Convertable streetcars (and semi-convertables?)

[daveklepper]

Start with Third Avenue in open configuration, more to follow:

At E 177, just east of West Farms Sq., end point for C, Bronx and Van Courtland Parks line, other end at Bronx-Yonkers line on B'way

[seppburgh2]

These must have been a hoot to ride!  Where any of these convertables saved? Don't think I've ever want to get off!

A few years ago I picked up a bell from the roof of a 100/300 series car of the Third Avenue Railway.  It was offered for sale by an elder person who picked it up as a teenager from where ever the cars were being dismantled. He used it under the hood of his car, then for "wake up the neighbor" parties.  And it was then time to pass it on.  It is loud and now a family tradition for ringing in the New Year!  Nice to see your pictures from back when this bell was in normal service on the TAR.  Also, the bell was never painted over and still has layers of weathered roof paint.

Thanks for sharing.

[pajrr]

I think the Shoreline Trolley Museum in East Haven Connecticut has a couple, though maybe not NY cars. They do have some open cars from the Connecticut Company that are totally open. They were used in the summer (obviously) but the CT Company also used them in winter to serve the Yale bowl when Yale University had home football games. People would ride inside and also on the outside on the running boards. There are pix on line showing these open cars on game day carrying almost twice as many people over capacity with half the passengers hanging off the running boards!

[daveklepper]

 

[rcdrye]

Seashore Trolley Museum has Brooklyn (BRT) 4547.

It runs, but has some wiring issues.  Currently on display in Highwood barn.

[daveklepper]

4573, at the controler handles of which I probably logged over a thousand hours, is the same type and looks the same, at the Shore Line Trolley at Branford and East Haven CN.

Some more TATS:

The Saint Anns Avenue line, straight north-south on that Avenue, was lettered "L" because originally it ran east from the southern terminal on E. 133rd St. west to Willis Avenue and the southern terminal of New Haven's Harlem River Shuttle from New Rochelle, and the NYW&B, and the 3rd Avenue Elevated shuttle to 129th Street. The construction of the Triboro Bridge forced abandonment of the east-west leg.

 

[MidlandMike]

daveklepper

4573, at the controler handles of which I probably logged over a thousand hours, is the same type and looks the same, at the Shore Line Trolley at Branford and East Haven CN.

Some more TATS:

The Saint Anns Avenue line, straight north-south on that Avenue, was lettered "L" because originally it ran east from the southern terminal on E. 133rd St. west to Willis Avenue and the southern terminal of New Haven's Harlem River Shuttle from New Rochelle, and the NYW&B, and the 3rd Avenue Elevated shuttle to 129th Street. The construction of the Triboro Bridge forced abandonment of the east-west leg.

 

 

Was that last photo a convertable in winter configuration?

[daveklepper]

Yes

Put-in, 149th X-town on K-line enroute to its job from Kingsbridge Carhouse.

Summer config on the 149th, here from a K car window at 145th &  Amsterdam.  This line was the very last line to use conduit in New York, and probably the last to use convertables in regular service.  It had a plow-pit at 145th & Lenox, just west of the Harlem River bridge.

[daveklepper]

Despite two lighweights and only one convertable, posting is here so you can compare a curved-side convertable with the newer stright-side version posted earlierl  West Farms SQuare looking west.

[daveklepper]

Old photo of mine repaired of 4572 in front of the Quonset Barn at Shore Line Trolley Museum:

[daveklepper]

And here is the face of the car on a Brooklyn street:

[daveklepper]

Some more pictures of converrtsble Brooklyn 4573, 65 yeqrs at Branford, the Shore Line Trolley Museum, on 1947 and 1948 Brooklyn fantrips:

Two pictures at Park Row. City Hall, Manhattan, Manhattan terminal of the Brooklyn Bridge:

Above at the grade crossing of Metropolitan Avenue wit) h the now abandoned (?) Bushwick branch (freigh only) of the LIRR.

Below in donwtown Brooklyn

 

Possibly on Metropolitan Avenue near the Brooklyn - Queens line.

[MidlandMike]

In some of the photos it looks like there are shades you could pull down in the rain.  How were you able to see out when your stop came up?

[daveklepper]

A very good question.  On a fan trip, the grill bars replaced window panels for the entier side, both sides.  In regular summer service, and photos should show this, only the middle eight panels were replaced, with two window left in place on both ends on both sides.   This was regular practice of Third Avenue's convertables, on the Brooklyn colnvertables, and on the 1300-series composite 1910 open-platform Brooklyn elevated cars, the last "gate-cars" to be retired, I think on any USA rapid transit system.

So one would look out ahead or back through those windows.  

[daveklepper]

Correction:  As the photos show, Third Avenue left one panel on each end with windows and used bar-grilles on 10 in the center.   

[seppburgh2]

Thanks for sharing, lots of WOW in each picture.

[daveklepper]

Here is another April 1947 photo of 4573's Park Row, Manhattan, visit:

[daveklepper]

Here are two views of Third Avenue Transit's straight-side convertable 210 about to leave West Farms carhouse at 174th St. and Southern Boulevard to head north a few blocks to West Farms Square and then begin a run to West 262nd Street, The Bronx - Yonkers City Line, via Southern Boulevard-Bronx Park West, Fordham Rd., Kingsbridge Road, and Broadway.  The "C" was called "The Bronx and Van Courtlandt Parks line.

The late Bernie Lindner sent me these photos.