TOP: Two FL9s lead an afternoon Harlem Line train north along the Muscoot Reservoir at Katonah on June 25, 1983. The consist in- cludes former NYC coaches as well as refur- bished D&H cars on loan from NYSDOT. ABOVE: An Alco C420 borrowed from sister agency Long Island Rail Road hauls a ballast train through Katonah in 1983. Note the sup- ports waiting for third rail. RIGHT: At Brew- ster shop, FL9 5039 is typical of the neglect prevalent by 1979. PHOTOS BY ART DEEKS
of shrinking transit budgets. Differ- ences were temporarily set aside, and on January 1, 1983, nearly 4800 former Conrail workers moved over to the new Metro-North Commuter Railroad. Still, the issues remained and the employees went on strike on March 1. During that time, management was called upon as a skeleton crew to keep the railroad open for Conrail and Am- trak operations. With no Metro-North trains running, extra bus service was set up to feed commuters into Subway terminals in the Bronx. It was a miser- able experience at best. The strike last- ed for nearly 45 days until workers were forced to arbitration on April 18. It was an inauspicious start for the new railroad, to be sure.
Rebuilding the Railroad
On that first day of 1983, Metro- North had inherited their grandfa- ther’s railroad complete with jointed
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rail, low-level platforms (in diesel terri- tory), manned towers, wayside signals, and train orders... With their grandfa- ther’s trains still plying the rails! While a delight for the railfans, the entire railroad was in need of serious rebuild- ing if it was to overcome years of neg- lect and deterioration.
Metro-North continued the project to extend the third-rail electrification of the Harlem Line from North White Plains to Brewster. Begun during the Conrail era in 1982, the extension was completed in 1984, and included the construction of eight new high-level platform stations. Completion of the project allowed for faster schedules and more frequent trains, and freed up con- ventional diesel-hauled equipment for use elsewhere in the system. A major route change took place on the Port Jervis Line in 1984 when Con- rail abandoned the former Erie “Main Line” between Harriman and Middle-
town, in favor of the recently rebuilt Graham Line. Stations were relocated to this former freight-only line often many miles from the nearest town. While unhappy with the move, the MTA had little choice in the matter. Antiquated shop facilities dating to
the turn of the century hampered re- building efforts. New shops were opened at Brewster in 1987, and at North White Plains in 1991. The proj- ect to replace the railroad’s sprawling complex at Croton-Harmon began in 2001, and will continue through 2020. On the Connecticut side, facilities were improved and upgraded at Stamford and New Haven by CDOT.
The Park Avenue Tunnel runs from Grand Central more than fifty blocks north to 96th Street and carries the four tracks that funnel all of the trains into and out of the terminal. Reconstruction began in 1987, taking one track out of service at a time. Once completed, a
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