Poughkeepsie to Albany Great American Railroad Journeys

I have crossed the Atlantic to ride the railroads of America

with a new travelling companion.

Published in 1879, my Appletons' General Guide

will steer me to everything that's novel...

beautiful...

memorable

or curious in the United States.

-ALL:

-Amen!

As I cross the continent, I'll discover America's Gilded Age

when powerful tycoons launched a railway boom

that tied the nation together

and carved out its future as a superpower.

I'm following a recommended Appletons' route,

north along the magnificent valley of the Hudson River.

HORN BLARES

Today I want to discover how tourism, art, culture,

learning, even a sense of Americanness,

spread northwards

along, of course, with the railroads.

I began my journey in New York City

and on its surrounding commuter railroads.

Now I'll continue up the Hudson River to Poughkeepsie

and the New York State capital, Albany.

From there, I'll turn west to the Great Lakes,

taking in Rochester and Buffalo

and I'll finish my journey on the Canadian border at Niagara Falls.

This leg of my journey begins

at Garrison, New York

from where I'll hug the banks

of the river, north to Poughkeepsie.

Next, I'll head west into the

beautiful Catskill Mountains -

Catnip for tourists

at the time of my guidebook.

I'll finish my journey in the

capital of New York State, Albany.

'Along the way I'll take a different sort of line.'

Ah! Whoa!

Agh! No!

'And enjoy beautiful mountain scenery

'from an American iron horse...'

-Wow.

-Take it west, little Tom.

HORN BLARES

'..before tapping into Albany's boozy past.'

Whey!

Wow, that is strong.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

I shall be leaving this train at Poughkeepsie.

Appletons' tells me that it's the largest city

between New York and Albany.

"It has no fewer than eight important educational institutions,

"including Vassar College - one of the leading female colleges

"in the world."

How interesting that from the middle of the 19th century,

American women could enjoy higher education

of exceptional quality.

Founded less than 20 years before my guidebook was published,

Vassar College had an unlikely benefactor.

English-born Matthew Vassar had no formal education.

He'd made his fortune from beer, with his brewery, like many others,

thriving on the banks of the Hudson.

With no heirs, Vassar decided to immortalise his name

with an institution and boldly founded a university for women

to rival the men's Ivy League colleges.

Vassar College counts Meryl Streep, Jane Fonda

and Jackie Kennedy Onassis amongst its alumni.

Even at the time of my Appletons', Vassar was home to some big names.

In the observatory named after Maria Mitchell,

I'm meeting astronomy professor Debbie Elmgreen.

-Hello, Debbie.

-Hiya, Michael.

Good to see you.

I just wonder, how quickly did Vassar have an observatory?

It was the first building on campus.

That's extraordinary. Why was that so?

Matthew Vassar had a vision that he wanted women to be educated

just as men were.

And 20 years earlier, Maria Mitchell had been awarded a gold medal

from the King of Denmark for discovering a comet through

a telescope and that made a worldwide impact,

so everyone knew about her.

She was America's first woman astronomer.

And so he lured her to Vassar to be one of the first professors

and built the first observatory for her.

And what was she like as a teacher of her students?

She was famous for getting students up beyond their curfew

and getting them up in the middle of the night to observe an object.

The only problem is that Poughkeepsie skies

are not research grade skies.

Because you have too much light.

Because we have too much light and too unstable an atmosphere.

Did Maria Mitchell take her students further afield?

She had two famous expeditions cross-country in the late 1800s.

So 1869, 1878, she took a handful of girls by train

to see total solar eclipses.

And this was obviously very pioneering.

She went to one in Iowa and another in Denver.

Poughkeepsie, New York to Denver, Colorado is quite a long train ride.

Couple of thousand miles, yeah.

Here were these young women who were in the field

with their long dresses with chronometers measuring the eclipse.

One of her mottos was,

"Don't learn it from a book, learn it by doing it."

And we still do that today.

Heading back to the Hudson, I'm struck by the natural beauty

of this impressive 300-mile-long river.

and by the prowess of the engineers who

in so many places along its course managed to span its awesome width.

This is the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge.

It was the first to link the eastern and western shores of the river.

And thus, New York City to the growing American railroad network.

Opened in 1888 with a span of close to 7,000 feet,

it was a technological wonder of its time.

It burnt down in 1974 and lay abandoned for nearly two decades.

Then in 2009, it rose from the ashes

as this delightful pedestrian walkway.

It is the longest elevated walkway in the world.

It was once the longest bridge in the world

and the first to be built across the Hudson.

Having come to know a little bit about this mighty river,

I'm struck that I can, at a height of 212 feet,

cross it using just the power of my own two feet.

My route continues back across the Hudson at Poughkeepsie

where I pick up my journey northwards to Rhinecliff.

Thank you very much.

At the time of my guidebook, many travellers would have been

making their way west to the wilderness

of the Catskill Mountains.

"The Catskills," says Appletons',

"are part of the great appellation mountain chain.

"They follow the course of the Hudson River for 20 or 30 miles.

"They present a multitude of picturesque objects

"and Indian traditions single them out as the favourite dwelling place

"of spirits."

Thanks to that usual American combination of a tycoon

and brilliant railroad engineers,

we can enjoy them by train.

All aboard!

-Hello, Earl!

-Hello there, Michael, how are you?

-Good to see you.

-Great to see you too.

Thank you, Tom, we're ready to go.

-OK!

-Wow.

Take it west, little Tom.

HORN BLARES

Today, small sections of the numerous lines

that once crisscrossed the area run as heritage railways

and are looked after by enthusiasts like Earl Pardini.

Earl, my Appletons' tells me that the Catskills contain wild country

and are a favourite place for artists.

But I don't suppose that's why they built a railroad here. Why did they?

Well, it's really interesting, Michael.

The reason they charted this railroad originally

was to tan hides.

The Catskill Mountains were covered with hemlocks and red oak

and the bark from those trees made tannic acid

and, would you believe it,

when you look around at the Catskills Mountains

and you see all these trees here,

around 1890 this place was clear-cut, clear-cut!

When they cut down all these trees, they had all that lumber

and that ended up going to New York to build the metropolitan area.

By the time they got the railroad completed enough,

they also developed chrome tanning

and the whole tanning thing went away.

By the mid-19th century,

the abundant natural resources of this area gave rise to tourism.

Of course, the cities at that time were all coal-fired

and pollution was just horrible, especially in the summertime,

so that people were looking for a place to go and, of course,

we had this beautiful clean air here.

As a young nation,

the United States lacked very old buildings for tourists to visit.

The dramatic landscapes of the Catskill Mountains

and the Hudson River became America's castles and cathedrals.

At its peak, which was around 1913,

670,000 people rode this railroad in one summer.

That is amazing.

There were nine trains a day in each direction.

Prior to the railroad,

it was a half a day's journey to get from Kingston

to where we are here right now,

and all of a sudden with the railroad it became an hour's trip.

HORN BLARES

So, in the industrial era, thanks to the railways,

this area wasn't quite the wild frontier.

Having enjoyed the heritage railroad,

I find that 21st-century tourists can appreciate

the Catskill Mountains on a different sort of line.

-Hello, are you Brad?

-I am. Hi, Michael. Welcome.

Very good to see you. You're going to get me harnessed up, are you?

-I am. Are you ready for this?

-Yes.

-All right.

-Largest head you've had here for a while.

-It is actually.

-Oh!

-Is that too much?

-No, no. Just, you know, just feels

a little like a mediaeval torture. It's fine.

-Do you feel OK?

-I feel fine.

-All right.

Oh, my goodness. Oh!

Don't make any mistakes.

One, two, three.

One, two, see, four.

All right, now you are good to go.

Thank you very much.

I personally would always choose a railway line,

but for a view that you wouldn't get from a train

and that artists would have died for,

it has to be the zip line.

Ah!

For this you need cat skills!

Whoa!

Argh!

Argh!

Aah! Whoa!

Ah!

I'm making my way back to the river at the village of Catskill -

site of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge.

Built with supplies brought upstream

with the help of a temporary narrow gauge railway,

it was named in 1935 after a character created by

the great American writer Washington Irving.

Irving declared,

"Of all the scenery of the Hudson,

"the Catskill Mountains have the most witching effect

"on my boyish imagination."

Overlooking the river, is the studio of an American artist

who was mesmerised by this landscape -

Thomas Cole.

And there I meet art historian, Keith Lebel.

So, this is a wonderfully preserved studio of Thomas Cole.

How did he paint? How did he represent the Hudson Valley?

Well, his first trip was spent hiking in the mountains sketching,

really trying to capture a certain realism of the American landscape.

When he went back to his studio to finish the paintings,

he had completed a series of works to capture

the natural beauty and grandeur of the environment.

And this then was quite influential on others, I believe?

Others followed in his wake?

For sure. Cole is thought to be the founder

of the Hudson River School which is a term that we use

to associate people like Frederic Church and Jasper Cropsey,

other artists who followed Cole's philosophy of nature

and how to look at America and paint it truthfully.

So when Cole begins in 1825,

I suppose that it is a pretty virgin landscape,

but then I've seen how much tourism there has been in this area,

-I assume it begins to change as those others follow him.

-For sure.

Industry comes up the Hudson Valley,

the trains bring corporations, tanneries,

people are altering the landscape

to make the most of the natural resources.

And this was problematic for Cole.

Cole himself made selective edits to his paintings

at the beginning of his career.

He would omit, very deliberately, signs of mankind.

It was this romanticised landscape

that late-19th century tourists had come to enjoy.

Do you think the Hudson River School plays an important part

-in establishing national culture, self-consciousness?

-Yes, absolutely.

People like Thomas Cole

painted scenes from the wilderness

to legitimate the American landscape.

They would often paint views of natural land farms

that became tourist destinations in their own right.

It encouraged people to go out and see the landscape for themselves,

and to experience everything the nation had to offer.

Having experienced a little of this landscape for myself,

I too am inspired.

Excuse me disturbing you. Hello.

-Hello.

-My name's Michael.

-Katruen. Nice to meet you.

-Hello.

-Helena. Nice to meet you.

I find you in the shadow of Thomas Cole's house

-and I find you painting.

-Yes.

-Are you inspired by Thomas Cole?

-Yes.

I think everyone that works at the site is,

I think that's why we're drawn to it.

The area's beautiful and he captured the American wilderness

like no other painter has.

-I believe you teach children how to paint?

-Yes.

-Yes.

Well, you've got a large child with you now. LAUGHTER

So how should I set about depicting that tall, straight tree there?

Thomas Cole would first start with the drawing,

and he would actually write notes in there to himself to remind himself of the details,

and then he would go back home and paint.

So, the important thing with working like Thomas Cole

is that he always observed from nature.

Is there something particularly American

about Cole, about this landscape?

I know for many people Thomas Cole's landscapes are particularly American

because they have this wild aspect to them that you don't often see in European landscapes,

because Europe was just much more developed than America was when Thomas Cole was working here.

How do you think the Hudson River School is regarded in America today?

Well, it's definitely widely regarded

as the first great American art movement,

so it has a lasting influence.

I believe that Americans are in that point right now

where they're pulling back to Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School of thought,

cos it wasn't just painting,

going back to that to try to form a stronger American identity

when so many things are being challenged today.

I'm never going to capture the beauty of this landscape.

But, as I end my day, it's definitely made its impression.

BIRDSONG

I shall be leaving this train at Albany,

which Appletons' tells me is the capital of New York State.

Founded by the Dutch as a trading post in 1614,

and next to Jamestown in Virginia,

it was the earliest European settlement

in the original 13 states.

Its present name was given to it in 1664

in honour of the Duke of York and Albany, who was later King James II.

It's very often the case in the USA that a state's capital

is not its biggest or best-known city,

and Albany, New York, fits the pattern.

Albany became capital in 1797,

and industry boomed thanks to its prime location.

The city also led the way in the new age of transport.

In 1831, one of America's earliest railroads, the Mohawk and Hudson,

ran north-west from Albany to Schenectady.

One of the first steam locomotives ever built in the United States

ran on this line, the Dewitt Clinton,

named after an early governor of New York State.

An industry which helped the affluence of the state was brewing.

So I've arranged to have a beer with ale historian Craig Gravina.

Albany has a great location.

It's right on the Hudson River, it's not too far from the Mohawk River,

which allows you to be able to get into the interior of the state.

And it's really perfectly positioned in the Appalachian mountain range,

where it's the only break in that mountain range to get to the Great Lakes.

In the 1820s, they built the Erie Canal

and it perfectly positions Albany to bring grain and hops

from central and western New York into Albany.

The beer is made in town

and then it's shipped down to the port of New York

and all over the world. We've seen that Albany ale by the 1850s

is being shipped to Honolulu, Hawaii, we've seen it in Newfoundland,

we've seen reference to it in Buenos Aires.

So in the 19th century, if I'd asked for Albany ale, what would that have been?

It would've been strong first off, and it would have been fairly light.

It would've been mildly hopped,

it would be the equivalent of what today might be considered an English light mild.

-Well, I wouldn't mind tasting some of that.

-I think we can make that happen.

At this microbrewery, they're bringing back the glory days of Albany ale

under master brewer Ryan Demler.

So now is when we get into the fun and messy bit.

If you would be so kind as to tap the cask for us so we could try it.

And why is that messy?

Erm, I mean, you know, if it's not well-vented,

you might get a little bit of a beer shower.

-You look ready to take a shower, it's a hot day.

-Would you...

-I'm standing back here.

-Would you mind holding on to that?

-Absolutely.

OK.

-Ready, everybody?

-As we'll ever be.

Hey!

-All right.

-Right!

-TAPPING

-Job done.

-Perfect.

-Thank you very much.

-You're very welcome.

Now, what do you call this lovely brew?

We're calling this one, in honour of you coming down here, Albany Railroad Ale.

-Thank you. Cheers.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

Wow! That is strong!

80 years after my Appletons' was published,

Albany was in decline.

To galvanise the city the then state governor, Nelson Rockefeller,

dramatically altered the skyline.

This is his Empire State Plaza,

a complex of state government buildings

in the international style,

inspired in part by the architecture of Brasilia.

Costing 2 billion, it was designed on this massive scale

to be appreciated from across the Hudson.

Albany was also engaged in a grand building project at the time of my guidebook.

Published in 1879, my Appletons' tells me that the new capital,

"was began in 1871 and its exterior is nearly finished.

"When completed it will be the largest and most splendid edifice in America

"except for the federal capital at Washington.

"It stands on the most elevated ground

"and will be visible for many miles around."

With this spectacular building, New York made a statement.

You might call it assertive,

some other envious states might have called it arrogant.

In fact, Albany had good reason to be boastful.

It was one of America's oldest and most prosperous cities,

and in 1754 it had hosted a conference

at which a proposal formally to unite the colonies was discussed.

A president and Grand Council of Representatives was suggested,

and each colony was to retain its own independent legislature.

Although not implemented at the time,

it's not unlike the political system

that the United States of America would adopt.

As a former politician, I look forward to comparing notes

with New York State Senator Democrat Neil Breslin and his staff.

-You haven't met Michael.

-Hello.

-Hi, I'm Kate. Nice to meet you.

Good to see you, Kate.

What... Are you in charge of constituents or legislation?

-What's your bailiwick?

-I am the Senator's community liaison.

Now, Neil and I are a rather similar generation,

does Neil get in there on Twitter and Facebook?

Oh, yeah. He has a Twitter account, a Facebook account,

-a LinkedIn account.

-I'm proud of you.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-LAUGHTER

I never got my head round that stuff.

-How do you do?

-Good, Michael.

So what kind of legislation's on the boil at the moment?

You know, the Senator was responsible for insurance and healthcare and education.

-And I think Neil has a background in insurance, don't you?

-That's correct.

So is that what you particularly enjoy legislating about?

So I've been in insurance in the Senate for 18 years.

-That's a bit awkward, because the Senator may know more than the staffer?

-Yeah, he does.

LAUGHTER

-Or at least that's what Evan is saying now.

-LAUGHTER

-Appropriately.

-Yes.

Although my guidebook looked forward to this building soon being completed,

in fact, it would take a further 20 years.

It was opened in 1899 by Theodore Roosevelt, then the state governor.

The lavish decoration in the Senate Chamber

is perhaps a clue as to why it took so long.

Now something that rather puzzles me, cos I used to be in your business as well,

for European viewers it may be a bit difficult to understand,

what do the states do and what does the federal government do?

I think it's best described by saying each of the 50 states

does what they think is best for their state.

And the federal government generally leaves them alone,

unless there's some compelling national interest

that allows the federal government to act.

With New York State, you have New York City, upstate,

we're a lot different than other states in terms of our philosophy,

we're much more liberal.

So we can have laws passed that reflect the population.

And I think a good example of that

is marriage equality passed in New York State.

-You were in the vanguard on marriage equality, were you?

-That's correct.

This is a magnificent building which I found very striking,

how does it feel to you coming to work day by day in this grand place?

Every day, when I walk in here, it's a monumental day.

I look around and I go, "My gosh!

"This is a nice place to be in and a nice place to work."

And it's nice to bring my grandchildren in here to see it

-and they view it as a castle.

-LAUGHTER

It does represent the might of New York.

-I mean, New York just is a very important and powerful state, isn't it?

-Right.

I still believe it's the commercial centre of the world

and one of the most important states,

and, if it was a country,

one of the most important countries in the world.

That particularly American political, economic

and cultural power flowed down the Hudson,

through the Empire State

and across the world.

The Hudson River was named after an Englishman

who was working for the Dutch.

And New York and Albany draw their names from a British prince,

yet the Hudson has played a vital role in defining America,

since the moment that revolutionaries

prevented the Royal Navy from conquering it.

In that riverscape,

which my guidebook regards as superior to any in Europe,

writers and painters developed a distinctive American style.

And out of the Hudson's waters and hills

there grew patriotism, national consciousness and self-assurance.

Next time - I try to keep up with the latest rail technology.

Can you see there's a little dip in the terrain?

You've put all the hazards in here, haven't you?

I man the Erie Canal, a waterway that shaped America.

It changed New York State and really the country,

an almost immediate impact after the canal opened.

And I land somewhere over the rainbow.

-And you have a yellow-brick road running all the way through your town.

-Yes, we do.