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New York City and Commuter Train Trips

I arrived into New York City and took Path to the Christopher Street Station before walking a block with my bags and then took a taxi cab to the Jane Hotel for my next two nights. I checked in and got my cabin.

This is the outside 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 liked 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.

This is the front counter of the Jane Hotel.

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

The views inside Cabin 542.

The view from the bathroom down the hall shows the Hudson River and Hoboken, New Jersey. The room has wireless internet and a TV/DVD Player. There is 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 in the future.

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 I walked over to Penn Station. I visited Tim Hortons for a donut before waiting in the Long Island Railroad Waiting Area for my 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. I boarded the front car 7230. At Ronkonkoma I would be transferring to a train to Greenport. The train left on time and plunged into the East River Tunnel. We 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 make our Jamaica stop. After that we passed the Long Island Railroad's Shops on the right before we stopped at Mineola, Carle Place, Westbury and then Hicksville. At Divide Tower the line to Port Jefferson takes off. 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. Deer Park has a large Park and Ride lot and we next stopped at Brentwood. Both Central Islip and Ronkonkoma have large Park and Ride lots.

When we arrived into Ronkonkoma I had to transfer to a two car train to Greenport. This train had Long Island DE30AC 407, Coach 4102 and Cab Car 5015. The train left Ronkonkoma and passed the overnight storage tracks. The speed was far slower that the electric train that took us from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma. The train went to Medford where the land opened up to farms and forest. I have gone from Skyscrapers to open land and forest in less than 45 miles. The train paused at Yaphank.

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

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

The open lands of Long Island.

Rolling sand hills with Christmas Trees being grown on them. The train stopped at Mattituck.

Let the vineyards be fruitful Lord. The train stopped at Southhold.

View towards Peconic Bay.

A lake along our route.

Two views of 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 DE30AC 407.

The Long Island Greenport Passenger Station now houses a Harbor Museum and an office for the Long Island Railroad Crews.

Views of Peconic Bay.

The Long Island Greenport Passenger Station.

Think the engine might like a swim?

There is a branch of the Railroad Museum of Long Island at Riverhead at the old Long Island Railroad Freight Station in Greenport.

Long Island Railroad Snowplow W83 Jaws III.

Long Island Railroad Wooden Caboose 14.

Trucks

Another view of the old Long Island Railroad Freight Station in Greenport.

There was a turntable at Greenport.

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

One more view of the Long Island Passenger Station at Greenport. It was now time to return to the train for the return trip to Penn Station.

Leaving Greenport for New York City. 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 the junction of the line to Port Jefferson I will ride one day in the future God willing.

Long Island Railroad 157.

Jamaica Station.

Long Island Railroad 3.

Long Island Railroad 7769.

The junction with the Port Washington line.

At Woodside a Subway Train up above our route.

The Northeast Corridor returns to our route.

The Skyline of New York City.

Two views of Amtrak's Sunnyside Yard including my Lakeshore Limited now ready to return west to Chicago today. The train went through the East River Tunnel and soon came into Penn Station. From here I went to the 33rd street Path Station and boarded a train leaving for Hoboken. I stopped at 23rd Street, 14th Street, 9th Street and Christopher Street before it took 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.

Two views inside the former Lackawanna Hoboken Station. I picked up some timetables before going out to the platform.

The NJT Train will be going to Suffren next.

New Jersey Transit 4024 at Hoboken.

NJT 4030. I looked around before my train to Dover came in with Metro North Cars for its consist.

NJT 1003 which will take me over the Boonton Line to Dover.

We left Hoboken on time and headed to Dover.

NJT cars awaiting their afternoon assignments. The train went through the Bergan Tunnel and out across the New Jersey Meadowlands.

Three views of the Hackensack River as we headed to our first stop at the Newark Broad Street Station. After we left Broad Street when we got to CP Roseville and 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. Our train stopped at Little Falls, Wayne Route 23, Mountain View, Lincoln Park, Towasco before we reached Boonton.

This mural is in Boonton.

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

NJT 4301 at Dover. After a New York Direct Train left Dover we pulled into Dover 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 NJT Train 664.

The Dover Station.

The front of NJT Train 664.

Another train came into Dover and I boarded the train to head back to Hoboken. This route was the first NJT Route that I ever rode back years ago. I relaxed and just sat back as the train returned me to Hoboken. After a bathroom stop, I headed to finish up riding the rest of PATH all which would be new mileage.

I waited a few minutes for a WTC Train to come into Hoboken which I boarded. The train left Hoboken and stopped at Newport and Exchange Place before it took its tunnel under the Hudson River to the World Trade Center Station which is still under going 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. It 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. There I boarded a 33rd Street Bound Train that took me back to Grove Street, Newport under the Hudson River back to Christopher Street and I detrained having ridden every mile of Path. I walked back to the Jane Hotel where I worked on this story as I watched the 7th 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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