Saturday, June 29, 2024

Return trip from Journal Square to Newark Penn Station, 2024

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The following nearly 15-minute video shows a PATH train ride from Journal Square to Penn Station in Newark, shot from the side window. On part of the route, the train runs on the left track because track work was taking place on the right:


I only took a handful of pictures in Newark:

Amtrak 2016, Newark Penn Station, 25.2.2024

NJT 4513, Newark Penn Station, 25.2.2024

Interesting: "Position Color Light Signals" (PCLs), which Amtrak has been installing since the 1980s as a replacement for the old "Position Lights" of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Some background on this can be found in a posting by Jersey Mike, the signal terms are explained on this page:

Signals, Newark Penn Station, 25.2.2024

Signals, Newark Penn Station, 25.2.2024

Here is a rail with bolted joints. It's not clear to me why they are necessary there—the opposite rail is (or seems to me to be) continuously welded:

Rail joint, Newark Penn Station, 25.2.2024

Rail joints, Newark Penn Station, 25.2.2024

After a short stop, I rode all the way back to Journal Square, passing the track construction crew mentioned above:


Translated partially with DeepL.com (free version)

PATH trains, Journal Square, Jersey City, 2024

Deutsche Version dieses Postings

I return to this year and show a few pictures and videos of trains, signals and switches of the PATH system at Journal Square in Jersey City. Here is a view of a train arriving from Newark:

PATH Journal Square Yard, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

I took the previous picture through the (too) narrow grid of the Hudson County Boulevard Bridge, which spans this depot:

Hudson County Boulevard Bridge, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

Hudson County Boulevard Bridge, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

Here are a few more pictures showing the model railroad-like steep turnouts and extremely short cars of this mass transit system:

PATH Journal Square Yard, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

PATH Journal Square Yard, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

PATH Journal Square Yard, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

The following video shows the reversal of a pneumatic switch—a "model railroad-like" event, because the switch machine reverses the points with a short, hard stroke:

Reversing of pneumatic switch, PATH Journal Square, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

PATH uses mechanical trips as a safety system to prevent trains from overrunning stop signals. Here, such a trip is lifted to the triggering position:

Trip, PATH Journal Square, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

On one track, there is a lifting barrier, probably due to a construction site access. The following video shows how it opens after an exit:

Ausfahrt, PATH Journal Square, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

Here are two pictures of the flashing signal towards Newark on track 4:

PATH Journal Square, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

PATH Journal Square, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

And here is the corresponding signal on track 3:

PATH Journal Square, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

Finally a flat car under the arches of the Hudson County Boulevard Bridge

PATH Journal Square, Jersey City, 25.2.2024

Translated partially with DeepL.com (free version)

Roosevelt Island Tramway, New York, 1993

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In 1993, the original Von Roll cable car still ran from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island:

Roosevelt Island Tramway, New York, 1993

Roosevelt Island Tramway, New York, 1993

Roosevelt Island Tramway, New York, 1993

Queensboro Bridge seen from the Roosevelt Island Tramway, New York, 1993

Support of Roosevelt Island Tramway, New York, 1993

Queensboro Bridge seen from the Roosevelt Island Tramway, New York, 1993

Queensboro Bridge seen from the Roosevelt Island Tramway, New York, 1993

Queensboro Bridge seen from the Roosevelt Island Tramway, New York, 1993

Translated mainly with DeepL.com (free version)

Central Park Carousel 1993 and 2024

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Let me continue with 1993 pictures of another machine:

Central Park Carousel, New York, 1993

Central Park Carousel, New York, 1993

Central Park Carousel, New York, 1993

Central Park Carousel, New York, 1993

Central Park Carousel, New York, 1993

Central Park Carousel, New York, 1993

I only took two pictures of the Waldkirch Ruth&Sohn fairground organ ("band organ"), which are not very informative. On the first picture one you can at least see the roll changer, which (according to Wikipedia) was replaced by a MIDI control in 2023:

Central Park Carousel, New York, 1993

Central Park Carousel, New York, 1993

Central Park Carousel, New York, 1993

I was there a second (and probably last) time in 2024, but the organ was not operating:

Central Park Carousel, New York, 26.2.2024

Central Park Carousel, New York, 26.2.2024

Central Park Carousel, New York, 26.2.2024

Translated mainly with DeepL.com (free version)

Grand Central and Penn Station, 2024

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In the following posts, I'll combine my old vacation photos from 1993 with new pictures from 2024 of similar motifs. For now, here's a very short post with four shots and a video link of the two major New York train stations. This time, I visited Grand Central only for a leisurely lunch:

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 26.2.2024

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 26.2.2024

I also spent some time in the railroad underground of Penn Station:

Penn Station, New York, 26.2.2024

Penn Station, New York, 26.2.2024

Train 107, a "Northeast Regional", leaves New York Penn Station behind Amtrak ACS-64 669, 26.2.2024

Translated mainly with DeepL.com (free version)

New York subway and Grand Central Terminal, 1993

Deutsche Version dieses Postings

During a vacation in the USA in 1993, I took some pictures of transportation and other machines, including some signals and even (shown in a much later posting) a signal box. I'll start with three pictures from the New York Transit Museum, a handful from the New York Subway and then photos from Grand Central Station:

New York Transit Museum, 1993

New York Transit Museum, 1993

New York Transit Museum, 1993

On the old New York subway lines, the ceiling is supported with closely spaced steel supports:

New York Subway, 1993

New York Subway, 1993

New York Subway, 1993

Sometimes the columns are designed in a classic style:

New York Subway, 1993

Grand Central Station was opened in 1913, but despite its height it now virtually disappears between the skyscrapers of Manhattan:

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

I took a somewhat blurred shot of the high concourse hall at the time:

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

At that time we also took a guided tour, which also led us through the upper parts of the building:

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

And finally, here are a few photos from the real railroad, a story or so below street and concourse level:

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

Grand Central Terminal, New York, 1993

Two pictures with trains from the Hudson Valley end this posting—unfortunately, I have no other pictures of trains "in the wild" from the East Coast. The first one is, if I identify it correctly, an after-shot of two F-units of the Metro North, the second one of a Turboliner—I'm sure you can find out the locations, I didn't write them down:

Metro North somewhere north of New York, 1993

Amtrak Turboliner somewhere north of New York, 1993

Translated mainly with DeepL.com (free version)