Cable and Steam Years, Manhattan Elevated Railroads

[daveklepper]

[Miningman]

Holeeee...talk about the end of the line.

These pics are incredible but need a pithy to the point explanation. 

[wanswheel]

[daveklepper]

Need the edit button to insure I don't post errors on matters like this.

[wanswheel]

[Overmod]

Note the interesting reference to what I believe is the Beach tube system.

It may pay to remember that a problem with Harvey's original system was the extreme lightness of the laterally-cantilevered construction of the overhead viaducts, and another problem was the way in which the cable was routed (which I suspect had something to do with A.T.Stewart's objection to transit that might interfere with his precious 'vaults' under Broadway).  I don't have the time to find the detail drawing of how the cable was routed down the upright and carried 'back' under the pavement, or the arrangements that were made to provide reverse (as I recall, the demonstration version involved reversing the entire engine and winding plant to bring the car back, and the 'in-service' version had only directional running with a separate 'flower' column viaduct line on either side of a street).

As with the early "semi-automated" Phoenix Bridge system of elevated-railroad construction, all the early Harvey designs were way, way too light to have sustained meaningful traffic growth, and I think would have proven outright dangerous within a comparatively few years.

[timz]

daveklepper

The map (forget what book it's copied from) shows the 6th Ave El and a bit of the Ninth Ave El. The RR in the pics ran along Greenwich, but did any of it still exist after 1881?

[Firelock76]

Looking at that photo of Mr. Harvey on his "El Buggy" I can't help but think he must have been grinning wide enough to eat a banana sideways when he took it for a spin.  What a way to tour New York!

[wanswheel]

https://archive.org/stream/fiftyyearsofrapi00walk#page/70/mode/2up

[daveklepper]

The Greenwich St. - Ninth Avenue - then Columbus Avenue elevated was rebuilt three or four times, the last time by the IRT in years 1914 -1918.  It lasted until unification in June 1940, inlcuding the original route, but not the original structure.  The newer "Gilbert" 6th Avenue elevated, map shown, was torn down in 1938 because of Mayor LaGuardia's desire to rid Manahttan of all elevateds, the desire of property owners on Sixth Avenue, despite the structure of the in-construction 6th Avenue subway designed to support the elevated.  The line was the most profitable of the IRT elevated lines despite being only two tracks instead of three.  IRT through service on 6th Avenue north of 155th to The Bronx was provided only during rush hours, but those expresses did go all the way to Woodlawn, current end of the 4 subway line, the elevated actually opening the service before completion of the Lex subway.

Thanks for the Charles Harvey information.  One pix of the original in-service cable car is shown.  The "shadbelly" cars were steam-hauled.