping at Little Falls, Wayne Route 23, Mountain View, Lincoln Park, Towasco before we reached Boonton.

This mural is in Boonton.

A historic stone building as seen from the train.

The train stopped at Mountain Lakes before reaching Denville, where at CP Denville, my new rail mileage ended. From here we headed to Dover.

New Jersey Transit PL42AC 4020 built by Alstom. After a New York direct train departed the station, we entered and I had nineteen minutes until the same train would take me back to Hoboken.

My train at Dover ready to return to Hoboken as New Jersey Transit Train 664.

The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Dover station built in 1901.

The front of the train with New Jersey Transit F40PH2 4113 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1981.

Another train arrived before I boarded the train to go back to Hoboken. This route was the first New Jersey Transit line that I rode years ago. I relaxed as the train returned me to Hoboken then I was ready to finish riding the rest of PATH, all which would be new mileage.

I waited a few minutes for a World Trade Centre train to arrive, which I boarded. Our first stop was at Newport then Exchange Place, before diving into its tunnel under the Hudson River to the World Trade Center station, which was still undergoing construction. I detrained here and had severe feeling of my former friends, the Twin Towers of New York City. I boarded the next train for Newark which stopped at Exchange Place, Grove Street, Journal Square and Harrison before it took me to Newark, where I detrained and did the down, under and back up to the eastbound PATH track to wait for my next train.

Once aboard that one, it was back through Harrison to Journal Square, where I detrained then boarded a 33rd Street bound train to take me back to Grove Street, Newport under the Hudson River back to Christopher Street, and I detrained there, having ridden every mile of PATH. I walked back to the Jane Hotel where I worked on this story while watching the seventh game of the NBA Finals, in which the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 83-79. I called it a night without finishing the story until the next morning in the Club Acela Lounge.

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