The Central New England Railway in Hopewell Junction

	Central New England Railway Home Page This page is an overview of the entire railway in Connecticut and New York.
Central New England Railway in New York State This page is an overview of the railway as it existed in New York State.
Central New England Railway in Hopewell Junction This page is about the CNE in the Hopewell Junction area.
Central New England Railway's Great Bridge at Poughkeepsie This page is about the CNE' bridge at Poughkeepsie.
The Rhinebeck & Connecticut This page is about the Rhinebeck & Connecticut which became part of the Central New England Railway.
The Railroads of Pine Plains Pine Plains was the intersection of three railroads, all of which became part of the Central New England Railway.
Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad One of the railroads that formed the Central New England Railway was the Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut. The CNE / ND&C from Dutchess Jct to Matteawan. The CNE / ND&C Glenham to Hopewell Jct. The CNE / ND&C from Hopewell Jct to Millbrook. The CNE / ND&C from Bangall to Pine Plains. The CNE / ND&C from Pine Plains to Millerton.
Connecticut Connection A trip along the Central New England Railway (CNE) from Canaan, Connecticut to the New York State Line.
Maybrook Yard The major freight yard where the CNE connected with other railroads was at Maybrook.
The Maybrook Line across Dutchess County The "Maybrook Line" was important to New England before the advent of Penn Central and before the Poughkeepsie Bridge burned.
The Poughkeepsie Bridge after the 1974 Fire The "Maybrook Line" lost its importance with Penn Central. See the effects of this fire on Eastern Railroading.
P&E in the Poughkeepsie Area Part of the The Central New England Railway (CNE) was the Poughkeepsie & Eastern (P&E)
P&E North of Poughkeepsie Area Part of the The Central New England Railway (CNE) was the Poughkeepsie & Eastern (P&E)
Poughkeepsie & Connecticut One of the railroads that formed the Central New England Railway was the Poughkeepsie & Connecticut.
The Central New England in Connecticut A great WebSite from Tim Dowd on the remains of the CNE in Connecticut
Fishkill Landing The Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad became part of the CNE. The New York Central ran from New York City to Albany and beyond through the Hudson Valley. The two roads met at Fishkill Landing. The first phase of the NYC rebuilding at Fishkill Landing starting in 1913. The second phase of the NYC rebuilding in 1914 and 1915. New York Central in the Fishkill Landing Area.

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Restoration of Hopewell Junction Railroad Station

The Central New England Railway (CNE) and later the New Haven Railroad, ran through Hopewell Junction, New York. The abandoned station is being restored. Follow its progress. Better yet, contribute to its progress. Find more about the restoration, volunteer, or make a gift

The Hopewell Junction station restoration is moving right along. Many thanks to ABC Awards for signs. See a Hopewell Junction Station site about the station restoration, volunteering, or make a gift.

Herring Sanitation has contributed portable toilets to the restored Hopewell Junction Depot

Bernie Rudberg's CNE in Hopewell Junction

Beacon Historical Society collection

Hopewell Junction resident, Ed Ross drew a series of cartoons on the subject of railroads.

Hopewell Junction Depot and Tower in 1908

This is a postcard view of Hopewell Depot dated April, 25, 1908.

By this date the depot had been moved from Bridge Street to the new railroad crossing. The Central New England Railway tracks in the foreground are part of the Maybrook line which ran across the big RR bridge in Poughkeepsie. Behind the photographer, the line goes up the hill to Stormville, Poughquag, Whaley Lake, Brewster and Danbury CT. The line that crosses between the buildings was the Dutchess & Columbia and later the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut RR. By 1905 that line had been taken over by the Central New England Railway so the depot was then part of the CNE. The tower at right controlled the train traffic at the crossing. The concrete tower foundation is still in the brush beside the abandoned roadbed across from the depot.

The Maybrook Line was single track at this time. Two years later, in 1910, the Maybrook Line was expanded with a second track. At that time some of the original sharp curves were straightened and new bridges were built. From this photo it seems that there is not enough room for a second track. We suspect that the depot was moved a second time, about 25 feet to the left to make room for the additional track. The second track was removed in 1961 because of lower traffic volume and newer signal systems.

Note that at this date the depot still had two chimneys. One chimney was probably lost when the depot was pushed back to make room for the second track on the Maybrook Line about 1910. The depot still retained the arch top doors in this photo.

Hopewell Junction Depot and Tower About 1908

Hopewell Junction depot about 1908.

George Bailey collection

Hopewell Junction depot was moved to this location at the railroad crossing some time after 1901. The crossing control tower behind the depot was built in the spring of 1892. The train in the photo is westbound on the former ND&C RR tracks. It is about to cross the Maybrook Line between the depot and the tower. Just to the left of the locomotive you can see the roof of the passenger shelter.

Notice that the depot has two chimneys, one on each end. In later photos there is only one chimney. The chimney on the far end was lost at some point after 1908. I suspect that it was lost in a second move of the depot. In 1910 the Maybrook Line was straightened and a second track was added. There was not enough room for the second track between the buildings so something had to move. Evidence suggests that the depot was moved about 25 or 30 feet to the left to make room for the second track. That is probably when the chimney was lost.

Today there is no foundation under where that chimney should be but there are marks on the inside walls where it used to be attached. That second move is probably why there is a cast concrete basement under only the west half of the depot and a crawl space under the east half. Most likely the basement was built then the building was moved over onto it losing the chimney in the process. The chimney was never rebuilt probably because a coal burning furnace to heat the building was installed in the new basement.

Notice that the depot doors are still the arched top style to match the windows. Later photos show the doors with squared off tops.

Hopewell Junction postcard of yard in 1910

Postcard view of Hopewell Junction yard about 1910

Collection of the late Ken Shuker

Hopewell Junction rail yard was a busy place. This photo was taken from about where route 376 crosses the tracks. Bordens Creamery is very visible just left of center. Further left, in the distance, you can see the depot, control tower and freight house at the rail crossing. The engine service area and turntable are very active as well. The semaphore on a pole in the foreground is a warning signal for trains approaching the rail crossing. An operator in the control tower set the position of the blade according to rail traffic conditions.

The only structure from this photo left standing today is the depot. The area where the roundhouse stands is now occupied by an oil distributing business and most of the tracks are gone. Just think what would happen to a line full of laundry with all that steam engine soot and smoke in the air.

Hopewell Junction is located in the town of East Fishkill in Dutchess County of New York

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Postcard from the Alice Bryden collection courtesy of Heyward Cohen.

This is an early creamery photo taken before the dormer windows were added to the roof. Milk collected from dairy farms along the rural rail lines was delivered in 10 gallon cans to the Bordens Creamery in Hopewell Junction. After processing, the bottled milk was loaded onto special train cars and sent to Dutchess Junction where it was transferred to the New York Central RR for the trip to New York City.

The Bordens Creamery in Hopewell Junction opened for business in the spring of 1901. The ice house had 900 tons of ice from a pond in Billings to keep the milk cool on the trip to the city. Milk cars were loaded with a maximum of 500 cases of milk bottles each but sometimes they would squeeze in 600 if they could get away with it. There were 6 cars working in rotation to serve just the Hopewell Junction creamery. Shipments from Hopewell Junction totaled as much as 1500 to 1800 cases per day. That is about 18,000 to 21,600 quarts of bottled milk per day.

Within a few years trucks on the new highways took over the milk hauling business. Then creameries did not have to be located next to a railroad line. Trucks running on public roads could haul milk cheaper than railroads could, mainly because they did not have the expensive tracks and equipment to maintain.

Fishkill Plains Station on the Maybrook Line.

The dirt road in the foreground is now route 376 where Van Wyck Lane intersects. At far left is the creamery and at far right is a feed and grain business. These tracks were taken out in 1983 and in 2005 Dutchess County buried water pipes under the roadbed.

Building the Diddell Rd underpass in 1910 Mildred Diddell collection from John Helmeyer

The New Haven Railroad took over the Maybrook Line and embarked on a program of improvements about 1910. A second track was added, sharp curves were straightened and new bridges and overpasses were built in place of grade crossings. This photo shows the work at Diddell Road. A temporary timber trestle supported the work trains which dumped large amounts of fill until the trestle was completely buried. A concrete arch over the road became a short traffic tunnel. Mildred Diddell’s family farm supplied the timber for the trestle.

This is what the fill looked like when completed.

Getting water at Hopewell Junction in 1924 Richard Teed collection

During his years as a fireman on the railroad, Noah Teed did not have far to walk to work. This photo from his back yard shows Noah on top of the tender filling the tank with water. Tracks closest to the camera are for the Beacon Branch connection and the engine house to the left. In 1924 this train was operated by the Central New England Railway ( CNE Rwy ). The CNE Rwy was financed and controlled by the New Haven RR. Three years later the CNE became part of the New Haven RR and the CNE Rwy name became part of history.

By the looks of the firewood pile the Teed family was well stocked for winter. Several photos from the Teed back yard show various amounts of wood on that pile. It was most likely used for cooking and hot water in the summer also.

The “Naugatuck” at Hopewell Junction in 1926 Richard Teed collection

New Haven RR engine #1 was called the Naugatuck and was used by officials to inspect the railroad. Note the passenger car style top that covered the boiler. If the weather was hot you can bet that all the officials would be riding in the comfort of the attached car rather than riding alongside the hot boiler. The Naugatuck was kept polished and painted for the railroad brass. If you look close enough you can see the shiny brass eagle that adorns the headlight.

This shot was taken from Noah Teed’s back yard with Turners Hotel at right.

#3550 westbound at Hopewell Junction in 1926

Richard Teed collection

Engine #3550 was a 4-8-2 Mountain type fast freight hauler that was new in 1926. This group of engines had one major difference from other 4-8-2 designs. It has three driving cylinders instead of the usual two. A third cylinder was mounted high in the center between the two standard cylinders and angled down directly under the smokebox. It was connected to a crank axle on the second set of drive wheels. With three cylinders, these engines had a different sound than the usual two cylinder engines. The New Haven RR owned a total of thirteen engines of this three cylinder type.

The three cylinder design performed very well in service hauling long heavy freight trains at high speed. However they were much more difficult and expensive to maintain. The mechanical complexity made them a real problem for the roundhouse crews. The center cylinder was difficult to get to and often was not lubricated as well as the outside ones. Consequently the center cylinder components tended to wear out faster.

Despite the maintenance problems the New Haven RR kept them running because of the road performance. Other railroads converted theirs back to standard two cylinder operation to avoid the maintenance expense but the New Haven could not afford the conversion expense. These engines provided much needed power through World War II. The last of the New Haven three cylinder engines was retired in 1951.

Weed burner at Hopewell Junction

Richard Teed collection

This ungainly looking rig was used by the New Haven RR to burn weeds along the line. Houses in the background are on Railroad Avenue in Hopewell Junction. I am sure that today’s environmental groups would have something to say about that method of weed control.

Writing on the back of the photo says that it came from Ed Colgan.

Hopewell Junction depot in November 1932

Robert Adams photo courtesy of Heyward Cohen

Robert Adams was a devoted railroad fan and also an executive with Trains and Model Railroader magazines. He spent years working on a book about the ND&C RR and CNE Rwy. Unfortunately he passed away before the manuscript was completed and it was never published. The above photo of the Hopewell Junction depot was intended for that book.

The double track Maybrook Line passes in the foreground and the former ND&C line crosses at the corner of the depot. In the background at right you can see one end of the Bordens Creamery. The large building at far right was the freight house. The car parked behind the depot at right appears in many of the Adams photos. It was probably his car.

You may notice in this 1932 photo that one of the depot arch top doors on the right has been changed to a square top style. Two doors on the other side have also been changed to the squared off style. Notice the single chimney on the depot roof. There had been a second chimney on the other end but it was lost in moving the structure. In later photos there is a metal smokestack on the roof. That metal stack was added sometime after 1968.

REFERENCE SECTION

The CNE from Wikipedia

Maybrook Line Track Chart

ND&C Track Chart

The New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association
has created a great map of the New Haven Railroad at its greatest extent.
Click below to see it.

Former ND&C station at LaGrange 1932

Robert Adams photo courtesy of Heyward Cohen

Here is another photo intended for the Adams book. The original LaGrange station burned and this one was built in 1904 with the insurance money. This station is now a private home. Notice the Adams car parked in front.

Former ND&C station at Billings 1932

Robert Adams photo courtesy of Heyward Cohen

The bridge in the background is now route 55. The foundation of this building is now on the property of an oil distributing business.

Former ND&C RR Fishkill station 1932

Robert Adams photo courtesy of Heyward Cohen

This area is now part of a concrete block company. Bob Adams’ car is in the picture.

Former ND&C RR station at Brinckerhoff

Robert Adams photo courtesy of Heyward Cohen

This area is now behind a gas station off route 52. These tracks are still in place.

New Haven RR Sykes Rail Bus

Near the end of passenger service, the railroads tried to cut costs by switching from steam trains to gasoline powered rail buses. The rail buses ran from Pine Plains to Beacon and from Copake through Pine Plains to Poughkeepsie every day. Some old timers may remember riding the “Galloping Goose” to high school in Beacon or Poughkeepsie.

Near the end of passenger service, the railroads tried to cut costs by switching from steam trains to gasoline powered rail buses. The rail buses ran from Pine Plains to Beacon and from Copake through Pine Plains to Poughkeepsie every day. Some old timers may remember riding the “Galloping Goose” to high school in Beacon or Poughkeepsie.

The rail buses had 60 to 120 horsepower motors and manual transmissions similar to trucks.

Even the rail buses were discontinued in September 1933. After retirement some of the rail buses were sold to the Cuban Railways.

New Haven RR Mack Rail Bus

Photo from the Martin Wheeler - William P. Fahey collection

Removing the rails at Hopewell Junction in 1935

J. W. Swanberg collection

When the New Haven RR took over all the east west lines in Dutchess County, they did not want all the local service. What they wanted was the big Poughkeepsie bridge and the Maybrook Line. Passenger traffic at Hopewell Junction ended in 1933. Soon after, the rails were removed from Hopewell Junction to Millerton and the Connecticut state line.

More rails gone by 1936

J. W. Swanberg collection

In 1938 the rails were sold for scrap to Japan. How much of that steel came back at Pearl Harbor three years later ?

Hopewell Junction rail crossing

John P. Ahrens photo from the collection of J. W. Swanberg

The control tower for the crossing was built by the Dutchess County RR when the line from Poughkeepsie to Hopewell Junction was completed in the spring of 1892. This photo was taken in 1934 a few years before the tower was torn down. Double tracks through the center of this picture were the Maybrook Line. The former ND&C RR main line crossed between the depot and the freight house at left.

In 1938 the crossing tracks were torn out and sold for scrap to Japan. Perhaps a small part of Hopewell Junction returned to US soil at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. With the crossing gone, there was no more need for a control tower so it was torn down. By 1983 all of the tracks in this picture were gone. All that remains of this scene today is the depot at far left. Parts of the tower concrete foundation can still be found in the weeds across from the depot.

New Haven RR L1 Santa Fe engine at the Hopewell Junction coal pocket.

Arthur Bixby Sr. Photo from the J. W. Swanberg collection

Steam engines needed lots of coal for fuel. The coal pocket was built into a natural rock cut about a half mile east of Hopewell Junction. Coal was delivered to a siding on the upper level at right. A conveyor belt moved the coal into bins on the bridge over the tracks where it could be dumped into the tender. At right is a water column for thirsty steam engines. Water was pumped from Fishkill Creek at the east end of the yard and stored in two large tanks on the upper level at right. These structures are gone but the foundations are still in the woods east of Hopewell yard.

Westbound Maybrook freight passing Hopewell Junction

Photo by the late Austin McEntee

A westbound New Haven freight train on the Maybrook main line is passing the section house at Hopewell Junction in 1947. The route 82 overpass is in the background. Notice the speeder parked in front of the section house. Speeders were mostly gasoline powered, small, 4 wheel vehicles with steel wheels that fit on the rails. They were used to patrol the tracks and perform minor repair work. Many of these speeders are now collectors items and there are organizations of enthusiasts who ride them for fun. Of course they ride on little used rail lines with permission of the railroads.

The locomotive on this train is a DL-109 made by Alco. DL-109's were geared for a maximum speed of 80 MPH and were equipped for both freight and passenger service. Many of these units pulled passenger trains during the day and handled freight tonnage at night. They were first delivered to the New Haven on 13 December 1941, just one week after the Pearl Harbor attack. A total of 60 units were owned by the New Haven RR with the last one being delivered in April 1945. These locomotives were a mainstay of the New Haven RR all during WW II. They were regular visitors to Hopewell Junction while hauling freight on the Maybrook Line. Most of the DL-109's were retired by 1959. All were cut up for scrap except one. Unit # 716 survived as a portable power plant and test facility until finally scrapped in late 1970.

From the route 82 overpass looking west

Here is another westward view of the Hopewell Junction yard. The double track Maybrook line runs off into the distance past the Hopewell junction depot. To the right of the Maybrook line you can see one leg of the wye track going behind the section house. The only tracks left today are the ones to the Beacon branch off to the left. The Maybrook line was reduced to a single track in 1961. After the 1974 bridge fire, the remaining tracks were removed in 1983.

Hopewell Junction engine house after steamers left

Richard Teed collection

This rather forlorn view of the engine house was taken after the steam engines were gone.

After the engine house fire in 1955

Richard Teed collection

For a time the old engine house was rented out to a plastics company. In 1955 there was a fire that destroyed the building. This spot is now occupied by a heating oil distributor business. In the background you can see the Hopewell Inn and railroad Avenue.

Freight on the Maybrook Line in 1947

Photo by the late Austin McEntee

A diesel trio of two Alco FA-1's and an Alco FB-1 lead an eastbound freight past Hopewell Junction depot on the Maybrook line in 1947. The units in this photo were brand new. The New Haven RR purchased 30 of the FA-1 units and 15 of the FB-1 units in 1947. In 1951 five more of the FB-2 units were added to the roster. FA units had the cab and engineers controls. FB units had no control cab and were sometimes called boosters. The -1's were 1500 horsepower each and the -2 units were 1600 horsepower. They were used in groups of three or four so a typical freight train would have 4500 to 6200 horsepower on the front end. Thirty of these locomotives were used as trade ins for twenty newer GE and Alco road switcher locomotives in 1964. The last five in NHRR service lasted into the Penn Central era and were retired in 1971. One of these units is now being preserved at the Connecticut Valley RR Museum in Essex CT.

By 1950 these locomotives has replaced the steam engines on the Maybrook Line. Even diesels occasionally needed pusher help to get over the mountain east of Hopewell Junction particularly if the rails were wet or icy. Helper service at Hopewell became diesel also. With no more need for steam engine servicing, the water tanks and coal bridge were torn down. The roundhouse was rented out to a plastics company but burned in 1955.

Santa Fe #3237 at Hopewell Junction in 1947

Photo by the late Austin McEntee

View from the cab of Santa Fe #3237 at Hopewell Junction in 1947

Photo by the late Austin McEntee

Pushers waiting at Hopewell Junction in 1947.

Photo by the late Austin McEntee

A pair of New Haven class L1, 2-10-2 pusher engines are waiting for the next eastbound assignment. At right of center is a smaller switch engine stopped near the ash pit. The building at the far right is the Hopewell roundhouse for engine servicing. Behind the roundhouse is a large pile of sand used for added locomotive traction during slippery conditions.

Santa Fe #3245 in this photo had been condemned to the scrap line in 1939 and was used as spare parts for other locomotives. But #3245 was rescued by the traffic buildup for WW II. This engine, along with several other Santa Fe’s, was reinstated in 1942 then upgraded with new superheaters, drivers, valve gear and firebox circulators. With all these recent improvements, #3245 was in good condition to survive after the war. Even so, 1949 saw the end for this proud engine after 31 years of service. Only one Santa Fe was left, #3246 still in service at the Maybrook yard. In December 1950 #3246 was the last New Haven Santa Fe scrapped.

Hopewell Junction switcher in 1947

Photo by the late Austin McEntee

Engine #478 was a New Haven class K-1, 2-6-0 “Mogul” built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia in 1905. The New Haven RR owned 240 of this class and they were originally used for main line freight service. As tonnage increased and trains got heavier, they could not keep up the pace. Larger more powerful locomotives took their place in fast freight service. By 1915 the Moguls were still very active in other jobs such as local freight, switching and local commuter passenger runs. A number of them were updated and rebuilt over the years. Mogul #478 had been in service for 42 years when this photo was taken. The last three Moguls were scrapped just four years later in 1951.

Hopewell Junction engine house near the end of steam service.

Richard Teed collection

Hopewell Junction’s engine house had seen many years of service when this photo was taken. The turntable pit in front had been filled in many years earlier. An old passenger coach was used as office and bunk room. Notice that there are only two sets of tracks leading to the doors. Apparently one section of the building did not house locomotives any more. At left you can see a pusher engine waiting for the next eastbound freight train. The light color spot next to the pusher engine was a pile of sand used to enhance locomotive traction in slippery conditions.

Hopewell Junction Roundhouse and Turntable

Dana Mahoney collection

In this early photo of the Hopewell Junction roundhouse the manual turntable is still in operation. Notice that the smokestacks are different from the later photo.

Pushers waiting at Hopewell Junction in 1947

Photo by the late Austin McEntee

Two New Haven class L1, 2-10-2 “ Santa Fe “ pusher steam engines are waiting in the Hopewell Junction yard for the next eastbound freight train on the Maybrook Line. This type of engine was assigned to Hopewell pusher service in 1918 and lasted until they were replaced by diesels in the late 1940's. The New Haven RR owned 50 of these massive engines and they were used mostly on the Maybrook Line. In 1947 these two were near the end of their service. By 1949 all but one had been scrapped. The last one was #3246 scrapped in December 1950.

Santa Fe engines were designed for heavy freight service. Tractive effort was rated at 77,800 pounds. They were not very fast but they could pull a long string of cars. 25 to 40 MPH was normal but they could go faster if required. This was the ideal engine for the Maybrook Line. They could haul heavy tonnage at their most efficient speed and not have to worry about faster passenger trains. These were the steam engines most often seen crossing the big RR bridge in Poughkeepsie during WW II.

New Haven class L1, 2-10-2 pusher at Hopewell Junction

Photo by the late Austin McEntee

This would be the view from the caboose of an eastbound freight when a pusher engine was about to couple on for the assault on Reynoldsville summit. The large unit on top over the headlight is an Elesco feedwater heater. It was more efficient to heat the water before injecting it into the boiler. Waste heat from the exhaust stack was used for this purpose.

The building at left was the Hopewell Junction engine servicing facility with a large pile of sand in back. The ash pit was along the track just out of view at the left.

Hopewell Junction coal pocket being torn down in 1948

Dutchess Northern Model Club

These two views of the coal pocket show only part of the structure as it was being dismantled. After steam engines were replaced by diesels, the coal pocket was no longer needed. It was located in a rock cut about a half mile east of the Hopewell Junction yard. The foundations of the pocket building and water tanks are still in the woods near the embankment for the siding that brought in coal. Water was drawn out of Fishkill Creek by a steam driven pump.

Diesel Pusher waiting at Hopewell Junction

Pete McLachlan photo

After the steam pusher engines were retired, there still were occasions when help was needed. In this scene in February 1960 we see the view from the cab of a waiting RS-3 diesel pusher. The eastbound freight pulled by ALCO FA diesels will pause long enough for the pusher to couple on in back of the caboose for the 12 mile shove uphill through Poughquag to Reynoldsville summit.

Derailment in Hopewell Junction in 1963

Richard Teed collection

A 1963 derailment almost hit the Hopewell Junction depot. The Maybrook Line was blocked for a couple days while the wreckage was cleared.

Derailment Clearing

Richard Teed collection

The “Big Hook”, crane number D-100 was called in to clean up the mess around the Hopewell Junction depot. Does anybody recognize the rail fans watching in the foreground ?

Erie RR fan trip stopped at Hopewell Junction in 1965

Photos by the late Austin McEntee

Crew of a passing New Haven freight seems to be curious about the Erie units in NH territory.

GE U25B and ALCO C-425 Diesel Locomotives

J. W. Swanberg photo

These GE and ALCO locomotives were the units most often seen on the Maybrook Line in the waning days of the New Haven Railroad. The above photo shows a GE U25B #2521 and ALCO C-425 #2554 in Hopewell Junction in September 1966. The GE locomotives were affectionately called “U Boats”. Train crews preferred to have the GE unit in the front because they rode better than the ALCOs.

These locomotives had 2500 horsepower diesel engines and went into service on the Maybrook Line in 1965. Eastbound freight trains would have two or three units on the front end. They would get a running start around Fishkill Plains then roar past Lake Walton. After thundering through Hopewell Junction they attacked the 12 mile grade through Stormville and Poughquag to the summit. These brutes has enough power that pushers were no longer needed.

ALCO C-425 and a GE U25B locomotives on the Maybrook Line

Photo by Austin McEntee

In this 1960s photo the lead locomotive is an ALCO C-425 #2555 followed by a second ALCO C-425 #2556. The third locomotive in this photo is a GE U25B. These units had 2500 horsepower each for a total of 7500 horsepower. A scene like this was repeated several times each day during the 1960s.

New Haven RR fan trip in 1966 Roger Liller collection In 1966 a New Haven RR fan trip stopped to look over the Hopewell Junction depot. The New Haven RR was known for being friendly to RR fan groups. Three years after this photo was taken the New Haven RR was bundled into the ill fated PennCentral RR along with the New York Central and the Pennsylvania railroads. Within a few years the PennCentral failed and the federal government stepped in to salvage the freight railroads of the northeast. CONRAIL was created to prevent total collapse of the rail system.

Last CONRAIL run on the Maybrook Line between Poughkeepsie and Hopewell Junction

The last run on the Maybrook Line between Poughkeepsie and Hopewell Junction was in 1982 after 90 years of service. The tracks were torn out in 1983. This section of the former Maybrook Line is now owned by Dutchess County. The right-of-way is designated as a utility corridor. The plan is to bury water lines under it and pave it as a rail trail for public hiking and bicycling.

Hopewell Junction Depot in 1983

Photo by the late Austin McEntee

The railroad bridge in Poughkeepsie burned in May 1974 which cut off rail traffic from the west. A few customers on the Dutchess County section of the Maybrook Line still wanted rail service but there was not enough business to keep the line open. The last revenue run was in 1982. In 1983 there was no longer any rail traffic on the Maybrook Line. The depot itself was boarded up. Rails were still in place but crossed railroad ties blocked the tracks near the depot. Later in 1983 the tracks were removed. Three year later the depot was damaged by a fire.

Removing the Maybrook Line tracks in 1983

Photo by the late Austin McEntee

Nine years after the big bridge in Poughkeepsie burned the tracks of the Maybrook Line were removed. This photo shows the last train on the line picking up the sections of rail as they were torn up. The rails were in section as much as a quarter mile long. They were winched onto a set of special train cars with racks to fit the rails. This was the very last train to pass over the Maybrook Line. When it was gone there were no more rails.

A group of dedicated rail fans were braving the winter cold to witness the sad events. After 90 years of service the Maybrook Line will fade into the history books. There will be no more trains but Dutchess County purchased the abandoned roadbed with the intention of building a north south highway but those plans did not work out. Instead the County will use the property as a utility corridor and bury water lines under the old ballast. The plan also includes paving it to form a hiking and bicycling “rail trail” for public use. The scene in this photo will be the Hopewell Junction end of the rail trail with a parking area. The depot in the distance is being restored to become a museum and educational facility for the town. There may not be any more trains on the Maybrook Line but a bit of Hopewell Junction’s railroad history will be preserved in the old depot.

Hopewell Junction depot fire in 1986

Photo by the late Austin McEntee

This photo of the Hopewell Junction depot was taken shortly after the fire in 1986. The fire was intentionally set and the culprit was caught but the damage had been done. The interior was badly burned as well as the roof structure. Most of the fire was in the west end of the building but the rest had considerable smoke damage. After the fire the depot was boarded up again and essentially left to the ravages of nature.

In 1996 a group of concerned citizens decided to do something about the one remaining building from the railroad era. The Hopewell Depot Restoration Inc. was formed to restore the building. Dutchess County had meanwhile purchased the railroad property with the intention of using the abandoned roadbed for a new highway. The highway was never built and the roadbed is now a utility corridor and rail trail. The county sold the depot to the restoration group and leased them the land. Since then the group has been working to restore the building and turn it into a small museum and educational facility for the town. The depot will also be an anchor at one end of the Dutchess County Rail Trail.

Danbury RR Museum Fan Trip at Hopewell Junction

B. L. Rudberg photo

The Danbury RR Museum has sponsored a number of fan trips. The one pictured above stopped at the Hopewell Junction yard in November 2000. Notice the New Haven RR logo on the locomotive even though the New Haven RR ended in 1969. The Connecticut DOT owned these locomotives and painted several of the former New Haven RR FL-9's in period colors as a historical tribute to the New Haven RR. These colorful locomotives could often be seen leading Metro North trains until their retirement. The FL-9 locomotives had diesel engines but also could operate from third rail power in the tunnels under Manhattan. They have been replaced by new Genesis type diesel engines which also can run on third rail power. Several of the FL-9's are being preserved by railroad museums.

Rail fans were allowed off the train to take photos while the train backed up then ran past with the horn blasting. Route 82 can be seen in the background. Several of these fan trips were timed to take advantage of the fall colors along the Maybrook Line. The reflection of the colorful mountain forest on the surface of Whaley Lake draws many comments and lots of camera action.

New sill beams and floor for the Hopewell Junction depot

B. L. Rudberg photo

Hopewell Depot Restoration Inc is working to restore the depot for use as a museum and educational facility. The above photo shows recent work done to replace rotted sill beams and build a new floor. The next phase of work will be to reenforce the walls and roof structure then replace the roof. After that, interior restoration can be done.

Eventually the depot will be an anchor at the Hopewell Junction end of the planned Dutchess County rail trail. As of 2005 the County is burying water pipes under the Maybrook roadbed. After the pipe work is completed, the roadbed will be paved for use as a hiking and bicycling trail from Poughkepsie to Hopewell Junction, a distance of 12 miles.

	Hopewell Junction Depot as it looked in the 1960's The three photos on this page were taken by Roger Liller about 1968. They give us a good idea of what the inside of the depot looked like when it was in operation by the New Haven RR. Note the hand water pump in the sink at left.
At right you can see the scroll work brace under the antique ticket window. The last tickets sold here were in 1933. In the bottom right corner you can see a rack for the agent’s signal flags. I wonder who’s phone numbers were scratched on the wall.
	In 1968, railroad communications was mostly by telephone. In earlier times this area was most likely occupied by a telegraph key and sounder.