Railroad Ferries of the Hudson and Stories of a Deck Hand

by Baxter, Raymond J.; Adams, Arthur G.

• ISBN13: 9780823219544
• ISBN10: 0823219542
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-01-01
• Publisher: Fordham University Press

Summary

Railroad Ferries of the Hudson and the Stories of a Deckhand is a complete business, economic, technical, and social history of the ferryboats that were once operated across the Hudson River to Manhattan from New Jersey and that were owned and operated by various railroad companies in conjunction with their commuter and long-distance passenger trains. The work also covers the Staten Island Ferry (formerly operated by the B&O Railroad) and New York Waterway's present-day revival of services connecting with New Jersey Transit commuter-train services.

Table of Contents

About the Authors	ix
Acknowledgments	x
PART I The Railroad Ferries of the Hudson	1	(180)
The North River	5	(4)
Early Ferries--Pre-Steam Era	9	(4)
Coming of the Steamboat	13	(6)
Technological Development of the Steamboat and Steam Ferryboat	19	(15)
Development of the Screw Propeller Ferryboat	34	(12)
Central Railroad of New Jersey North River Ferry Operations	46	(17)
Pennsylvania Railroad Ferry and Its Predecessor Companies	63	(20)
Pendent to the Chapter	82	(1)
John G. McCullough
Pavonia Ferry Company of the Erie Railroad Company	83	(34)
Hoboken Ferry Company of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company	117	(30)
New York Central System	147	(15)
Uptown Ferries	162	(7)
Erie Lackawanna Railroad	169	(4)
Weather and the Elements: Their Effect on Daily Operations	173	(6)
Contributing Factors to the Decline of North River Railroad Ferry Operations	179	(2)
PART II The Stories of a Deckhand	181	(48)
The Erie Workweek	182	(2)
Coffee Time	184	(1)
My Problem with ``Roderick & Baker'' on the Jersey City Bridge	185	(1)
Even the President of the Union Gets Caught Once in a While	186	(1)
My First Steady Job Was a Good One	187	(1)
The Fastest Railroad Ferry on the North River	188	(1)
Vehicle Ticket Seller	189	(2)
Fruit Piers	191	(1)
Fog and Fog Signals	192	(1)
Fog Stories	192	(1)
Accidents	193	(1)
Herbie Drops the Pin	194	(1)
Fire! Fire!	195	(1)
A Lot of Speed and a Lot of Damage Done	195	(2)
Befriended by One of the Finest Men I Have Ever Had the Pleasure of Knowing	197	(2)
Oh! To Steer a Ferryboat	199	(1)
Differences Between Boats	199	(1)
Captain Si Brodhead and the Coast Guard Inspectors	200	(2)
The Wheelsmen Have More Duties	202	(1)
Pilothouse Equipment	203	(3)
Boat Drills	206	(2)
Wheeling-Not Everyone Liked It	208	(1)
Jimmy Breaks a Wheel	208	(1)
Washington Irving Tale	209	(1)
Charlie Courtiers-Clean Sweep Down Fore and Aft	209	(1)
Special Trips	210	(1)
Joe Glennon and the Hot Dogs	210	(1)
Ferryboat Races	210	(2)
Over the Years, Fog Has Always Been a Problem	212	(1)
Captain John Stein, Meadville and the Holland-American Line's Veedam	212	(1)
Jamestown and American President Line's Quick Water	213	(1)
Surprised by the Superintendent	213	(1)
Tools Used on the Ferryboats	214	(1)
Surprising Steering Problems	214	(1)
Sometimes the Boat Has a Mind of its Own	215	(1)
Arlington's 5:15 P.M. Trip-Heaviest of the Evening Rush	215	(1)
``Show Your Sister-in-Law How Good You Can Steer a Boat''	216	(1)
Another Captain Used to Let Me Steer	216	(1)
I Learned to Handle the Meadville's Engine	217	(1)
Trip in an Engine Room	218	(1)
The Bridgeman	219	(2)
There are Personality Clashes in Every Business	221	(1)
Toggle Ducking Was Tricky, But a Little Fun	222	(1)
Hand Bells-Let's Use Them	222	(1)
Joe Connelly and the Tugs	222	(2)
Moran's New Tugs	224	(1)
Can You Steer for a While?	224	(1)
Even a Cop Can Steer a Ferryboat	225	(1)
Decline of the Erie Ferry Service	225	(1)
Decline of Railroad Marine Traffic in New York Harbor	226	(1)
Labor Unions: Sometimes, the Smaller, the Better	226	(1)
Partial Roster of Erie Marine Department Deck Employees	227	(2)
PART III Up to the Present	229	(16)
The Staten Island Ferry	230	(5)
The New York Waterway	235	(7)
The Future of Ferry Service and Mass Transit	242	(1)
Important Men in Marine Transportation	243	(2)
PART IV Appendix	245	(1)
Bibliography	245	(20)
Index	265