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Both the D&H and B&M built exten-


sive yard and servicing facilities just west of the city during the early years of the 20th century. It was decided about 1912 that a new and bigger yard would be built here, replacing older fa- cilities in Rotterdam, N.Y. and Williamstown, Mass. Though together they created a sprawling complex, the B&M and the D&H had separate and distinct yard fa- cilities. The D&H yard was designed for flat switching, while the B&M yard used a hump. In fact, they constructed one of the first hump classification yards in the country, first operated with brakemen riding each car down from the hump to apply the hand brakes upon reaching other cars on one of the 36 classification tracks. Later, in 1928, one of the first “retarder” instal-


Mechanicville Yard was actually two distinct facilities built separately by each road. The D&H yard was designed for flat switching, while the B&M yard used a hump. In fact, they constructed one of the first hump classification yards in the country.


lations that controlled more than just a single yard track was installed on the hump by the General Railway Signal Co. The speed of the cars rolling down off the hump by gravity into the receiving yard was remotely controlled and no in- dividual riders were now necessary. Inbound, or eastbound, traffic to New England from the Delaware & Hudson and the New York Central were sorted here by destination and made into


36 OCTOBER 2012 • RAILFAN.COM


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