Selkirk, New York

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Selkirk
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Selkirk
Location of Selkirk within the state of New York
Coordinates: 42°32′01″N73°48′22″W / 42.53361°N 73.80611°W / 42.53361; -73.80611 Coordinates: 42°32′01″N73°48′22″W / 42.53361°N 73.80611°W / 42.53361; -73.80611
Country United States
State New York
Region Capital District
County Albany
Elevation
161 ft (49 m)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
12158
Area code(s) 518

Selkirk is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York. It is located south of the city of Albany and is a suburb of that city.

A major freight railyard operated by the Selkirk Subdivision of CSX Transportation [1] is located there; all of the CSX freight traffic going to or from Boston goes through Selkirk on its way to points north, south or west. The route is also used by traffic from New York City via the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge to points west, a detour known as the Selkirk hurdle.

Also in Selkirk is Audubon International, a non-profit environmental educational organization.

The Dr. John Babcock House, Bethlehem Grange No. 137, and Schoonmaker House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [2]

Selkirk is accessible via the New York State Thruway at Exit 22, a stop that has connecting routes New York State Route 396 and New York State Route 144. [3]

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Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge

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Selkirk hurdle

The Selkirk Hurdle is the term used by urban planners, railroad employees, politicians, and others to describe the route that must be taken by freight trains traveling between New York City and other points in downstate New York that are east of the Hudson River, and locations in the United States to the south and west. There are no rail freight bridges or tunnels that cross the Hudson River south of Selkirk, which is 10 miles (16 km) south of Albany and the home of Selkirk Yard, a major CSX classification yard. As a result, trains from Long Island and New York City must travel 140 miles (230 km) north to cross at Selkirk before continuing on their way. Advocates claim that this detour and the inefficiencies that result force New York City to rely more heavily on relatively inefficient trucks than most parts of the United States, where freight trains are more common. However, at least for traffic to and from the west, this route was touted for its efficiency as the "Water Level Route" by the New York Central Railroad because trains using it did not have to climb over the Appalachian Mountains, and it is still used by the New York Central's successor, CSX, for traffic to both sides of the Hudson River.

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References

  1. CRISNY.org Archived October 6, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. Thruway.NY.Gov