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| Re: Tuscarora Almanac - December 15, 1956 - The Book of First and Last Runs (1264476) | |||
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Re: Tuscarora Almanac - December 15, 1956 - The Book of First and Last Runs |
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Posted by JOE @ NYCMTS - NYCTMG on Sun Dec 15 21:59:19 2013, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac - December 15, 1956 - The Book of First and Last Runs, posted by murray1575 on Sun Dec 15 08:36:39 2013. Hello ALL: --I wrote extensively a numnber of messages some years ago here with explicit details of the 3 types of IRT Third Rail styles. Likely that message is long gone. Regarding the 3rd Ave EL, I rode and photographed extensively, both the Manhattan & Bronx portions. The Manhattan and Bronx portions PRIOR TO May 12, 1955, always had the original "Manhattan EL Style" 3rd rail, which was higher and was closer to the Track than IRT Subway Style Covered 3rd rail. That IRT EL STYLE 3rd Rail had a wooden protector board at the catwalk-facing-side of 3rd rail, and the TOP edge of this protector board was about 1 3/4 inches HIGHER than the top of the 3rd rail head. It was bolted with insulator blocks, to the sides of the 3rd rail ! On lines where the IRT WOOD EL Trains and IRT Steel subway cars shared the same ELEVATED TRACKS and EL ROUTES, in the Bronx, and on the then (until end of 1949) IRT operated Queens Flushing and Astoria Line EL lines, the IRT EL STYLE 3rd rail DID NOT HAVE the catwalk-side facing wooden protector board...thus being the 2nd style of 3rd rail used. This was because the IRT STEEL subway cars always had subway PADDLE type 3rd Rail Shoes designed for use on (the third IRT style 3rd rail) covered IRT SUBWAY style 3rd rails. However, these paddle shoes at that time were specially shaped (contoured as such) and truck-positioned so the middle portion of the paddle shoe could ride flat on the closer, higher IRT EL STYLE 3rd rail surface. However, the wooden catwalk-side facing protector board, being higher than the 3rd rail head, would have fouled and lifted the paddle shoes OFF the 3rd rail ! BMT EL Gate and later Q TYPE EL Cars that back then ran as shuttles on the then-IRT Flushing and Astoria ELS, were ALL fitted with SUBWAY STYLE Paddle Shoes, of the general design used by IRT steel SUBWAY Cars. Only the IRT 2nd Ave EL TRAINS running on those two Queens EL routes used the IRT "Drop Sled" EL style 3rd rail shoes on and contacted ONLY the IRT EL Style open 3rd rails on those two EL routes. The other trains fitted with Paddle shoes, contacted BOTH types of 3rd rail simultaneously when operating along tracks having both types of 3rd rails along each track ! OK - NOW - back to the BRONX 3rd Ave El. The Manhattan and Bronx 3rd Ave EL in its entirety, (as did 2nd, 6th and 9th Ave EL's) had the original IRT EL STYLE 3rd rail with the catwalk-facing-side wood protector board. This was TO PREVENT any steel IRT SUBWAY trains from operating on the, specifically, Manhattan Elevated structure portions, which could not hold their "Gross loaded vehicle weight (ie: with passengers) After May 12, 1955, -- up until fall in 1956, the BRONX surviving portion of the 3rd Ave EL still retained its wooden safety backboard at the catwalk-facing side of its EL STYLE 3rd rails. As the IRT MUDC's and Q Type Cars still continued to operate with their DROP SLED 3rd rail SHOES. Note: The BMT Q-Type consists, when transferred from Queens to the IRT 3rd Ave EL for center-track EXPRESS ONLY service in April-May 1950, still had their original BMT Peckham MOTOR and Trailer Trucks (on the A and C "Motor" Q-Type Cars only) also still having their subway type paddle shoes. Those trucks were replaced by the IRT with former IRT Composite Car trucks, which had already decades earlier been fitted with IRT EL DROP SLED Shoes on them as used previously for decades by the composites in 2nd and 3rd Ave EL Express Service. (the Q Type "B" middle trailer cars retained and kept their shoe-less original BMT Peckham Trailer trucks) When the NYCTA decided to replace the MUDC and Q-Type WOOD EL cars on the Bronx 3rd Ave EL, with surplus steel Steinway ALL-Motor Cars, track crews some time around Sept-Oct 1956, started removing the WOODEN safety backboards from the EL STYLE 3rd Rails on BOTH local tracks ONLY on the surviving Bronx 3rd Ave EL. THIS was so that the Steel Steinway cars, fresh from Subway Route services, could more quickly be placed on the EL by December 1956. The unused (but still "live") center EXPRESS tracks from above 149th St thru to near (west of) Gun Hill Road interlocking, still RETAINED their wooden side-protector board on the EL Style 3rd Rail. This because THAT track was solely to be used after Dec. 1956 to store the wood EL Q-Type EL cars with their DROP SLED SHOES - and also due to the plan to "fully deactivate" the center tracks by early 1958 and dismantle most portions (rails, etc) of it....as was done between 1959 thru 1965 incrementally. The EL Style 3rd Rail on the center, as abandoned,express tracks was itself, quickly then removed first, and all gone by early 1959 !ALong with all un=needed express track signals and hardware. So, the Steinways (SEE PHOTO ATTACHED) ran from Dec. 15, 1956 thru late 1957, with their subway paddle shoes riding on IRT EL STYLE 3rd Rail -- WITHOUT the backboards which just over 3 months prior, were all removed to facilitate this operation on a temporary measue.  Note in this late 1957 photo, view north from the E.169th Street EL northbound station, a southbound STEINWAY TRAIN consist with their SUBWAY PADDLE SHOES riding upon the IRT EL STYLE open 3rd rail BUT with the catwalk-side-facing wood protector board removed. NOTE the center "now non-revenue" express track, with stored (30 sets of 3-cars each) Q TYPE's - waiting to go, in small groups over time, to CI Yards to be overhauled to go in to BMT Myrtle EL Service by May 1958 -- still HAS its wood safety board on the side of its EL Style 3rd Rail ! By late 1957 thru early 1958, the track crews started installing SUBWAY STYLE covered third rails along both local tracks, generally along the opposite side of each track across from where the exisiting open EL style 3rd rail was still being used. As many blocks-long sections of subway Style Covered 3rd rail were installed and activated, in increments, the now un-needed EL style 3rd rail was "de-energized and removed at that same time, on the opposite side of the local tracks. By mid 1958, this process was completed --all under regular train operation. Riding the EL frequently then, I recall seeing this 3rd rail changeover ongoing ! A work train using a few flats and by then very few sole remaining MUDC's using the center express track, handled the materials for this ongoing 3rd rail changeover. So, some useful history and this should answer the poster's question with facts. Regards - Joe F |
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