The New Haven RR Image Page -- Providence Union Station Gate Signs

The 'image page' is where we put a changing variety of New Haven Railroad artifacts for you to enjoy. Be sure to check back here often because we plan to refresh these images on a regular basis.

Providence Union Station Gate Signs

Gate signs were used at the larger passenger stations on the New Haven Railroad to indicate train departure times and stops en-route to boarding passengers. Roll-down/up gate signs painted on fabric were used at Boston's South Station, Back Bay, and at New York's Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station. Several of these fabric gate signs can be seen on-line here. A different type of gate sign, made of sheet metal, was used at New Haven, CT. An example of this type of sign can be seen here.

Yet another type of gate sign was used by the NHRR at the Union Station in Providence, RI. These signs were made of Masonite, they were 29 inches long by 11 1/2 inches high, and they were suspended from hooks placed through two holes positioned along their top edge. According to people familiar with the operations at Providence, the signs were suspended from hooks in the passageways under the tracks that led from the station building to the platforms to indicate which track the train was coming in on. Here are several Providence gate signs from the collection of Marc Frattasio.

Here's a gate sign for the eastbound Murray Hill, Train #8. The Murray Hill ran from New York's Grand Central Terminal to Boston's South Station.

Here's a gate sign for the eastbound Gilt Edge, Train #28, which also ran from Grand Central Terminal to South Station. The Gilt Edge was the oldest named passenger train on the NHRR. It also had a connection, Train #28-86, that took passengers up the Springfield Line from New Haven, CT to Springfield, MA.

Train #20, the Puritan, also ran from Grand Central Terminal to South Station. Most of the NH's named passenger trains were actually two trains with the same name and different numbers, one train running in each direction between Boston and New York City. The Puritan was unusual in that there was no train named Puritan running from Boston to New York.

Gate signs were not restricted to name trains only. Here's an example from a lowly local train that made all the stops on the historic B&P line between Providence and Boston.

The Narragansett, Train #4, was unusual. It actually began in the 1930s as a coach train that ran overnight from New York to Boston. Originally, the economy-minded passengers who rode the Narragansett were given pillows so they could sleep in their seats. In later years, the Narragansett had sleeping cars as well as coaches.

Here's a gate sign for the eastbound Commander, Train #46, which ran between New York's Grand Central Terminal and Boston's South Station.

Here's a sign for the eastbound Patriot, Train #171, which ran from Washington D.C. to Boston via Penn Station, the Hell Gate Bridge, and connections with the Pennsylvania Railroad.

The eastbound (northbound?) State of Maine, Train #124, ran from Washington D.C. to Bangor, ME via connections with the Pennsylvania, Boston & Maine, and Maine Central railroads.

The aptly named Bostonian, Train #14, ran from New York's Grand Central Terminal to Boston's South Station.

The Neptune ran between New York's Grand Central terminal and Cape Cod points during the summer months. The train was split at Buzzards Bay, MA with one section going to Woods Hole and the other going to Hyannis. This operation was reversed for the trip back to New York.

The eastbound Colonial, Train #174, ran from Washington D.C. to Boston via New York's Penn Station and the Hell Gate Bridge in cooperation with the PRR.

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Providence Union Station Gate Signs

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The NHRHTA web site is © 2006 the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association, Inc.
Do you have comments about our web site? Contact the NHRHTA webmaster.
For other NHRHTA questions, check our NHRHTA contacts page.

THE IMAGE PAGE

Providence Union Station Gate Signs

PAST IMAGE PAGES

The NHRHTA web site is © 2006 the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association, Inc. Do you have comments about our web site? Contact the NHRHTA webmaster. For other NHRHTA questions, check our NHRHTA contacts page.

The NHRHTA web site is © 2006 the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association, Inc.
Do you have comments about our web site? Contact the NHRHTA webmaster.
For other NHRHTA questions, check our NHRHTA contacts page.