The R/V Pelican, a converted navy LCM-8/Mike Boat landing craft owned by Madeline Marine of Verplanck joined work on the North River West 69th Street Transfer Bridge restoration project this week. I have seen this boat a few times on the river over the years coming to and from job sites but not up close and stationary like this. The project to stabilize and restore the historic piece of rail infrastructure has been under way for over year now and appears to be getting closer to completion, with new paint in place on most of the exposures and the control house above having been reclad with new windows installed.

The transfer bridge once allowed rail cars to be moved by barge from the New York Central’s 60th Street yards to the railroad’s Weehawken yard across the river or to other rail terminals and piers around the harbor.