New York Central Railroad 69th Street Transfer Bridge
Encyclopedia
The 69th Street Transfer Bridge, part of the West Side Line
of the New York Central Railroad
, was a dock
for car float
s which allowed the transfer of railroad car
s from the rail line
to car floats which crossed the Hudson River to the Weehawken Yards
in New Jersey
. Its innovative linkspan
design kept the boxcar
s from falling into the river while being loaded.
After it fell into disuse, it was in danger of being torn down and removed, but around the year 2000, during renovations of Riverside Park
, following the example of Gantry Plaza State Park
, it became a prominent feature of the park. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2003.
West Side Line (NYCRR)
The West Side Line, also called the West Side Freight Line, is a railroad line on the west side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. North of Penn Station, from 34th Street, the line is used by Amtrak passenger service heading north via Albany to Toronto, Montreal and Chicago...
of the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
, was a dock
Ferry slip
A ferry slip is a specialized docking facility that receives a ferryboat or train ferry. A similar structure called a barge slip receives a barge or car float that is used to carry wheeled vehicles across a body of water....
for car float
Car float
A railroad car float or rail barge is an unpowered barge with rail tracks mounted on its deck. It is used to move railroad cars across water obstacles, or to locations they could not otherwise go, and is pushed by a towboat or towed by a tugboat...
s which allowed the transfer of railroad car
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
s from the rail line
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
to car floats which crossed the Hudson River to the Weehawken Yards
Weehawken Terminal
Weehawken Terminal was the waterfront intermodal terminal on the North River in Weehawken, New Jersey for the New York Central Railroad's West Shore Railroad division. It opened in 1884 and closed in 1959. The complex contained five ferry slips, sixteen passenger train tracks, car float...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Its innovative linkspan
Linkspan
A linkspan or link-span is a type of drawbridge used mainly in the operation of moving vehicles on and off a RO-RO vessel or ferry.Linkspans are usually found at ferry terminals where a vessel uses a combination of ramps either at the stern, bow or side to load or unload cars, vans, trucks and...
design kept the boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
s from falling into the river while being loaded.
After it fell into disuse, it was in danger of being torn down and removed, but around the year 2000, during renovations of Riverside Park
Riverside Park (Manhattan)
Riverside Park is a scenic waterfront public park on the Upper West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The park consists of a narrow four-mile strip of land between the Hudson River and the gently...
, following the example of Gantry Plaza State Park
Gantry Plaza State Park
Gantry Plaza State Park is a state park on the East River in the Hunter's Point section of Long Island City, in the New York City borough of Queens.The park first opened in May 1998 and was expanded in July 2009...
, it became a prominent feature of the park. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2003.
See also
- Gantry craneGantry craneGantry cranes, bridge cranes, and overhead cranes, are all types of cranes which lift objects by a hoist which is fitted in a hoist trolley and can move horizontally on a rail or pair of rails fitted under a beam...
- Link span
- New York Central Tugboat 13New York Central Tugboat 13New York Central Railroad Tugboat No. 13 is a railroad tug boat built in 1887 in Camden, New Jersey by John A. Dialogue and Sons.It is currently undergoing extensive renovation at Garpo Marine in Tottenville, Staten Island....
- Pier 63Pier 63Pier 63 was the name for a former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad railroad barge on the Hudson River in New York City, on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan. It was originally located near 23rd Street, adjacent to Chelsea Piers and Hudson River Park...