Railroad Ferries of the Hudson and Stories of a Deck Hand [Paperback]

Raymond J. Baxter (Author), Arthur G. Adams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1999

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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Raymond J. Baxter worked on the New York Harbor waterfront for almost forty years, serving first as a railroad deckhand and then as a railroad police officer. Arthur G. Adams is founding president of the Hudson River Maritime Center at Roundabout Landing in Kingston. In 1981, he was given a special award of merit for outstanding achievement in Regional Studies by the State University of New York. He is Executive Vice President of the Hudson River Navigation Company is trustee of the Victor Herbert Performance Trust Fund.

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Fordham University Press; 2 edition (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823219542
• ISBN-13: 978-0823219544
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,379,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars commuting on the railroad ferries, September 22, 2000

By 

james w. betts (honolulu, hawaii USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Railroad Ferries of the Hudson and Stories of a Deck Hand (Paperback)

co-author raymond baxter's authentic deckhand stories blend well with the historic photos and brief histories of the railroad ferry companies. dispatching of the chambers street boats had been "dumped" somewhere over the years on the gatemen. Once the rush hour ferry Youngstown left two minutes earlier than the scheduled 5:28PM departure. As a result a large number of angry commuters missed their Erie suburban commuter trains out of Jersey City. Many interesting stories abound. The photos of the ferries and the deckhand stories enabled me to relive my years of New York commuting by train and boat. Fordham University Press deserves praise for this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars that was the way to go, September 18, 2000

By 

james w. betts (honolulu, hawaii USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Railroad Ferries of the Hudson and Stories of a Deck Hand (Paperback)

There was always the view of the busy harbor-ocean liners,freighters,tugs and barges.In the hot summer months there was always a breeze on the open deck. During heavy fogs there were close calls-making the trip a real adventure. This authenic book brought back good memories of my days commuting on the railroad ferries of the Hudson.The many rare photos and the short histories of the ferry operators add to the local color, and increase the value of this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars that was the way to go, September 18, 2000

By 

james w. betts (honolulu, hawaii USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Railroad Ferries of the Hudson and Stories of a Deck Hand (Paperback)

There was always the view of the busy harbor-ocean liners,freighters,tugs and barges.In the hot summer months there was always a breeze on the open deck. During heavy fogs there were close calls-making the trip a real adventure. This authenic book brought back good memories of my days commuting on the railroad ferries of the Hudson.The many rare photos and the short histories of the ferry operators add to the local color, and increase the value of this book.