Streetcars and Spatial Analysis. What are your proposals for streetcars and or trolleybuses in Brooklyn and New York City? Here past trackage maps are presented and analyzed in todays environment. Geospatial analytical methods are discussed regarding new routes.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Bergen Avenue Cut-off of the 3rd Avenue El
Source: B. Linder & J. Erlitz, New York Division Bulletin, ERA, Vol. 48, No. 10, October, 2005, p. 18.
Many of my posts were on the subject of the Third Avenue El. In the Roger Arcara film on the subject, the Bergen Avenue cutoff was mentioned when the 143rd Street Station on the 3rd Avenue El was mentioned. Here is a map showing the layout. It connected with the I.R.T. White Plains Road Line just as it exited from the tunnel. The last date of passenger service on this branch was 11/6/1946 and the structure was out of service on 11/10/1949. The structure was still standing in mid 1950. Although at the moment I cannot research the service pattern, I believe that this branch was used in the early years of the 1900's by Third Avenue El trains in order to provide service to the new White Plains Road elevated structure because the subway portion (southern underground section) of the line was not finished and may have provided access to the shops for Flushing Line cars after the lower portion of the 2nd Avenue El was abandoned..
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ReplyDeleteI believe that this branch was used in the early years of the 1900's by Third Avenue El trains in order to provide service to the new White Plains Road elevated structure because the subway portion (southern underground section) of the line was not finished ...
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There was another connection from the Third Avenue El to the elevated extension of the subway on Westchester Ave. This connection branched off the Third Ave. line just north of 149th St. station and ran over Westchester Ave. to join the subway line where it emerged (near Bergen Ave.). It was opened around 1904 and allowed elevated trains to serve the line up to 180th St before the subway tunnel under the Harlem River was completed.
The Bergen Ave. connection was built as part of the Dual Contracts (around 1916), at the same time as the upper level from 129th to 143rd Streets, to alleviate congestion at 149th St area. It was mostly used by Second Ave. El trains to Freeman St. After 1940, some Third Ave trains used it (also to Freeman St) until 1946 or so.
Hi Ed:
DeleteThanks for your information. It makes perfect sense what you say because if the Bergen cut-off branches off the upper level of the 143rd Street station that was constructed during Dual Contracts, subway service existed already. You saved me a job off looking up the info in my archive. I could not find your answer regarding the express platforms at 42nd Street on the Third Avenue El because my archive has no index. Perhaps because 42nd Street was located in one of the busiest part if the city, there were enough northbound passengers that were willing to travel a few stations southbound to get an northbound express train at 42nd Street. The next express station was so further uptown, it paid to go downtown one stop and without crossing over to the other side, simply go upstairs and get an uptown express train. This is just a guess.
Thanks for your feedback.
Regards,
Tramway Null(0)