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| Re: Covered/uncovered third rail (778979) | |||
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Re: Covered/uncovered third rail |
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Posted by Joe @ NYCMTS - NYCTMG on Fri May 1 17:12:22 2009, in response to Re: Covered/uncovered third rail, posted by randyo on Fri May 1 15:09:32 2009. Hello Randy (O) Yes, we both participated in that long ago thread. 3rd rails thread...heh Being the IRT "West Farms Line" Westchester Avenue EL from Brook Ave thru to Bronx Park EAST Terminal Station was planned to be pre-opened and temporarily served first and SOLELY by IRT Manhattan 3rd and 2nd Ave Elevated Trains via the original and then only-existing "E.150th street-Third Avenue" 2 track conection EL branch from the 3rd Ave EL Mainline just north of E. 149th street station - the West Farms line was initially fitted solely with EL style 3rd Rail.....but with NO wooden back safety board on the West Farms Line EL's Elevated style uncovered 3rd rail. This situation was to remain the status quo, and the only utilized form of 3rd rail on that route, and thru its later connection to the E. 180th street "new" terminal and shops opened circa (IIRC) 1918-20. (Thus having NO "Dual" 3rd rail) However, when the White Plains Road extension was built to E. 241st street in 1918-20, it WAS fitted from E. 180th street northward with DUAL 3rd rails on each track. WHY "dual" on that newer portion, I dont understand - except perhaps as City financed, possibly the provision (subway type 3rd rails also) was required in and of advance-plans to possibly run steel subway cars only some day and eliminate the "wooden el trains"...along with removal then also of their old style "unsafe" anmd duplicate 3rd rail ! When the Bergen Cutoff was service abandoned (IIRC late 1946 or was it 1947) for revenue service and removed about 1948-9 - the original earlier connection at E. 150th St. & 3rd Ave., which ceased revenue passenger service around 1918-19, was kept operationally alive for the occasional work train and non revenue transfer move needs and as for emergency Bergen bypass usage. It was a 2 block long still remaining connection - but was likewise removed in 1950-1, and therefore there was no more need for EL ONLY style 3rd rail below Bronx Park East and E.180th street Stations. Therfore, it was removed replaced solely by subway style covered 3rd rail by circa 1950-1 at least. Third Avenue EL Mainline trains that could have used the intact E.150th St & 3rd Ave. "original" connector between years 1946 and 1950 for non revenue shop or layup yard bound, or work train moves, to the E. 180th Street Yards, shops, or E. 239th St Yards, shops, via West Farms /White Plains Rd Line - now had to use the 3rd Ave EL Bronx mainline north up thru to Gun Hill Rd Joint Station connection to White Plains Rd. Line. elevated and its E. 180th St. or E. 239th St. shops, yards. As the new INTERBPOROUGH Company had "leased" the Manhattan Railway Co. Elevated Lines "for 999 years" in (IIRC) 1901-2, with the idea of unifying its first (and later) subway line route(s) with joint operation on some of the Elevated ONLY Bronx routes - a dual "contact pad" paddle shoe was developed for the first initial subway cars (the wooden Composites and steel Gibbs) - and long carried on thereafter to later IRT fleets. One NOTE: Steel IRT subway cars COULD NOT electrically operate under their own power on ANY of the 4 old Manhattan El routes - even unloaded 'light" in non revenue moves - SOLELY because of the, that, high wooden back safety board used on the Manhattan EL lines on their El style 3rd rails. It would foul (*) the subway car paddle shoes ! In fact, IRT steel subway cars towed empty along the Manhattan Els (to and from shops, yards, ie: those EL Shops and yards at E. 99th, E. 129th or E.155th streets) - and towed to Manhattan's 2nd Avenue EL over the Queensboro Bridge from the IRT operated Flushing and Astoria line Els (up to June 1942 closing of 2nd Avenue EL connection to Queens!) had to have their subway paddle shoes removed (*) from the insulated shoe beams !!! But of course Randy, you and I long well knew about all this anyway ! Regards - Joe F |
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