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Re: East 180th Street (4/10/17)

Posted by JOE @ NYCMTS - NYCTMG on Mon May 1 10:30:54 2017, in response to Re: East 180th Street (4/10/17), posted by MainR3664 on Mon May 1 07:23:56 2017.

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Hello --- Main R3664 AND EXPRESS RIDER

Thanks to both of you for your stated support and appreciation and enjoyment of what I have been presenting on this Thread Topic. My enjoyment is the enjoyment of and the knowledge and information provided to, persons reading same who have an active interest and desire for such visual and historical data and info...likely for some info and images they were previously unaware of.

So I appreciate your interest and supporting comments -- as well as those few others who have done so in this thread.

BTW, I still have a LOT MORE material to add to my FLICKR site -- over the next many weeks. Right now I am getting ready for the upcoming East Penn Traction Club Meet in 2 weeks.

Here is a contemporary 2015 photo showing the uprooted and dumped aside, askew, still intact fragmented remains of the one track switch that long ago (until removed, 1972) connected to the now-new rebuilt mainline track to its left. When AMTRAK replaced the westerly track with new rail, ballast and concrete ties, they evidently just crane hoisted the rusted switch track remnant long abandoned trackside remains and simply just tossed it further west out of the way of the work crews !!

The original N/B NYW&B Local track (of the 2 NYW&B tracks at that point of location), actually ran straight thru where the "new" Catenary post was after NYW&B abandonment, later installed.





That post seems to have replaced the original 2 tracks further west6 one from NYW&B operation days, which then carried the long Catenary Bridge straight west to it across the 2 NYW&B tracks. It appears that some time between 1948 and 1950, 1951, the Bronx River where it does a C curve up towards the NYW&B roadbed embankment, may have been compromised, eroded or washed away partly possibly by time or a storm. Also, which could have impacted it, was in 1947, the stucco and wood bathing pavilion of the partially abandoned since 1932, Starlight Amusement Park, was destroyed by a fire. It was located in that area on the River.

Here is what I found documented elsewhere - (copied)
====================================================

...."By the 1930s, most of the Starlight Park rides had closed, but the pool was still a popular draw. The park became a magnet for the area’s working class families, who enjoyed sunbathing, picnicking and, if they stayed after dark, moonlight dancing to live big band music. One of the very first Bronx radio station WKBQ also made Starlight its broadcasting home in 1931.

Sadly, Starlight met with a rather ignoble fate. The park was slowly demolished in increments between the year 1932 and by 1940, when it was permanently closed, and transformed into a city “truck facility.” A fire in the 1947 destroyed any remaining vestiges of the park, and its memory was completely wiped away by expanses of the Cross Bronx Expressway....."
====================================================

Anyway -- regardless, a new heavy concrete retaining wall was erected against the west edge of the then NHRR Railroad Mainline River-edge embankment and in doing so, forced the removal of that original westerly catenary post, and a newer one immediately installed inboard a bit further eastward, where we see it smack in the middle of the R-o-W for the former NYW&B NB track.

At that same time the unused short westerly part of the catenary bridge beyond that new post towards the river edge, once needed for Cat wire above the 2 track NYW&B Railway was also cut away.

Here below is a 1951 aerial showing the NEW concrete wall and the new cat post and shortened cat bridge, already in place.





Of course, as we know, and per that 1951 aerial photo, the new NHRR-NYCTA interchange track connection switch between the S/B NHRR main track and the abandoned NYW&B's N/B express track, has yet to be installed. It was installed in late 1954 just immediately north of that new catenary post.

Here is a closeup track level view in 1952 facing north to that new post, and see the newly installed and VERY CLOSE to the NYW&B R-o-W Embankment, and former S/B abandoned track, New Concrete High Retaining wall at left....where the original Cat Post would have been originally standing!





Just a little more lost tidbit-history !

Class dismissed (heh) !

regards - Joe F

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