The bridge was the only fixed Hudson River crossing between Albany and New York City until the construction of the Bear Mountain (road) Bridge in 1924, and was advertised as a way to avoid New York City car floats and railroad passenger ferries.
Ownership of the bridge passed through several railroads including the Central New England Railway (CNE), New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (NH), Penn Central (PC) and Conrail.

A strengthening of the bridge was completed in 1907 to handle heavier freight trains by engineer Ralph Modjeski, of the famed bridge civil engineering firm Modjeski and Masters, who added a third line of trusses down the middle, a central girder, and interleaved columns.
In 1917–18, the double tracks on the bridge were converted to gauntlet track operation to center the weight of heavier NH 2-10-2 steam locomotives.
Even so, trains were restricted to 12 miles per hour.
 In 1959, the gauntlet tracks were replaced by a centered single track.

During World War II, the bridge was a vital link for war freight traffic, guarded around the clock by United States Army soldiers.
At its peak, nearly 3,500 train cars crossed over the Hudson on a daily basis.
The bridge was the only fixed Hudson River crossing between Albany and New York City until the construction of the Bear Mountain (road) Bridge in 1924, and was advertised as a way to avoid New York City car floats and railroad passenger ferries. Ownership of the bridge passed through several railroads including the Central New England Railway (CNE), New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (NH), Penn Central (PC) and Conrail.
A strengthening of the bridge was completed in 1907 to handle heavier freight trains by engineer Ralph Modjeski, of the famed bridge civil engineering firm Modjeski and Masters, who added a third line of trusses down the middle, a central girder, and interleaved columns. In 1917–18, the double tracks on the bridge were converted to gauntlet track operation to center the weight of heavier NH 2-10-2 steam locomotives. Even so, trains were restricted to 12 miles per hour.  In 1959, the gauntlet tracks were replaced by a centered single track.
During World War II, the bridge was a vital link for war freight traffic, guarded around the clock by United States Army soldiers. At its peak, nearly 3,500 train cars crossed over the Hudson on a daily basis.
Walkway over the Hudson