AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

INSTITUTED 1852

TRANSACTIONS

Paper No. 1153

THE NEW YORK TUNNEL EXTENSION OF THEPENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD. 

MEADOWS DIVISION AND HARRISON TRANSFERYARD. [A]

BY E. B. TEMPLE, M. AM. SOC. C. E. 

The New York Tunnel Extension of the Pennsylvania Railroad diverges fromthe New York Division in the Town of Harrison, N. J. , and, ascending ona 0. 5% grade, crosses over the tracks of the New York Division and themain line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. Thence itcontinues, with light undulating grades, across the Hackensack Meadowsto a point just east of the Northern Railroad of New Jersey and the NewYork, Susquehanna and Western Railroad, where it descends to the tunnelsunder Bergen Hill and the North River. (Plate XVI. )

[Illustration: PLATE XVI. --Plan and Profile of the Pennsylvania Tunnel &Terminal R. R. , from Harrison, N. J. , to the Hudson River]

That portion of the line lying west of the portals of the Bergen HillTunnels has been divided into two sections: First, the most westerly, known as the Harrison Transfer Station and Yard (Plate XVII), which islocated on the southern side of the New York Division, PennsylvaniaRailroad, and extends from the connection with the New York Divisiontracks at grade up to the point of crossing the same, where thePennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad has its beginning; second, theMeadows Division of the Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad, whichis a double-track railroad, 5. 08 miles long, extending from a point justwest of the bridge over the New York Division to a point 300 ft. West ofthe western portals of the Bergen Hill Tunnels. 

_Harrison Transfer Station and Yard. _--The necessities for the Harrisonimprovements are two-fold: First, as a place to change motive power fromsteam to electric, and _vice versa_; second, as a transfer forpassengers from trains destined to the new Station at Seventh Avenue and33d Street, New York City, to steam or rapid transit trains destined tothe present Jersey City Station, or to the lower part of New York City_via_ the Hudson and Manhattan Tunnels, and _vice versa_. 

All steam trains from Philadelphia, the South, and the West, from NewJersey seashore resorts, and local trains on the New York Division boundfor the new Pennsylvania Station, will change their motive power fromsteam to electric engines at the Harrison Transfer Station. Likewise, all trains from the Tunnel Line will change from electric to steammotive power there, and passengers coming from Jersey City and thesouthern section of New York City can take through trains at theHarrison Transfer platforms. It is estimated that the time required tomake this change of motive power, or to transfer passengers, will notexceed 3-1/2 min. 

The plan at Harrison provides at present for two platforms, each 1, 100ft. Long and 28 ft. Wide, and having ample shelters and waiting rooms, connected by a 12-ft. Tunnel under the tracks, provision being made fortwo additional platforms when necessity requires their construction. Theplatforms are supported on walls of reinforced concrete, with anoverhang to provide a refuge for employees from passing trains. Theconcrete walls are supported on wooden piles, prevented from spreadingby 7/8-in. Tie-rods at 10-ft. Intervals, and embedded in concrete underthe paving of the platform. As the elevation of the top of the platformis +21. 83, and the top of the piles is +14. 54 above mean tide, the pileswill, of course, decay; but, as the embankment has been completed forsome time and is well packed and settled, the concrete being depositeddirectly on the embankment, very little trouble from settlement isanticipated when the piles decay. The surface of the platforms, with theexception of the edges, is to be of brick, on a concrete base; and, ifsettlement occurs, the bricks can be taken up and re-surfaced. The topsof the platforms are 3 ft. 10 in. Above the top of the rail and on alevel with the floors of the cars, so that passengers may enter or leavetrains without using steps, as all cars which will enter thePennsylvania Station, New York City, are to be provided with vestibuleshaving trap-doors in the floor to give access to either high or lowplatforms. Details of the platforms are shown on Plates XVIII and XIX. 

As planned at present, there will be four main running tracks, oneadjacent to each side of the two platforms, providing standing room forfour of the longest trains, two in each direction, or double the numberof trains of ordinary length, so that passengers having to transfer froma train destined to the Pennsylvania Station at 33d Street to a traindestined for the Jersey City Station or the Hudson and Manhattan Tunnelswill merely cross the platform. Between the two interior main tracks aretwo shifting tracks, so that between the platforms there will be twopassenger tracks on which trains will stop to change motive power andtransfer passengers, and two shifting tracks for rapid despatching ofthe empty engines and motors, each of the four tracks being 15 ft. Fromcenter to center to allow for uncoupling and inspection of cars. 

An efficient system of connections and cross-overs is provided for alltracks, and there is ample storage capacity for 10 steam engines at thewestern end of the platforms and 20 electric motors at the eastern end, both of which are conveniently located for quick movement, withprovision for additional storage tracks, if required. Steam engines, upon being disconnected, can be quickly sent to the main engine storageyard, and by the use of a loop track no turntable is required. The mainengine storage yard is located south of the running tracks adjoining thebulkhead along the Passaic River, where provision is made for thestorage of 20 engines. There are two 50, 000-gal. Water tanks, anash-pit, inspection-pit, work-pit, sand-hopper, and the necessarybuildings. Water is brought from the city water main in the MeadowsYard, on the New York Division, about 8, 200 ft. Eastward from the centerof this yard. 

It was at first planned to locate a power-house and car and enginerepair shops in the yard, but as the ultimate extent of theelectrification of the New York Division cannot now be determined, thefacilities in the large power-house in Long Island City, and in the shopand round-house in the Meadows Yard of the New York Division, wereincreased to provide for the power and repairs necessary for the nextfew years. In order to reach the Meadows shops and round-house withoutinterfering with the present passenger and freight tracks, it wasnecessary to build track connections with the Meadows Yard. Twelvestalls of the existing round-house were extended to accommodate themotive power; a large transfer table and pit were increased in size, andan additional ash-pit and engine storage tracks were constructed. 

Any extensive repairs to the electric engines will be made for thepresent in the Jamaica Shops, Long Island; and the large shops atTrenton, on the New York Division, as well as the Meadows Shops, will beavailable for repairs to the steam locomotives. There is ample room atHarrison, and plans have been prepared providing for storage and lightrepair of cars, locomotives, electric motors, and rapid transit trains, if the future demands require such construction at this place. 

The rapid transit line will extend from Park Place, Newark, to Harrison, and thence over the present line of the Pennsylvania Railroad, whichwill be electrified, to a junction with the Hudson and ManhattanRailroad Company's tunnel tracks at Prior Street, Jersey City. It willbe constructed and owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. A jointand frequent through service will be conducted by both companies betweenPark Place, Newark, and the terminal of the Hudson and ManhattanRailroad, in New York City, by the use of multiple-unit trains similarto those now being operated in the Hudson and Manhattan tunnels. Thesetrains will pick up and discharge Pennsylvania Railroad passengers atthe Harrison Transfer Station, so that all passengers bound for lowerNew York City, who desire to use the tunnel service, will make thechange at Harrison instead of at Jersey City as at present. Provision ismade for two additional platforms, each 1, 100 ft. Long, to accommodatethe rapid transit trains when the present platforms prove inadequate. The existing passenger tracks between the Harrison Transfer Yard andSummit Avenue, Jersey City, where a new local passenger station will beconstructed, will be used jointly by steam and electric trains. 

The embankment for the Harrison Yard was made, under contract dated July21st, 1906, with Henry Steers, Incorporated, of New York City, of cellarearth from New York City, and with rock and earth excavated from thePennsylvania Station and cross-town tunnels. It was necessary toconstruct 1, 000 ft. Of stone and crib bulkhead along the bank of thePassaic River. The plan of the yard was prepared by a committee ofoperating, electrical, and engineering officers, consisting of Mr. F. L. Sheppard, General Superintendent, New Jersey Division, PennsylvaniaRailroad Company; George Gibbs, M. Am. Soc. C. E. , Chief Engineer, Electric Traction and Terminal Station Construction, Pennsylvania Tunneland Terminal Railroad Company; Mr. J. A. McCrea, General Superintendent, Long Island Railroad Company; Mr. C. S. Krick, Superintendent, Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad Company; Mr. A. M. Parker, then Principal Assistant Engineer, New Jersey Division, PennsylvaniaRailroad Company, now Superintendent, Hudson Division; and approved byMr. A. C. Shand, Chief Engineer, Pennsylvania Railroad Company, andChief Engineer, Meadows Division, Pennsylvania Tunnel and TerminalRailroad Company. 

[Illustration: PLATE XVII. --Plan of Harrison Yard]

_Meadows Division, Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad. _--The twomain tracks ascending through the Harrison Yard continue on anembankment to a point 500 ft. West of the west abutment of the bridgeover the New York Division tracks, which is the point of beginning ofthe Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad. From this point the lineextends in a general northeasterly direction, crossing the HackensackRiver, skirting the base of Snake Hill, and thence to the approach cutto Bergen Hill Tunnels. The embankment varies in height from 25 to 30ft. Above the surface of the meadows. 

In this Division the following bridges were necessary:

 Pennsylvania Railroad, New York Division, Passenger and Newark Freight Tracks;

 Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, Morris and Essex Division;

 Newark and Jersey City Turnpike;

 Public Service Corporation Right of Way;

 Erie Railroad, Newark and Paterson Branch;

 Belleville Road, and Jersey City Water Company's Pipe Line;

 Greenwood Lake Railroad (Erie Railroad), Arlington Branch;

 Hackensack River;

 Greenwood Lake Railroad (Erie Railroad), Reconstructed Line;

 Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, Boonton Branch;

 Erie Railroad, Passenger Tracks;

 Bridge of 11 spans over proposed yard tracks, Erie Railroad;

 County Road;

 Secaucus Road;

 New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad;

 Northern Railroad of New Jersey. 

The alignment for this distance consists of 3. 57 miles of tangent andthree curves, two of which are 0° 30' each, one of the latter being atthe western end of the Division, and the other adjoining Snake Hill; thethird is a regular curve of 1° 54' on the east-bound track, and acompound curve with a maximum of 2° on the west-bound track, thevariation being due to the track spacing of 37 ft. From center to centerin the Bergen Hill Tunnels, while on the Meadows Division it is 13 ft. From center to center. 

The profile was adopted to give 18 ft. Of clearance from the under sideof the bridges to the top of the rail of the Erie Railroad branches, 21ft. To the top of the rail of its main line, 19 ft. To the top of therail of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, and a clearanceof 24 ft. Above high water in the Hackensack River. With the exceptionof that portion of the line adjoining the Bergen Hill Tunnels, where itwas necessary to continue the 1. 3% grade up to the bridge over theNorthern Railroad of New Jersey, and the east-bound ascending grade of0. 5% from the Harrison platforms to the bridge over the New YorkDivision tracks, the grades do not exceed 0. 3 per cent. 

When the construction of the embankment was commenced, it was expectedthat there would be considerable trouble by settlement due to thedisplacement of the soft material underlying the surface of the meadowsto a depth of from 10 to 15 ft. ; but, with the exception of the troublethe contractors had in maintaining their temporary trestles, theembankment as completed has settled very little. The section east of theHackensack River was made, in great part, of rock excavated from aborrow-pit in the Town of Secaucus, north of the eastern end of theDivision. The embankment was built under two contracts, one for the workeast of the crossing of the Boonton Branch of the Delaware, Lackawannaand Western Railroad, under contract dated January 15th, 1907, withH. S. Kerbaugh, Incorporated, the material being taken from theborrow-pit in narrow-gauge cars and dumped from a strong pile trestlealong the total length of the section, the same being completed in 19months; the other for the embankment west of the Boonton Branch, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, under contract dated April10th, 1906, with Henry Steers, Incorporated, of New York City, thematerial, consisting partly of cellar earth, and partly of rock andearth excavated from other sections of the Pennsylvania Tunnel andTerminal Railroad, being brought on scows up the Hackensack and PassaicRivers from New York City. The material was handled expeditiously fromthe scows by orange-peel buckets operated from the shore, deposited instandard-gauge dump-cars, and transported by locomotives at one timeused on the elevated railroads in New York City. No excavation whateverwas required on the Meadows Division or in the Harrison Yard. 

[Illustration: PLATE XVIII. --Details of Shelters and Platforms, HarrisonTransfer Station. ]

[Illustration: PLATE XIX. --Details of Shelters and Platforms, HarrisonTransfer Station. ]

The substructures for all the bridges, except the Hackensack RiverDraw-bridge, are of concrete, without reinforcement, heavy enough towithstand the ordinary earth pressure for the exposed height. With theexception of three bridges, foundations were built on clay and sand;these three, on account of excessive depth of soft material, were builton piles. In some cases loose stone was deposited back of thefoundations for a width of 10 or 12 ft. After the mud had been removed. This precaution has prevented trouble due to the thrust of the highembankments on the saturated material. Masonry for all these bridges wasconstructed under contract dated August 21st, 1905, with McMullen andMcDermott, of New York City. The superstructure consisted principally ofhalf-through girders, floor of I-beams, filled solid with concrete, ontop of which were placed five layers of Hydrex felt, and water-proofingcompound, protected by a layer of sand and grouted brick from the stoneballast. 

The bridges over the New York Division passenger and Newark freighttracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the main-line tracks of theDelaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, at the west end of theMeadows Division, are separated by 300 ft. Of embankment. The skew angleis 9°, the total length of each bridge being about 450 ft. The floorsconsist of I-beams embedded in concrete. 

The Hackensack River Draw-bridge consists of six spans of deck plategirders, each 110 ft. Long, and a draw-span 300 ft. Long, operated bytwo 70-h. P. Electric motors. The masonry was constructed under contractdated August 25th, 1905, with the Drake and Stratton Company, ofPhiladelphia; and the steelwork was furnished and erected by thePennsylvania Steel Company, of Steelton, Pa. An important andinteresting feature of the draw-bridge is the lift rail, and newrail-locking device. Mitered rails are used, with sufficient openingbetween the ends to prevent binding at times of expansion. It was deemedadvisable that the mitered joint should occur on the abutment, or fixedspan, instead of at the opening at the end of the draw. The lift rail, therefore, was a necessity; and the design, as shown on Plate XX, wasperfected. It consists of lift-rails, 8 ft. 4 in. Long, movingvertically 8 in. At the free end, reinforced on both sides by slidingsteel castings, which are lifted with the rail; when the latter isdropped in place, the wedges on the castings engage at the abutment andheel joints and at one intermediate point in dove-tailed wedge seats, insuring tight contact with the rail, and absolute fastening to the deckof the bridge. The objection to the ordinary lift-rail, which inlowering must make its own joint by seating in tight boxes, has beenthat any slight deviation from a true line would prevent the rail fromseating itself properly. This objection has been entirely overcome inthis design, by allowing liberal clearance on all seats, and securingrigidity by the sliding bars and wedges which are connected with theinter-locking system, so that it is impossible for a clear signal to begiven unless the lift-rails and wedges are in their proper positions. This device has been operated successfully on the New York and LongBranch Railroad bridge over Raritan Bay for the last 18 months. 

Each of the two main tracks on the Meadows Division, and all the maintracks in the Harrison Transfer Yard, are of standard construction, withPennsylvania Section, 1909, 100-lb. , open-hearth steel rails, and stoneballast. Every fifth tie is made 9 ft. 5 in. Long, to carry the thirdrail for the electric current, and all joints of the running rails arebonded for the same purpose. Track-laying on the Meadows, and inHarrison Transfer Yard, has been done under contract dated April 26th, 1909, with Henry Steers, Incorporated, of New York City. 

Samuel Rea, M. Am. Soc. C. E. , Second Vice-President, PennsylvaniaRailroad Company, is the executive officer under whose direction thework has been carried on. Mr. William H. Brown, Chief Engineer, Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and Chief Engineer of the MeadowsDivision, also a Member of the Board of Consulting Engineers for thetunnel extension, until his retirement by age limit on February 28th, 1906, located and started the construction of the line from Harrison tothe western portals of the Bergen Hill Tunnels, which latter point wasthe westernmost limit of authority of the Board of Consulting Engineers. Mr. A. C. Shand succeeded Mr. Brown as Chief Engineer of thePennsylvania Railroad Company, and as Chief Engineer of the MeadowsDivision, with the writer, who was Assistant Chief Engineer of thePennsylvania Railroad Company, and had been closely associated with Mr. Brown at the time of the location of the line and its earlier period ofconstruction. H. E. Leonard, M. Am. Soc. C. E. , Engineer of Bridges andBuildings, Pennsylvania Railroad Company, designed the Hackensack RiverBridge, the superstructures of the other bridges, and the rail-lockingdevice on the Hackensack River Draw-bridge. The surveys and constructionof the Meadows Division and of the Harrison Transfer Yard have been incharge of Mr. William C. Bowles, Engineer of Construction. 

[Illustration: PLATE XX, FIG. 1. --LIFT RAIL AND LOCKING DEVICE, DRAWPARTLY OPEN. ]

[Illustration: PLATE XX, FIG. 2. --LIFT RAIL AND LOCKING DEVICE, DRAWCLOSED. ]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote A: Presented at the meeting of June 1st, 1910. ]