Queensboro Bridge Railway cars

[Warren J]

Where on this bridge did the Second Avenue El trains run?  They did connect to the shared IRT/BMT station at Queensborough Plaza.  Of course, all of this is a bit before my time.   

[daveklepper]

On what is now the upper-level roadway.

[daveklepper]

In November 1947 (possibly late October), a Third Avenue Transit streetcar operator told me that the Queensboro Bridge Railway was about to receive some 2^nd-hand streetcars to replace the old ex-Manhattan Bridge 3-Cent Line cars they were using.  Monday, after school, I went to investigate, with my Leica-D, and found one of the “new” cars on a flatbed truck.  There was enough light for a decent photo. I was told the crane and rigging to unload it would arrive in the middle of the night.  No way I could wait around, miss supper at home, worry my parents.  But I did come back the next day and days afterward, and photographed what I could. 

Some of the shop equipment from the 3^rd & 65^th Car-house-Shop, where the ex-3-Cent Line cars received overhauls (with one still in that shop on 29 June 1947, last day for conduit-only Manhattan streetcars) had been purchased by QBRy and installed on the former lay-up track south of the underground loops, making for a small shop. 

A rope or chain was used  for the combined tower-car-snow-sweeper to pull each  New Bedford to a location under the wire, from where the car could run under its own power into the underground 2nd Avenue Terminal.

 

 

 

 

[daveklepper]

Henry Raudenbush	Wed, Nov 17, 10:38 PM (12 hours ago)

Here are some pictures that explain the istory of the onnection between TARS on 59 St and the trolley lines on the Queensboro Bridge/. 

 

A – Pre-1918 view of a TARS car on its way to Queens, at the east end of the conduit-equipped connection track.  Note the THREE arched panels in the wall beside the car.  Also note that the track is set off from traffic lane by a curb.

 

 

B – in the 1920’s, the upper level of the Queensboro Bridge was modified.  The Manhattan el tracks which had been in the center of that level, were moved to the north half, and a new roadway was built in the south half.

The new roadway had and entrance ramp from 57^th and 58^th sts, as show inn this pic.

 

 

C – The ramp curved into the bridge approach, and this required one of those arched panels shown in A to be rebuilt at an angle,  The angled face is visible here.

 

 

D – A closer view of the angled panel, which was built partly on the site of the conduit-equipped connection track, which was no longer used in regular service, as TARS had quit this service about 1918:

.

 

E -  Since TARS wanted to retain a connection to their subsidiary, Steinway Ry, , a new connection was built.  This had to be on a different alignment to avoid the angled panel, and did not require conduit.  Here is a picture of the construction of the new connection.  Note only TWO arched panels remain in the straight alignment.

 

 

F – A picture of 611 in the process of delivery, showing the angled panel, and the bridge carrying the 57^th St ramp over the connection, looking west.  Also of interest – note the “extension cord” connected to the trolley pole – the other end of the cord would be hooked over the live wire on the bridge approach, so the car could be oved under its own power, instead of being pushed or towed.  I seem to remember that the sweeper/line car rig had been damaged in the course of delivery of these cars.  I remember seeing a similar cord being used in early days at Branford, to move cars on sidings without wire.

 

 

 

 

 

[daveklepper]

Map typos corrected.  Apologies!

And corrected again.

[daveklepper]

Apologies again:  Addotional typos have been found and will be corrected on the map.  Also, some new information that may require revision of the track map, especially in the 2nd Avenue underground terminal.

Done!

[daveklepper]

Here is a corrected map:

[daveklepper]

 

Two Russ Jackson photos.  601, now orange and cream, on the eastern of the two remaining active loop tracksm ready gto depart.     606 over the pit on the northern of the two sidings.  This underground terminal was also the carhouse after the Queens streetcars from north and east of Queens Plaza became bus lines, the last in 1939.  And after June 1947, with loss of access and existance of Third Avenue's 65th Street carhouse and shop, it became the shop as well.

 

 

[daveklepper]

Dear Moderator:   I got the original images dor the two "photographs" from the "bandoned Stations" wensite  from a rear 2001 copyrighted article.  The author states in the captions that the images  were "from an iunknown source."  I believe that, although the article is copyrighted, the images cannot be copyrighted if the actual source is unknown.

In addition, I put in about a day's work to correct defects, color and balance correction, to make them both worth saving for myself and to post here.  If there is a problem, I'll understand and observe your decision in the fujture. 

Both are views looking toward Mahnattan.  The upper is above the Roosevelt (Welfare) Island Station, with a westbound car leaving.  The lower from the Vernon Blvd. Station, with an eastbound car approaching.  Ex=NewBedford cars after repainting:

[daveklepper]

Information from Jack May:

S. W. Huff was appointed receiver of the Steinway system after the 1922 bankruptcy of the NY&QC, when the two operations were split.  The 3-cent line cars were purchased by Steinway/Huff after the abandonment of the Manhattan Bridge line in 1929.

In 1938 the Steinway's bondholders foreclosed on the railway and soon converted all the routes to bus operation, except for the local line over the Queensboro Bridge; all its properties and rights being purchased by Queens-Nassau Transit.  I suspect that the deal was officially signed at some point before the end of 1939. 

During the interim period after the foreclosure, and both before and after the conveyance of the Steinway property to the new owners, the relationship of the QBRailway and the Third Avenue was probably strictly contractual.

It is said that the corporate name of the QNT owned carrier became the Queensboro Bridge Railway, with the Steinway Omnibus Company being a its subsidiary, but that is neither here nor there when talking about operations.