PC: Re: Penn Central station building

[Mester123@xxxxxxx]

Hi everyone,  

Does anyone know if it was Penn Central who constructed the 1972 North White
Plains, NY train station located above the tracks of the ex-NYC, then Penn
Central Harlem Line?  It was constructed at a time when Penn Central was
running the commuter trains that stopped there - that I know.  However, it was
constructed as part of the high level platform project of 1971-1972 done
between New York and Harmon on the PC Hudson Line, and New York and North
White Plains on the PC Harlem Line, only for stations in the electrified zone
which was between those locations on each PC line, to accomodate the then new
M-1 electric MU cars.

At this time though, the MTA was paying Penn Central to run the NY City area
former NYC and NH RR commuter lins that the Metro-North RR now operates.  Most
stations just got a high level platform the inbound side and the outbound
side, and the original station buildings stayed in most cases, but at North
White Plains.  A completely new station was constructed above the tracks south
of the original station location.  The Metro-North RR still uses this building
today, although the original PC high level platforms have been torn down
replaced by newer high levels which include more canopies.

Does anyone know if it was Penn Central who constructed this station, or was
it the MTA?  Now the MTA has firm control over the Harlem Line and that
station itself, but does anyone know what role they had in it back then?
Technically, it is an actual station (although an ugly one) that wasn't built
by the New York Central, one of the few things that weren't built on the
Harlem Line by the NYC as a matter of fact.  However, does anyone know if it
was the MTA, or the Penn Central who shelled out the money and provided the
construction crews for this station?  

Lastly, does anyone know if this station facility was ever refered to by Penn
Central as White Plains; North Station as the old one was (my PC 1971
Metropolitan Region Employees Timetable still lists the location as that and
not North White Plains yet).  Does anyone know what year exactly did this
station facility open for business?  Does anyone remember the old ex-NYC
station building which PC had operated as the station since 1968 until this
one opened?

Thanks! Sorry for rambling on so much!  I missed those days of RR's, and with
the way things are at North White Plains today, I think it's great hearing
about how they were in the better days, yes in this case it seems to me as
though here, things were even better in PC time than they are now under
operation of the Metro-North RR, the same people who demolished the old
beautiful brick White Plains, NY station in 1983 that even Penn Central found
a way to keep open while replacing the low levels.  But that's another story!

Thanks for your patience!

John Weyhausen