Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. LXVIII, Sept. 1910 / The New York Tunnel Extension of the Pennsylvania Railroad. / Meadows Division and Harrison Transfer Yard. Paper No. 1153

PLATE XVI.—Plan and Profile of the Pennsylvania Tunnel & Terminal R. R., from Harrison, N. J., to the Hudson River
Harrison Transfer Station and Yard. —The necessities for the Harrison improvements are two-fold: First, as a place to change motive power from steam to electric, and vice versa ; second, as a transfer for passengers from trains destined to the new Station at Seventh Avenue and 33d Street, New York City, to steam or rapid transit trains destined to the 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 New Jersey seashore resorts, and local trains on the New York Division bound for the new Pennsylvania Station, will change their motive power from steam to electric engines at the Harrison Transfer Station. Likewise, all trains from the Tunnel Line will change from electric to steam motive power there, and passengers coming from Jersey City and the southern section of New York City can take through trains at the Harrison Transfer platforms. It is estimated that the time required to make this change of motive power, or to transfer passengers, will not exceed 3-1/2 min.
As planned at present, there will be four main running tracks, one adjacent to each side of the two platforms, providing standing room for four of the longest trains, two in each direction, or double the number of trains of ordinary length, so that passengers having to transfer from a train destined to the Pennsylvania Station at 33d Street to a train destined for the Jersey City Station or the Hudson and Manhattan Tunnels will merely cross the platform. Between the two interior main tracks are two shifting tracks, so that between the platforms there will be two passenger tracks on which trains will stop to change motive power and transfer passengers, and two shifting tracks for rapid despatching of the empty engines and motors, each of the four tracks being 15 ft. from center to center to allow for uncoupling and inspection of cars.