Once upon a time the New York Central Railroad used to float railroad cars across the Hudson River on barges. That must have been a sight to see! The Transfer Bridge was built in 1911 and was used until 1968.

The Transfer Bridge was almost torn down, but fortunately when Riverside Park was renovated in 2000 it was given attention, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

The New York Times stated that it has “a pair of hinged bridge decks suspended by cables from a barnlike overhead housing. Motors inside that housing lifted and lowered the decks to align them with the floats, whose position depended on the tides and the loads they carried.” You can see them both in the raised position in the photo below.

Since 2015 there have been plans to stabilize and restore the structure. The NYC Department of Parks states it is in active construction since January 2025 and will be completed in 2026.

Did you know that train car floats are still used? The New York New Jersey Rail floats train cars daily between the 65th Street Yard in Brooklyn and Jersey City. Pretty cool!

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The Transfer bridge is a wonderful place for walkers and dreamers. Head on over to Riverside Park and check it out!

How to get there:

You can enter Riverside Park at West 68th Street and Riverside Boulevard. Follow the walking path and you can’t miss it.

Sources:

Wiki
NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
New York Times
Riverside Park Conservancy

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