Autumn Along the Hudson Line - A Metro North Moment

Autumn Along the Hudson Line - A Metro North Moment

On an afternoon in late October, at Ardsley-on-Hudson, a New Haven Heritage Livery P32AC-DM diesel-
electric dual-mode locomotive powers a northbound Metro North express into a sweeping curve along the river.

The train will blast past Ardsley station on one of those center express tracks; but, as it is rush hour, passengers
heading north will not have to wait long, as an EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) local will soon materialize.

Speaking of local service, the Hudson Line serves the many communities that dot the course of the broad river and, in this tele-compressed (200mm) perspective, one can actually see the previous station, Dobbs Ferry, a mile/two minutes away. And, speaking of express, the blurring of foliage just above the locomotive is, of course, the heat wave pattern from the diesel prime mover, as the engineer has the machine well notched up.

Trains of this type, usually bound for Poughkeepsie (the northernmost point on the MNRR), and bypassing most
or all stops between Grand Central Terminal and Croton-Harmon, have a control cab on the last car, which becomes
the front of the train when running in the opposite direction, the convention being to always have the diesel on the outbound end at GCT.

The Metro North Railroad is currently celebrating its 40th Anniversary and has been "wrapping" some of its P32s in heritage liveries representing the railroads which handled trains along its three main trunk lines (Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven) before the MNRR's creation. But those honoring the distinctive N-H livery of the mid-1950s have been on the points of MN trains for some years.

©2024 Steve Ember