New York and Putnam Railroad

New York and Putnam Railroad

Company type	Subsidiary (after 1894)
Industry	Rail transport
Predecessor	New York, Boston & Northern Railway, New York City & Northern Railroad
Founded	1881 (1881)
Fate	Merged into New York Central Railroad (1894), discontinued gradually from 1958
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Area served	New York State (Bronx to Brewster)
Parent	New York Central Railroad (from 1894)

The New York and Putnam Railroad, often referred to as the Old Put, was founded in 1881, establishing a rail connection between the Bronx and Brewster within New York State. It became part of the New York Central Railroad network in 1894, alongside the Hudson River Railroad and New York and Harlem Railroad. The line experienced gradual discontinuation starting in 1958. Much of its former corridor has since been repurposed into rail trails.

Formation and Initial Development

Initially chartered on May 21, 1869, the New York & Boston Railroad (NY&B) planned to construct a route from Highbridge on the Harlem River heading northeast to Brewster. This route was intended to connect with the New York and Harlem Railroad toward Albany and the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad toward Boston. The company went through multiple reorganizations prior to commencing construction.

On November 18, 1872, the New York, Boston & Northern Railway (NYB&N) emerged through the merger of NY&B with the Putnam & Dutchess Railroad (P&D) and Dutchess & Columbia Railroad (D&C). Since 1871, D&C had operated between the Hudson River and Connecticut. The Clove Branch Railroad was designed to serve as a link within this system.

In January 1873, the company was renamed the New York, Boston & Montreal Railway and extended its line northward to Chatham and into Vermont through the Harlem Extension Railroad. However, the economic downturn triggered by the Panic of 1873 halted planned leases and mergers by the end of that year. Construction on P&D and D&C was suspended; subsequently, D&C became part of the Central New England Railway, Harlem Extension was absorbed by the Rutland Railroad, and Clove Branch was abandoned in 1898.

The New York, Westchester & Putnam Railway reorganized in July 1877 and was leased to the New York City & Northern Railroad (NYC&N) in March 1878. NYC&N constructed a segment between East View and Pocantico Hills, which included a precarious 80-foot trestle spanning a marshy valley. Due to safety issues, this portion was rerouted westward in 1881; by 1883, the trestle was dismantled, with the valley subsequently becoming the Tarrytown Reservoir. The entire route reaching Brewster opened in April 1881.

Simultaneously, the New York and New England Railroad began operating northbound services in 1881 utilizing parts of P&D and D&C's former grades. The West Side & Yonkers Railway extended NYC&N south across the Harlem River to link with the Ninth Avenue Elevated at 155th Street; it fully merged into NYC&N by 1887. During the 1910s, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company acquired this Harlem River bridge for subway expansion into the Bronx, which reduced NYP’s southern terminus to Sedgwick Avenue.

Additionally, in 1888, the Yonkers Rapid Transit Railway opened as a branch from NYP at Van Cortlandt extending northwest toward Yonkers; this line merged into NYP by 1887.

Corporate Changes and Decline

By 1887, financial difficulties led to receivership, after which it reorganized as the New York & Northern Railway. In 1894, under financier J. P. Morgan, it was renamed the New York & Putnam Rail Road Company (NY&P) and leased to the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad (NYC&HR). By 1913, it operated as the Putnam Division within the New York Central Railroad (NYC). The absence of direct service to NYC's primary terminal at Grand Central limited passenger numbers since travelers had to transfer at Highbridge. Electrification occurred in 1926 on segments between Sedgwick Avenue-Van Cortlandt and on the Yonkers Branch.

Following the 1920s, various short branches were discontinued. The Mohansic Branch near Yorktown Heights—originally built for a mental health facility project that Albany later canceled—was removed first. In 1929, John D. Rockefeller Jr. ordered track removal from his Pocantico Hills estate, resulting in closure of four stations and creation of one new station; this also led to dismantling East View village for realignment purposes. The Getty Square Branch ceased operations on June 30, 1943. Despite legal challenges from Yonkers residents escalating to the United States Supreme Court, that branch was dismantled in December 1944.

Apart from service between Sedgwick Avenue and Brewster, trains also ran from Golden's Bridge on the Harlem Division via a connecting branch to Lake Mahopac before traveling over the Putnam Division to Brewster where they rejoined the Harlem Division—a route informally known as traveling "around the horn."

Termination of service

Unlike the neighboring Harlem and Hudson Lines, the Putnam Division was missing crucial infrastructure elements such as a second track, electrification, commuter parking facilities, and direct access to Grand Central Terminal. This deficiency contributed to a steady decline in ridership. In 1956, New York Central (NYC) petitioned for permission to cease operations. The Public Service Commission approved a 15% fare hike in 1957 but mandated the continuation of limited service. By March 1958, the commission granted NYC authorization to terminate passenger operations effective June 1, 1958, citing daily ridership below 500 and projected annual savings of $400,000. The final passenger trains operated on May 29, 1958. Freight services persisted into the early 1970s but were gradually scaled back due to warehouse closures and reduced industrial demand. Following Penn Central’s bankruptcy in 1976, Conrail assumed control but lacked intentions to expand freight activity and ultimately sought to divest the right-of-way to alleviate tax burdens.

In 1991, the Regional Plan Association proposed extending this line to connect with the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, indicating continued interest in utilizing this corridor for transit expansion.

Legacy

Metro-North Railroad maintains a short segment near Marble Hill station utilized for maintenance and materials delivery. The former railway corridor north of Van Cortlandt station has been transformed into multiple rail trails: Putnam Greenway, South County Trailway, North County Trailway, and Putnam County Trailway, exemplifying adaptive reuse of obsolete infrastructure.

Surviving stations

A replica of the original Bryn Mawr Park station currently functions as a grocery store. The Briarcliff Manor station was purchased by the village in 1959 and repurposed as the Briarcliff Manor Public Library. Millwood station remained intact until its demolition in 2012 due to structural deterioration. Elmsford’s station has been converted into a restaurant, while Yorktown Heights station has been restored and now serves as a focal point within the town park. Since 1965, Lake Mahopac’s station has operated as an American Legion Hall. Freight houses located in Baldwin Place and Tilly Foster still exist on private land, and remnants of Van Cortlandt station can be found within Van Cortlandt Park.

Getty Square Branch

The Getty Square Branch’s imprint endures through surviving railroad elements and transit-oriented neighborhoods. The original Getty Square station was replaced by an office building featuring locomotive-themed decorations. A 3.4-mile stretch of the right-of-way is incorporated into Van Cortlandt Park’s trail network, including a former bridge spanning the Henry Hudson Parkway. Within New York City limits, the right-of-way terminates near a parking structure serving Yonkers apartments; adjacent developments have disrupted sections of this path.

Remaining abutments are located at School Street, McLean Avenue, and Lawrence Street close to former station sites. The Caryl Station location has been redeveloped into a parking lot and playground with its tunnel sealed off. Industrial expansion has fragmented portions of the right-of-way, especially within Yonkers.

Private residences associated with this branch include terminus houses for the Park Hill funicular situated on Undercliff at Park Hill Terrace and Alta Avenue, along with the railroad president’s residence on Alta Avenue. North of the Yonkers-New York City boundary, the route roughly parallels the Saw Mill River Parkway extending toward East Irvington.

Main Line

NOTE: Stations located on the pre-1918 Manhattan terminus and the pre-1931 Tarrytown Heights route are shaded in a darker gray.

14.72||Ardsley||||Located off NY 9A between Saw Mill Parkway and Thruway. 16.60||Worthington||||Former site bypassed by bike path. 18.14||Elmsford|||||Currently houses a restaurant. 20.41||Eastview||||Start of pre-1929 relocation line. 23.92||Graham||||Established by 1931 relocation; original alignment ended just north; planned expansion was never realized. 27.04||Briarcliff Manor||||Currently the Briarcliff Manor Public Library. 30.44||Millwood|||| 32.52|||Kitchawan||||Station agent position abolished in 1958. 33.57||Croton Lake|||| 35.04||Croton Heights|||| 36.76||Yorktown Heights||||Located at Railroad Park; listed on National Register; included coach yard and engine servicing facilities. 37.94|||Amawalk||||Station agent position removed February 8, 1935. 39.96|||Granite Springs|||| rowspan=10 |Putnam County, New York ||42.25 || Baldwin Place || || 44.38 || Lake Mahopac || || Currently serves as an American Legion Hall 45.13 || Mahopac || || 47.20 || Crafts || || 49.58 || Carmel || || Southern endpoint of unconstructed Putnam & Dutchess Railroad. 51.84 || Tilly Foster || || Built for Tilly Foster Mine, closed in 1897; operations continued afterward. 53.82 || Putnam Junction || || Connection with Harlem Division and Brewster Yard; included bridge to Beacon Line until 1907.

Locality	Milepost	Station	Lat/long	Notes/Connections
Manhattan		155th Street Terminal		Original terminus from 1881 to 1918.
Putnam Bridge spanning the Harlem River; acquired by IRT Ninth Avenue Line in 1918
The Bronx	0.0	Sedgwick Avenue		Linked to the former IRT Ninth Avenue Line and West Side Line
		Highbridge		Currently serves as Highbridge Maintenance Facility.
		Morris Heights
		University Heights
		Fordham Heights		Merged with University Heights in the early 1900s
	Divergence of Hudson and Putnam Line
		Kings Bridge		Located between 225th and 231st Streets; distinct from Spuyten Duyvil station.
	4.82	Van Cortlandt		Situated within Van Cortlandt Park
Interchange with electrified Getty Square Branch
Westchester County, New York	6.52	Lincoln		Located at McLean Avenue
	8.09	Dunwoodie		Close to Yonkers Avenue, east of Dunwoodie Golf Course
	9.44	Bryn Mawr Park		Replaced in 1995 by Palmer/Bryn Mawr Market station
	10.50	Nepperham
	11.92	Gray Oaks
	12.01	Nepera Park
	13.02	Mount Hope
	13.86	Chauncey
		Woodlands		Small platform with shelter adjacent to Woodlands Lake.
		Beaver Hill		Flag stop shelter near Fairview Golf Club.
	The original alignment from the short-lived Eastview Trestle commenced here (1880–1881).
		Tarrytown Heights		Constructed March 1882; first on Tarrytown Heights alignment west of East View.
		Tower Hill		Built November 26, 1881; second on former alignment west of Tarrytown Reservoir until 1931.
		Pocantico Hills		Built November 26, 1881; third near Rockefeller Estate and reservoir until 1931.
	Original Eastview Trestle alignment terminated here.
		Whitsons		Fourth on previous alignment; replaced in 1931 by Graham
	Connection point for Mohansic Branch
	Connection to Mahopac Mines Branch
	Links to Harlem Line branches and NYC's Harlem Division
	Brewster
	Line proceeds along NYC's Harlem Division

Getty Square Branch

Location	Milepost	Station Name	Coordinates	Details/Connections
The Bronx	0.0	Van Cortlandt		Origin point of Getty Square Branch
	Divergence of Putnam and Getty Square Branches
		Mosholu		Service discontinued in 1926
Yonkers		Caryl		Located north of Caryl Avenue Bridge; infrastructure remains.
		Lowerre		Positioned south of Lawrence Street between Western and Van Cortlandt Park Avenues.
	3.0	Park Hill		Connected to the former Park Hill Incline funicular railway.
	3.2	Getty Square
Branch ceased operations in 1943

Mohansic Branch

Location	Milepost	Station Name	Coordinates	Details/Connections
Westchester	0.0	Yorktown Heights
	Separation point for Putnam Line and Mohansic Branch
		Mohansic State Hospital	N.A.	Branch never constructed; project abandoned following hospital cancellation.
Branch discontinued in 1917

Mahopac Mines Branch

Location	Milepost	Station Name	Coordinates	Details/Connections
Putnam	0.0	Baldwin Place
	Division point between Putnam and Mahopac Mines Lines
		Mahopac Falls
	4.0	Mahopac Mines		Infrequently utilized; equipped with turntable and water tower.
Branch service ended in 1931

Lake Mahopac Branch

Location	Milepost	Station Name	Coordinates	Details/Connections
Putnam	0.0	Lake Mahopac		Connection to Putnam Division
	0.40	XC		Unmanned junction crossing the Putnam Division line.
Westchester	3.00	Shenorock		Flag stop near Lincolndale area.
	3.91	Lincolndale		Stone-built station facility.
	7.22	Golden's Bridge		Connection with Harlem Division.
Branch abandoned in 1959

External links

• Chronology of events on the Putnam Division
• Stations located along the Putnam Division Right-Of-Way
• Blog posts on Old Putnam Line (Rich's Pedal Point)
• Photographic archive of former Putnam County stations
• Photographs of former Westchester County stations