Some Trolley Transfer Tickets from New York City and Westchester

Source: "Third Avenue Railway System Transfer Forms", by Melvin Rosenberg, in New York Division Bulletin, Electric Railroaders' Association, Vol. 34, Number 1, January, 1991."

  A brief introduction to this topic will follow in a few days.  Although this topic does not deal with maps or analysis, railway transfer tickets may be the only information that a person may have of certain street railway information from about 100 years ago.  In the New York region, these artifacts provide a great deal of information that otherwise would be lost regarding routes, route numbers, transfer rules and even ticket and printing technology.  More to follow on this topic.
Tramway Null(0).  This topic comes from an historical article written by Melvin Rosenberg many years ago.

Sixth Avenue El Layout in Manhattan: 1893-1903

Source:  B. Linder, " Sixth Avenue "L" - History and Track Plans", In New York Division Bulletin, Electric Railway Association, Vol. 36, No. 12, December, 1993, p. 2.  Order Item No. M-108. Map Compiled by staff.

Please see this early map showing the layout of the Sixth Avenue El before an upgrade years later.  Some department  stores and other buildings had passageways directly to the el at various locations.

The Sixth Avenue El was the first of the Manhattan Els to go; the end came on December 5, 1938.

17th & 18th Street Crosstown (1907) - Manhattan

Source:  Linder, B. in New York Division Bulletin, Electric Railroaders' Association, Vol. 31, Number 8, August, 1988. p. 6.

This line started in either late 1874 or early 1874 and ended on February 14, 1919.  It was never converted to electricity and was always are horse car line.  Originally until 1904, it was really a crosstown line and went to the west side to the Christopher Street Ferry.  It was cut back as shown on the map.  Due to my posting mistake, the bottom of the map was truncated, and the real end is at 8th Street and University Place.  There was no track connection to the 8th Street Line and there was a double crossover north of 8th Street.  In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, 18th Street seems to have been a busy street.  There was originally an 18th Street station on the IRT subway at 18th Street and 4th Avenue (Park Avenue South).  This station was closed in 1948?  On the west side, there is currently an 18th Street station at 7th Avenue on the 7th Avenue subway.  It is a local stop.  18th Street is a typical one way narrow crosstown street.

Sixth Avenue Streetcar (Manhattan) 1919-1933 Track Map

Source:  Linder, B.  "Sixth Avenue 1919-1933", In New York Division Bulletin, Electric Railroaders' Association, Vol. 30, Number 11, November, 1987.  pp.4-5.

An explanation regarding this interesting map will be given in the future. Approx. Dates:  Horsecar 1852, Conversion to Electricity, in stages, 1898.  Replaced by buses, March 12, 1936.

  Sixth Avenue in Manhattan is an interesting street regarding urban transit.  It was one of the few streets in the city, such as Fulton Street in Brooklyn and parts of Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn that had the three types of electric urban transportation, namely electric streetcar service, elevated and then later subway service. The streetcar service on Sixth Avenue was conduit driven, like most Manhattan streetcars.  The Sixth Avenue Subway was built as the Independent Subway while el service was still in operation.  I believe Sixth Avenue El service stopped in the late 30's while the Sixth Avenue Subway openned in the early 1940's.  Notice on the map below that Sixth Avenue trolley service ends at 3rd Street and curves to the left to West Broadway.  Sixth Avenue or "Avenue of the Americas" was extended south by getting rid of old buildings and making a new street as the IND subway was being built.  I think the Sixth Avenue El took the same path as the Sixth Avenue streetcar.  Currently, Avenue of the Americas ends to the south near White Street. Also note, that the path of the Sixth Avenue streetcar downtown on Fulton Street between West Broadway and Church Street is right at the former "World Trade Center" and the area is now being redeveloped with new skyscrappers.  Sixth Avenue was so much different than Fifth Avenue, it's neighbor one block to the east.  The Sixth Avenue El had entrances to 19th Century Department Stores at selected stations while Fifth Avenue was so anti rapid transit, no streetcar line ever ran on the street.  In fact, when it came to build IND or BMT subway entrances on Fifth Avenue, it was decided to place the entrances and laterns out of sight of the Fifth Avenue building line because they did not want to mar the beauty of Fifth Avenue with having the indignity of having a subway entrance in view!  But the Fifth Avenue retail establishments enjoyed the customers arriving by subway for sales that were generated. 

Sorry, But there is "NO EL" for 58 Years

We are past the anniversary of the end of service on the 3rd Avenue El from Chatham Square to 149th Street on May 12?, 1955 and here is a cute clip that I found on subchat posted by Monorail last Sunday.   It will show you how 3rd Avenue looks today and there is a interesting King Kong cameo which is shown  destroying the Sixth Avenue El?*.  At least it is in the same family.  Rapid T. Rabbit is shown in his "The Third No el".

*  According to one expert, the 3rd Avenue El did not have the equipment shown destroyed in the King Kong movie in the 1930's. (ie. Lo-V Trailers) and the Third Avenue El did not have any 90 degree turns in midtown Manhattan according to one source at subchat.


 I hope you enjoy it.

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Mystery Incline at 42nd Street Between First and Second Avenues

Notice the 2nd Avenue El to the left of the frame (from 1924 aerial photograph) and the incline at 42nd Street between First and Second avenues..  Current street elevations are shown imposed on the 1924 aerial photograph.  Notice that the street elevations do not change until you appoach Tudor City Place.  Actually, the street elevations are increasing as you go east then drop off fast near the river.  You can clearly see the shadow of the incline.  I looked at aerial phoographs beyond the frame of the picture and I do not know where the tunnel leads to.  Thanks threestationsquare for the info. [ The United Nations complex is off the map and is north and east of the diagram.]  Tramway Null (0)

Third Avenue El, 156th Street to Harlem River - 1934 - 1955

Source: B. Linder, NY Division Bulletin, March 1993, Vol 36, No. 3, Page 3.  Narrative to follow.

Third Avenue El - 129 Street to 34th Street - 1934 to 1955

Source; B. Linder, NY Division Bulletin, March 1993, Vol. 36, No. 3, Page 4.

34 th Street Crosstown Trackage Map

This streetcar trackage map comes from the following source: 
Linder, B, "34th Street Crosstown", New York Division ERA Bulletin, March 1988, Vol. 31, Number 3, Page 6.

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West 42 nd Street with 1924 Aerial Photograph

In the map below, please see if you can see the earlier four track layout on West 42 nd Street at 12 th Avenue.