8

THE CALL BOARD

NEWSLETTER OF THE MOHAWK & HUDSON CHAPTER, N.R.H.S.

The Last of the

D&H Commuter Trains

By Don Barbeau In May 1961, I visited Albany Union Station specifically to record the commuter train photograph that appears on this edition's cover. Although commuter trains were viewed as utilitarian, in this instance the train's locomotive (Road Switcher No. 4020) had recently emerged from the D&H Colonie Shop with a bright new appearance. Approximately one-third of a century earlier (1927), an unidentified photographer visited Albany Union Station specifically to record the locomotive of a commuter train. The locomotive (4-6-0 No. 556) had recently emerged from the D&H Colonie Shop with a bright new appearance. Admittedly, the magnitude of the 1927 locomotive renovation was much greater, but so was the magnitude of the commuter service. The train I photographed in 1961 was all that remained of a once extensive commuter service on the D&H in and out of

In May 1927, D&H 4-6-0 No. 556 emerged from the Colonie Shop with a new configuration and chrome jacketing on the boiler and cylinders. She was tested on the Albany-Troy Belt, as seen here at Albany Union Station. (Don Barbeau Collection)

NEWSLETTER OF THE MOHAWK & HUDSON CHAPTER. N.R.H.S.

THE CALL BOARD

Friday evening, September 21, 1962 marked the departure from Albany Union Station of the final D&H commuter train. (Photo by Don Barbeau)

Albany Union Station. Back when ex-camelback No. 556 displayed the results of her Colonie rebuilding, the options of commuter runs on which she could be tested were numerous. In the photograph, the chrome jacketed "Ten-Wheeler" is working the AlbanyTroy Belt, the D&H portion of which afforded departures from Albany every halfhour between 6:30 am and 10:30 pm. There was also commuter service on the D&H between Albany and Altamont, and between Albany and Saratoga Springs. By the 1940's, only the Albany-Saratoga Springs commuter service had survived. It was still surviving in 1961, although it in 01 ed but a single train each way. Because Saratoga Springs" as the northern limit of the commuter area, the morning commuter train originated there. The afternoon run obviousl originated in Albany but, during the 19 -O's terninated beyond

Saratoga Springs as it was used as an equipment balance for other local (but not commuter) service. For instance, in 1955 the northbound commuter train left Albany at the long established 5: 15 departure time but operated all the way north to "Plattsburg" (Until the 1962 timetables, the D&H insisted that was the spelling of Plattsburgh). By 1959, however, the northbound terminated at Whitehall. Declines in local service by 1960 resulted in the northbound commuter train fmally terminating at Saratoga Springs where it would become the consist for the next day's southbound. The final schedule was as follows: Lv. Saratoga Springs: Ar. Albany Union Station: Lv. Albany Union Station: Ar. Saratoga Springs: 7:00 am 8:00 am 5:15 pm 6:15 pm

There were eight intermediate stops (Ballston Spa, Round Lake, Mechanicville, West Waterford, Cohoes, Watervliet, Colonie and Menands). What was unusual was that patronage on the Saratoga Springs commuter train was quite high, even circa 1960. While the New York Central was using a single Beeliner on its Chatham and Hudson commuter services, the D&H commuter train routinely had a need for three or four coaches. The new Saratoga springs station (1959) provided improved parking for patrons, so many were confident that the then 37.1 mile commuter run would continue for several years to come. But it was not to be and, on September 21, 1962, the last D&H commuter train became history.

10

THE CALL BOARD

NEWSLETTER OF THE MOHAWK

& HUDSON CHAPTER, N.R.H.S.

loin.

W1!:l!K DAY TRAI TABLE 2 160 I 264 MU. TABLE t 263

--------------------1----1----'
MONTREAL, Wlndllor StatIon Weetmount.............. Montreal Weot........... Rou PoInt Rouaea Point ChuJ' W Cbuy t Platt8blllll Platt8blllll CUll Haven (Blua Polnt) Soutb JunctIon .........

_
, . . . .

35

All
Lv. ..

All
. .. --------

NEW yORK Lv.1 All Orand central Twm ... l25tb Str t "

12 05 AM rl~15 700 t708

8 30 All r~ 40 1210

IAMI 00 9
~11;..:.;.;.:..:.

IPI 1 15
r~251=-= 515, 524 626 530

o
7.7 H.O 23.3 23.3 26.2 27.9

Ar. .. Lv. ~ " . " . Ar. . .. Lv. ,----,--, "

All
[ALBANY' D. ok H Lv....... Menande " Cemetery.............. " COlooJe " wa\erVUet " TROy "1703 Green I.land. . .. . . . . . .." 7 07 COboeo 714 Weot Waterford . Mecbanlcvllle ........... Round Lake . BaUOton............... .. Saratoga Sprtngo AT. saratoga BprtnllO LV.'---Oanaevoort............. .. ForI Edward Ar., . Fort Edward Lv. Hudaon FaUO Ar . GlenI Falla ss, .. . Lake George Ar. .. . ii:4 Fort Edward Lv.. ~ 62.9 Bmltll'. Baaln ................ 68.8 Fon ADD " . 70.8 COlDltook.................... 77 . WhltebaU Ar . 77.' WhItehall Lv., . 87.2 Dreaden............... " 112.2 PutIWD ......... 911.1 Fon TloondOl'OC&.. . . .. . (T1oonderoga). . . . . . .. . 108.0 Crown Point ........... 110.0 pan Hel!or7 ............ 127.11 W_porS .............. 13J.O MerrIAm ............... 137.1 _ .................. 1.1.8 WUlIboro .............. 160.8 DOIJll\aol.............. . 1M.3 Pon K.nt .............. 1110.6 Valoour ................ 162.8 Soutll JuncUon ......... 1M.O cwr Haven (Blua Point) 187.' PlattobU11l Ar., . 187.' IPIa't8blllll" LV 178.7 w t CIwsy . 183.0 ChuJ' ....................... 190.7 Rouaea Point Ar . Rouaea Point LV. Montreal Weot.. ....... .. . Westmount .................. MONTREAL Ar . (Wlndaor StatJon) 3.3 3.9 4.7 6.0 7.8 7.2 8.8 10.7 18.9 25.4 31. 6 38.3 38.3 49. 1 55.' 55.4 57.8 80 .9 69.9

I 12 35......

t7f13 t7ll 7 16 1223

~=
.J ~
512 ~
5 47 5 59 640
6 15 6 28 .. .. ..

. . . .

~:! ~!CO:'-~i.::::::::::::::: 1:::::1::::: 39.8 DougWio.. . . . . . . .. . . ..

'8.9 WUlaboro.............. "

724 1f3o
7 55 8 08 12i59 1 12

7 30 12i35 ~ ~ . .. . .. 7 44 12 48..3

~:~=~::::::::::::::::1:::::1::::: : 63.1 weotl>Ort............. "

7'.2 Port H.nry ............ 81. 8 Crown Poln\. . . . . . . . . .. 91.2 Fort TIconderoga. . . . . .. (Tloonderoga) 98.5 Put.nam .......... B 103.5 Dreaden ............... 113.3 Wbltehall.......... . .Ar. fi,.-.Ii3.3 WbltellaJl Lv. 119.9 Co_k " 123.9 Fort Ann .............. 127.8 Smltb', Baoln " 135.3 Fort Edward Ar. Lak.=rge Lv. ~ ~ ~ Glono Falla.. . . .. . . . . . .." .. .. .. . . Hudaon Falla.. . .. . .. ..." . . Fort Ed"Md Ar . 135.3 Fort Edward Lv. 620 ~ ~ 141.6 Gansevoort............. .. . 152.' Saratoga Bprtngo Ar. 645.... .. . 152.' BaraWi. Sp1'lnlla Lv. 6 55 ~ ~ 159.1 Ballaton................. 7 08 . 165.3 Round Lake.............. 7 18 . 171.8 Mecllanlcvllle. .. .. .. ..." 7 28 .. .. . 180.0 Weot Waterford.......... 7~ . 181.9 COboeo.................. 745 748 . 184.7 Green laIand " ~ 756 ~ .. 185.3 Troy Ar. 800 . 184.7 WatervUet Lv. 7 52 ~ ~ 18ro.0 COlooJe.................. 757 . 1 186.8 Cemetery................ 800 . 187.' Meo&nde................. 802 . 190.7 ALBANY Ar. 810 .

. . . .

828 130 T4i --

820125138

66ii--

.
. . . . .

., ...

8441144 f706 8 52 1 52 2 05 7 16 9 05 -------19 13 925 948 902 168 207 9 16 2110 7132 923 2115 .. 7137 931 2121 7143 945233 238 755

720 -805 -8122 8130 .

. . . 843 8r67 9 09

955 10 15

246 -321 3 47 4 07 -4 29

1025

1045 11 02 11 18 11 42 11 52 1202 12 13 12136 12 46 1100 .

9 30

913!1 9147 9155 10121 10131 10138

. . . . . .

339.0

m:o

All All

All All

NEW YORK, 125tb St .. Ar. ~ ~'---Orand Central Term..." 11 30 ..

. 'T35 I .I
158 210 2 30

''1'25

"5'20
524
6 01

'iO'48
10 55 11122 11134 11 50

.
. . .

-606---7 12 7 21 730

. . .

Train 264 atops at River St . Troy. 7.58 a. m.

All

PI

PI

PI

PI

In this 1934 D&H timetable, the southbound commuter train to Albany was Train # 160, while the northbound was Train # 5. Train # 160 originated in Fort Edward and the schedule between Albany and Saratoga was slightly different from what it was at the end of service in 1962. Note trains 263 and 264, which were apparently morning shuttles connecting Troy, Green Island and Cohoes. The notation at the bottom of Table 2 states: "Train 264 stops at River St., Troy, 7:58 a.m." (Mohawk & Hudson Chapter Library Collection)