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Re: Shuttle of New York City

Posted by JOE @ NYCMTS - NYCTMG on Mon Aug 8 06:16:36 2016, in response to Re: Shuttle of New York City, posted by Elkeeper on Sun Aug 7 20:38:37 2016.

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Hello El Keeper

There was a major demolition of the Polo Grounds W.159th St EL yards in 1943 -- I have attached a dated official demolition photo. There may have been a small portion of the elevated yard trackage retained -- perhaps 2 or 3 rows of tracks coming off the former S/B express track converted to a one yard lead track from the W.155th St Station -- as quite obviously there would not need to be hardly much of it for Composite Car Shuttle Trains layups in off peak. And all that scrapped El yard surplus steel rail and EL structures was needed for the war scrap steel recycle effort.

BELOW-photo from my collection; Looking north from the W.159th St overhead Tower March 2, 1943





Whatever severely diminished tiny portions of the once huge yards that remained there, were removed sometime between 1949 and 1950, for the construction of the Colonial Park Housing (now the Rangel Houses) Projects. Its 8 buildings construction were started in 1950 and the first buildings and apartments opened May 1951. And the whole 8 buildings were finished for rental by September 1951. They were built entirely on ALL lands of the former huge W. 159th St EL Yards. See photos below.

Except the former IRT ground level land waterfront property along the Harlem River edge that by 1952 became part of the then new southernmost entry to the Harlem River Drive. By the 1960's, the Drive was extended southward to 129th St & 3rd Avenue, to mate with the east River Drive which temporarily ended many blocks south of 129th Street

Here is what the Polo Grounds looked like with Yards and W.155th Street Station in an aerial view prior to June 1940




Here are two views of the new Colonial Park Housing Projects built in 1950-51 on the grounds of the former W.159th St huge EL yards:

Below is an aerial view N.E. from the Coogans Bluff hillside (west side of the yard grounds) with the north edge of the Polo grounds Stadium at right; 1951 newsprint photo;






Below is an aerial view northward from the south side of the Polo grounds, showing the housing projects and the new Harlem River Drive south extension towards the connection to the East River Drive at 2nd Ave at E.129th Street.





So I would safely say that the yards, whatever truncated smaller remnants remaining after 1943-44, were removed some time around (ballpark figure, no pun intended) 1949, to prepare the land and excavations for the 8 huge project buildings that opened in May 1951.

If any other info comes up, I will provide it.

regards - Joe F







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