Rare Map of the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway

Source:  Linder, B., " The Westchester's Last Days" in The Bulletin, Electric Railroaders' Association, Vol. 56, No.1, January, 2013, p. 7,8.  Drawing of Map is from Marvin L. Landsman, et. al. Electric Railroaders' Association, May, 1962.

The New York, Westchester and Boston Railway, which ran in Bronx and Westchester counties ended service after midnight on December 31, 1937 as a result of the Great Depression.  Many books have been written on the subject.  My experience with the line is riding the IRT Dyre Avenue Line in the Bronx which took over part of the right of way (see map) on May 15, 1941 as a shuttle line.  (Present Day IRT Number 5 Route). Much of the right of way north of the Bronx has been taken over by roads and general development.  I came across the map which was republished in "The Bulletin" and I thought it would be interesting to post.  The railroad was built according to high standards and I did not believe how extensive the coverage.  Notice that the end of line was Harlem River where there was a transfer to the Third Avenue Line.  We covered the area mentioned earlier in the blog.  Users of the NY, Westchester and Boston did not have a one seat ride to the "city ".  Perhaps if the NY, Westchester and Boston traveled up the ramp to the Third Avenue El station at 133 Street, where a cross platform transfer could have been arranged, or through service provided from Westchester, the histories of both railways (El and NY, Westchester and Boston), would have been different.

Riga Latvia Tram Route Map

  I found this map at the rapid transit map directory that I posted earlier regarding the University of Texas.  I posted this map because it is a good companion to the two Riga tram youtube videos that I posted. In the video showing the first part of the tram route number 5, which starts at llguciems on the east bank of the river, I was surprised what appears to be a rural area is so close to the city center.   This is the video of a "trolley disconnect" which is very interesting.  Does the disconnect take place just before Darza Iela?  On Riga tramways, the stops are announced by automated recording and this map can be very helpful in tracing the route on the videos that I posted and others that are on the web.  Notice how long the Ilguciems-Milgravis route is.  Enjoy!
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/new_york.html  Check out the University of Texas links to rapid transit maps on the web.  You will need to scroll a bit, the link above is not direct to the rapid transit map site.
Tramway Null(0)

Shreveport Louisiana Trolleybus Map

Source:  "Shreveport:  The Trackless Trolley Years 1931-65", In Southern Traction Annals Trolley Coach News, Ruffin, Tom, Winter and Spring, 1981, Vol. 12, Number 1, Published May, 1984.

Shreveport Louisian had an interesting trolleybus operation that ended in 1965.  This not well known system had a unique system of route identification where each route had a unique symbol made out of sheet metal that was connected on the roof on the front driver's side.

  Map above comes from page 17 of the sited work and was drawn by Wayne Hom in January, 1975.  The overhead wire diagram comes from a Ray Degroote Map of 2/63.  The map covers the period of 1956 to 1965.

Not Cowboy Spurs but Sheepshead Bay Race Track Spur

I came across a track map drawn by B.Linder and published in the New York Division Bulletin on page 2, in their July 2003 edition (Vol. 46, No 7) showing the Sheepshead Bay Race Track Spur.  Many Brooklynites and those who are interested in rapid transit and rapid transit history do not know about this spur.  Up to around ten years ago, a passenger in our present day "B" or "Q" trains would look out of a north bound train to Manhattan in an easterly direction just south of the Neck Road station and they would see a curved wall at surface level.  This curved wall was destroyed to make way for modern housing and is probably all that remained of this spur.  According to the map, the sidings were removed between January and March, 1929.  I believe that this spur may have been under wire at this time as was the main line.  In short, the development of rapid transit in Brooklyn could be generally explained as follows:

1. Steam Railroad on the surface (19th Century) Examples:  Culver, West End, Brighton Lines
2. Steam Railroad on elevated line in business areas (Late 19th Century), Examples, 3rd Avenue and 5th Avenue Elevateds in Brooklyn and perhaps the Myrtle and Broadway Els as well.
3. Steam Railroad on elevated line extended to suburban areas such as the Coney Island Area via the above right of ways. (Examples:  Culver, West End and Brighton Lines)
4. Electrification of the the Elevated Lines and trolley wiring of their extentions on the surface (1890's to early 1900's).  Trolley wire strung on Gravesend Avenue, Brighton Line Right of Way, New Utrecht Avenue (West End Line).  Train cars had trolley poles and third rail shoes.
5. Construction of the more modern elevateds with third rail and equipping private right of ways with grade separation and third rail power. (Around 1914:  Modern Sea Beach, Brighton Line, Culver Line and so on.
6. Running modern subway equipment on new elevated structure and private right of ways such as the Sea Beach Line and Brighton Line using third rail power.
7. Former right of way under new elevated structures retained trolley wire and tracks and was served by streetcar type of service at ground level. (Example, around after 1916, such as the Gravesend Avenue (McDonald Avenue Trolley), West End Trolley under the West End El on New Utrecht Avenue).

8. Abandonment of streetcar service under elevated structures.  (For example, West End Trolley died in 1947, McDonald Trolley died in 1956.
9. Abandonment of older elevated structures, such as the 3rd and 5 th Avenue Elevateds, Fulton Street Line, Lexington Avenue El (1940's to 1950).  Section of the Culver El abandoned in 1975.

It is possible that for a short period of time, dual mode service (trolley pole and third rail shoes) was operated at the eastern end of the Jamaica Elevated and the Metropolitan Avenue Line, but I am not sure.

According to the material I presented, logic would say that this Sheepshead Bay Race Track spur was operated under trolley wire because the Brighton Line line was not redesigned for third rail operation until after 1912.  Although not shown on the above diagram, there were two easterly tracks on the embankment  that was stream railroad operated by the Long Island Railroad.  Perhaps this spur was served by Long Island Railroad Stream trains?  But I am not sure.

Note:  The Neck Road station is presently on an embankment and probably was also prior to 1912.

Imagine a race track on Ocean Avenue?

More about this to follow:
Tramway Null(0)

ARCGIS "What Could Have Been Map"

Map of what could have been drawn to the best of my ability.