BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

(SEE EARLIER POSTS) The longest crossing by railroad ferries operating on the Hudson was the West Shore's (NYC) line between Weehawken and Cortlandt Street (the West Shore boats were abandoned in early 1959); the next longest crossing was the CNJ's route between Jersey City and W 23rd Street (this line was shut down in 1942)-----the shortest railroad ferry line on the Hudson was the DL&W's Hoboken to Christopher Street crossing-which was abandoned in 1955; interestingly-this was a line that used only single-deck boats (the "HOBOKEN" and the "BUFFALO"; a "spare" boat-which had upper deck cabins-operated only during the rush hours for a period); this 'spare" boat was-at first-the "BERGEN"-and later-the "OSWEGO"-----as the end neared the Christopher Street line was reduced to only one regular boat (with another boat in "stand by" status) operating on a half-hourly schedule----------"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Ironically-the last ferryboats to be docked at the old Exchange Place slips of the PRR were NOT Pennsy boats; during the Korean War-interestingly enough-certain troop trains ran to Exchange Place-where a DL&W boat would be waiting to carry the troops to their final destinations (recall-the PRR's Cortland Street boats stopped running in late 1949)-----the last boat at all to be docked at Exchange Place was the ex-CNJ "WILKES-BARRE"; she had spent her last two years afloat as a spare boat-docked at the CNJ's Jersey City slips-----after the CNJ closed down Jersey City passenger/ferry operations in April 1967 (the Aldene Plan) the "WILKES-BARRE" was then towed to the old Exchange Place slips-where she sat decaying further until finally being dispatched to scrapping (in the shadow of Lady Liberty herself); by this late date-the entire PRR station area at Exchange Place had been razed (1962-1963) but two of the skeletal ferry slips were still intact----only one slip still had its long-disused upper and lower deck loading aprons intact; the other slip had these aprons torn out years before-to allow excursion boats to dock------------"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Whistles.........

Every railroad the operated ferryboats on the Hudson River had their own distinctive whistles and fog signals.

Most of the trans-Hudson ferries (like the Staten Island boats) had deep, mournful-sounding whistles.

However, the CNJ's boats used whistles which were higher pitched, as did the PRR ferries).

Interestingly, the CNJ's only steel boat, the "ELIZABETH", was equipped with a whistle that gave an eerie, hollow sound that Your's Truly still recalls to this day (I also have a recording of the "ELIZABETH's" whistle on an old Conrad Milster cassette tape from the 1980's, "FULL AHEAD", which features rare recordings of NY Harbor steamboats made in the 1960s (what great memories these haunting sounds recall!)

The old 69th Strret "Electric Ferries" had horns which I describe as "harmonic blats"; you could not mistake the horns of a 69th Street boat for any other diesel ferry then running in the harbor.

Of course, each ferry company utilized its own system of fog signals and lights.

Until the E-L ferries to Barclay Street stopped running in late 1967, it was a sure sign of rain when we could hear the boats' whistles to the south in Hoboken, from Mom's kitchen in Union City.

Mom would say: Do you hear the ferryboats? It must be going to rain."

It was all so wonderfully fascinating, colorful, and intriguing, while it all lasted.....it's all so long ago, now................

"NYO"

["FULL AHEAD"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

CNJ's Liberty Street ferry (1965-1967)

The CNJ sadly had the distinction of having their old wooden, coal-fired ferryboats declared unfit for service by the Coast Guard, until, by 1965, only one boat, the steel "ELIZABETH" (rebuilt from the "LAKEWOOD" in the early 1950s) remained for regular service.

In no way could the CNJ operate the crossing with only one boat; the railroad then leased two ex-69th Street diesel-electric boats ("THE TIDES" and "THE NARROWS")

From the onset, these boats were not at all popular with commuters and with crews.

These boats, being built primarily as vehicular carriers, lacked lower deck cabins; steam-oriented CNJ ferry crews were given a "crash course" in working with diesel boats.

Also, the boats were unable to load/unload from the upper deck aprons at Jersey City and Liberty Street, another annoyance to commuters.

The CNJ (not surprisingly) gave into intense pressure from its commuters and had to install new "no frills" passenger cabins on the lower decks of the two boats, thus reducing the number of vehicle lanes from four to two.

Base service was run with two boats, with the two ex-Brooklyn boats and the old "ELIZABETH" running at full tilt to handle the still-heavy rush hour mobs (the CNJ's old "WILKES-BARRE" spent much of her last two years docked at the Jersey City terminal, basically now relegated to a "spare's spare".

Interestingly, though the last "official" crossing to Jersey City (April, 1967) was made by "THE TIDES", the last actual crossing was made by the CNJ's own "ELIZABETH"...............

"NYO"

["LIBERTY ST. BOAT"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

With few exceptions, for decades, the SI fleet consisted of nine (regular) boats (this was the number of boats in the active fleet, with the arrival of the "KENNEDY"-class boats in 1965, and the retirement of the three "DONGAN HILLS"-class twin-stack steamers, that same year.

By the early 1930's, the "BRONX" had left the active fleet, and later burned while laid up at Stapleton; the rest of the 1905 "5 BOROUGHS"-class were retired as the "MISS NEW YORK"-class arrived between 1937 and 1938.

The "MAYOR GAYNOR" of 1914 (the least successful boat in the fleet) was retired from regular service about 1930; her lower deck cabins were removed for additional vehicular capacity.

She also could no longer load/unload from the upper deck.

She served her last years as a relief boat for both the SI and 39th Street (Brooklyn) ferries (she was retired and scrapped in 1950)

Downsizing the fleet began in 1971, when the "GOLD STAR MOTHER" was retired, and, for several years, served as a floating drug rehabilitation center (she was often unflatteringly referred to as the "GOLD STAR METHADONE".

With the retirement of both the "MISS NEW YORK" and the "MARY MURRAY" prior to 1975, the SI fleet was now down to only six regular boats (the steamers of the "MERRELL"-class, and the diesel-electrics of the "KENNEDY"-class)

It would not be until the early 1980s when new boats would again enter service, the "BARBERI" and the "NEWHOUSE"; however, these boats replaced the old "MERRELL"-class boats, and the fleet was now at only five boats, until the two small boats of the "AUSTEN"-class entered the fleet..................

"NYO"

["MARINE & AVIATION"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The "MAYOR GAYNOR".............

In my previous post, I'd mentioned that this 1914 SI ferry was not at all popular with officers and crews; unlike the "FIVE BOROUGHS" boats (and the later, pre-"MERRELL"-class steamers, which all utilized double-compound engines) the "MAYOR GAYNOR" had triple-expansion engines which were slow in responding to signals from the pilothouse.

She also could not maintain the half-hour round trip schedule demanded (then as now) of the boats.

This made for some interesting moments when the boat was approaching the loading aprons at each terminal.

Interestingly, the CNJ's ferries all had triple-expansion engines, and, from what I've read, officers and crews had no issues with them..............

"NYO"

["DEPARTMENT OF DOCKS"]