Hoboken New Jersey

The Lackawanna Railroad Terminal

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, today I post, a Green Station. Now, before some of you start adjusting your color settings, or accuse me of digital chicanery, let me assure you, this is a fairly accurate representation of the actual color of the station. I admit, it is a bit unusual, but indeed, even in the broad daylight without the benefit of colored floods (a la’ the Empire State Building), it is green.

This coloration is a result of the design of the work of the architect Kenneth M. Murchison (his work has been featured on a previous posting). He designed this station for the Lackawanna Railroad (technically and legally the railroad in question was the Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad, but it was normally referred to by just the one name) in 1907. He collaborated with Lackawanna Chief Engineer Lincoln Bush, also noted as the creator of the “Bush Train Shed.” In it Murchison used the then predominate architectural style which has been classified as “Art Nouveau.”

Apparently one of the main stipulations in the contract that Murchison had with the Lackawanna was that any structure he built for them in Hoboken had to be “Fireproof” (perhaps because the previous Hoboken Lackawanna Terminal had burned to the ground?). Accordingly, Murchison clad most of the exterior of the building in copper, which by now has “rusted” into the green that is seen today.

The station is technically not actually a “Terminal” rather it has always been more of a transfer point, or what we would call today an “Intermodal Facility.” Passengers coming into the station by train would, and still, debark and board a waiting ferry to complete their trip into Manhattan. In like manner, passengers coming from New York City by boat would, and still, alight here and board an outbound train.

In its inception, the Hoboken Lackawanna Terminal was built to serve both those commuting into New York from the surrounding New Jersey/New York/ Pennsylvania countryside, and those coming from more distant points such as Chicago. In the late 1950’s the Erie Railroad, which at that point was in the process of merging with the Lackawanna, closed out its Jersey City operations and moved them into this terminal. But this was only a temporary measure. In 1970, all inter-city operations out of the Hoboken Terminal ceased leaving only the commuter runs. These commuter operations, and this terminal were later taken over by New Jersey Transit, which continues to use the station to this day (however, the Bush Train Shed is now gone).

There have been two other recent changes. While there is still some ferry service from the terminal, and indeed probably some of the ferries involved in the recent rescue of the passengers from the Delta Airliner that landed in the Hudson recently were from this terminal, for many people this option has been supplanted by the PATH “tubes” which run over to 33th street in Manhattan. Even more recently, a surface “light rail” operation running along the New Jersey shore of the Hudson, called the Hudson-Bergen line, has been added. Thus, while it no longer hosts long-distance travelers, the station remains a true “Inter-modal” operation in the most modern sense of the word for thousands of commuters each day.

There are two further interesting notes concerning this station. First, owing to its Riverside location, the terminal building (shown) and the ferry slips are built out over the water. Only the land-side train tracks and adjacent yard trackage are actually on land. Second, the famous Wizard of Menlo Park, Thomas Alva Edison, brought an interesting closure to his career by piloting the first electrified equipment (which his company had built) that left the station in 1931 (Edison’s first job was selling papers and snacks on the trains of the Michigan Central). The equipment Edison introduced was finally retired in 1980, but it has been replaced by newer more modern equipment. Thus, the Hoboken Lackawanna Terminal has both diesel-electric and “pure” electric commuter trains operating out of its restored and refurbished surroundings.

Jersey City New Jersey

The Central of New Jersey Station

For many years this structure, originally built in 1889 to replace an earlier out-dated one, meant for many people, the beginning of not just a train trip, but a whole new life. This was the closest rail station to Ellis Island, the first destination for so many immigrants into the United States during the latter half of the 19th century. This station was so close, it could be seen from the north-facing windows of the facility.

This station saw not only Central of New Jersey trains, it also saw the "Royal Blue Line" trains of the Baltimore and Ohio. And there-in lies the problem. Because unlike the Pennsylvania, the Baltimore and Ohio did not go into New York. It stopped here, and you had to make a bus/ferry connection to get into downtown New York. During World War I and up until 1926 an exception was made and the B&O came into Penn Station. But then the exception was ended and the B&O came back to Jersey City.

And that was too much for many people. And so, while the Pennsylvania struggled to hold onto the New York Passenger Train market, the Baltimore and Ohio finally gave up.


Today, the station is part of Liberty State Park. It has a small exhibit about its role in the Ellis Island Operation. It also is one of two places where you can catch the ferry boat out to Ellis Island, and to the Statue of Liberty (Battery Park on the tip of Manhattan is the other place). Because it is not as well known, it does not appear to be as busy as the Manhattan stop, so if you want to visit Ellis or the Statue, this might be your best bet.


There is also a Science Museum at the entrance to the park. It has been recently remodeled.


All of this can be reached by using the Jersey City Light Rail Line (you can get it at the old Lackawanna Station in Hoboken which is now called "Exchange Place", and then use a shuttle bus.


The Station is obviously in good condition both inside and out. The authentic Bush Train shed out back, alas, is in a very advanced state of decay. I expect before too long they will either have to do a major renovation, or tear it down out of a concern for the safety of the visitors.