The New York Elevated Railway Company

Discussion in 'Route Suggestions & Proposals' started by NEC Railfan, Mar 15, 2020.

  1. NEC Railfan

    NEC Railfan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 29, 2020
    Messages:
    976
    Likes Received:
    1,025
    There was once a time before the subway in which New Yorkers still got around by rail. These were known as the “Els”. Literal railroads suspended over the street below.

    History
    In the 1850s, New York City’s population was growing quickly, especially with the arriving immigrants from Europe and Asia. Transportation was a nightmare. Most people took an Omnibus, a horse-drawn commuter carriage, but it was very slow due to much congestion. The speed averaged 1-2 mph downtown. A plan was needed to fix such an issue. People had heard of the new railroads the were doing wonders for the west, so they wondered if the same could be done for the city. A breakthrough occurred in 1864 when Charles Harvey demonstrated a functional design. Instead of steam locomotives however it was cable drawn. Two bid steam engines were placed at each end of the line. And a cable pulled his little cart to each end.
    upload_2020-3-14_23-27-17.jpeg
    A version of this design was built along ninth avenue in 1867 and began service in 1868. It was quite unreliable as the cable constantly snapped. They line was converted from cable to steam in 1870, using a small “dummy” engine. A steam locomotive enclosed in a box structure.
    upload_2020-3-14_23-31-16.jpeg
    The lime was extended over the following years to 155th Street. The line soon switched over the more conventional-looking steam power, based on a design by Matthias Forney. More about it in the Rolling Stock Section. The line competed with the new subway with passengers until 1940. When all the private transit lines were assumed by the New York City government. Mayor La-Guardia, and the public, hated the look of the els and how they made the street dark. Plus they hid the full facades of buildings, the other els came down first. The 2nd ave El in 1942, then the Sixth ave El in 1938, and the and ninth ave els in 1940. But a shuttle still remained between 155th street. And the Jerome ave line. Called the polo grounds shuttle it ceased operation in 1957 and the rest of the structure was torn down in 1958. The Third ave El kept service until 1955, and a shuttle in the Bronx portion stayed alive until 1973.

    Route
    The line ran from South Ferry to 155th Street. Then going over a bridge to the Jerome Avenue El. (part of today’s 4 line). The line that would be represented would be to 155th Street. The era would be turn of the century.

    Rolling Stock
    The rolling stock is arguably one of the coolest aspects of the this route. The line ran on steam until 1903, when it was switched to 3rd rail power. The steam locomotives were mostly built by Baldwin in the 1870s based off a design by Matthias a Forney. His principle was based n acceleration and adhesion. He wanted all of the boiler weight on the drivers. The cab, tank and coal bunker were supported by a rear truck, creating an 0-4-4T wheel arrangement. Common in England but rare in the US. The locos were slowly phased out by electrification. The last were retired in the early 40s.

    The Electric cars were mostly from converted steam coaches. A well-known fleet was the MUDC cars. They were known for having Multiple door unit control meaning a conductor could manage the doors throughout the length of the train. A novel technology indeed. These cars were built in 1905-11 as coaches, rebuilt in 1923 into EMUs and survived until 1973 on that 3rd ave El portion. They are a contender for the NYC longest working railcar.
    Here are some pictures of the steamers and MUDCs.
    upload_2020-3-15_0-12-24.jpeg
    upload_2020-3-15_0-12-49.jpeg
     
    • Like Like x 1

Share This Page