(erielack) Re: Erielack Digest V2 #754

[David Goessling <"dmg_@_library.ho.lucent.com">]

In the 80s I commuted to NYC from Hobo every day on PATH. I filled out a bunch of those
riders comment cards and got on little committee that got to go on some tours and stuff, It
was cool: y'all should do it! Anyway:

>
> From: "James R. Guthrie" <"jguthrie_@_pipeline.com">
> Subject: Re: (erielack) PATH question  was AMTRAK F-40s for Pocono service?
>
> It was written:
>
> > As I understand it, the H&M was to go to Grand Central via of a line
> > branching off at 9th St. If you head uptown, you can see the start
> >of the unfinished tunnel off to the right as you leave 9th St. Station.
> >
> The H&M was to be extended to GCT via Sixth Ave and a curve under
> Bryant Park. The H&M Mezzannine level was preserved at GCT, and still
> exists below the shuttle and above the #7.  The Queensboro Line ended
> at GCT for many years because it was deemed impractical to go west
> until the H&M was built.

How do you know this? Is there a good history with platform and track diagrams, etc. I have
an H&M operators manual that I bough at an auction, but it doesn't have much in the way of
track diagrams...

> Tearing out a Wall at 14th would even yield across the platform
> connections should Metro Card finaly hit the PATH.
>

Wow! That would be great!

>
> The provisions you see at 9th Street were for a line to Wanamakers
> Dept Store over at 5th Avenue, and was essentially a contingency in
> case the city recaptured the 6th Ave tracks, but save perhaps for some
> non-realistic ideas put forth later, never had intentions of heading
> north.
>

 A PATH rep told us  that that tunnel was originally intended to go to Brooklyn! Which is
it?

>
> One more note -- the H&M was part of the interstate railroad system.
> All the old token booths had tariffs "open for examination" and were
> supposed to be able to sell interline tickets anywhere.

The same rep told us that since PATH is an interstate system, it has to conform to the
Federal safety and construction guidelines, something the NYC subway system doesn't have to
do.

>Interline activity ceased when the PA took over, but it would not at
all be accurate to (historically) separate the old H&M, from, say,
though passenger service like it was merely some branch of the NYCTA.

At the time, they were so adamant about that last sentence that, despite numerous
suggestions that it would make travel planning so much easier they said they would never
post a NYC subway map in PATH stations because it just wasn't part of their system: PATH was
an interstate RR, not a subway!  Note that they have since changed the policy: there's a NYC
subway map and a local street  map in every station now... I've always thought that they
made a big mistake when they retired that cool curve-of-the-earth radius map that showed all
the regional connections out to Port Jervis and down to Philly... the new one is functional
but just too sterile...

dmg


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