HEADLIGHTS 2016 THE 1931 IND PLANS. A TALE OF THREE CITIES. headlights 2016 The Magazine of Electric Railways January–December 2016 Volume 73, Number 1–12 $20 R Electric Railroaders’ Assoc., Inc. Founded in 1939 P.O. Box 3323 Grand Central Station New York, NY 10163-3323 THE 1931 https://erausa.org Staff Editor and Designer IND PLANS Sandy Campbell ERIC R. Associate Editor John Pappas
Cartography Consultant OSZUSTOWICZ Tim Pappas
Photographers Andrew Grahl. Eric Oszustowicz, John Pappas, Tom Scholey 4 Printer Innovative Technologies in Print Membership Headlights is published annually and sent free to all ERA members. A TALE Back Issues Digital editions of every Headlights since 1996 are now available for purchase online OF THREE at erausa.org/bookstore. Contact Us To contact the ERA, visit CITIES erausa.org/contact. JOHN PAPPAS On the cover and table of contents: Granada Metro by John Pappas.
Copyright © 2016 ERA. All rights reserved. Published December 2016. 43
2 THE 1931 IND PLANS ERIC R. OSZUSTOWICZ 4 A TALE OF THREE CITIES JOHN PAPPAS 43
headlights 2016 3 4 headlights 2016 THE 1931 IND PLANS LOWER MANHATTAN & NORTHWEST BROOKLYN
By Eric R. The Second Avenue line that is scheduled to open at the end this year has been Oszustowicz one of the longest on again, off again stories in New York City transit history. Portions of the line were actually finished in the early 1970s, and that was more than a half century after the line was originally proposed by Consulting Engineer Daniel L. Turner of the Public Service Commission in 1919. A scaled back proposal was actually approved in 1929, with construction scheduled to be finished in 1938. Sadly, the Depression, closely followed by World War II, meant building the Second Avenue subway would have to wait. But the line was tantalizingly close to reality, as this author discovered. During the summer of 2014, a seemingly ancient blueprint was presented to me for inspection. I carefully unrolled it, revealing a detailed six foot by two foot track layout schematic. I had seen track schematics like this before, and the first place I knew to look was the lower right-hand corner to see the date that the blueprint was drawn and for what system it referred. Amazingly, it turned out to be one of the original IND plans, dated October 27, 1931, for not only the South 4th Street subway in Brooklyn, but also the Second Avenue subway in lower Manhattan.
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Schematic One Lower Manhattan: The Worth Street and Second Avenue Lines
Existing Line The next station is at Rutgers Street. The Canal Street station on Sixth The F train currently traverses Rutgers Avenue for the A, C and E line is on the Street and has a stop at East Broadway. upper left. The next station south is the When the East Broadway Station was Chambers Street-World Trade Center built, provision for the line along East station along Church Street. The E train Broadway was provided. If you enter the terminates at the eastern platform and mezzanine at this station, one can see the A and C trains utilize the western the provision for the Worth Street line platform. The A and C lines then crossing above. continue south to what was then known as the Broadway Nassau station and is The Second Avenue Line today known as Fulton Street and then The line at right terminates on Water Street continue further through the Cranberry with a station bounded by Old Slip and Street tubes, named for the street the Pine Street. Water Street becomes Pearl tube travels under in Brooklyn. Street as one heads north. The next station is on Pearl Street bounded by Beekman The Worth Street and East Broadway Line Street and Dover Street. Dover Street is at The first line that was not built is under the south side of the Brooklyn Bridge. Pearl Worth Street. When an E train leaves Street becomes St. James Place as one heads Canal Street traveling southbound, it is north. The next station is at Chatham on the southbound local track. This track Square. The line then curves to the east descends and goes under the two express and then north under what is Confucius tracks and reemerges on the east side of Plaza today and is then under Chrystie the express tracks to reach the terminal at Street. The next station is at Grand and Chambers Street. The Worth Street line Chrystie Streets. The 1970’s plan for the would have used the same track leaving Second Avenue line would have made this Canal Street, but would have switched a four-track station. The station walls of off to the east. A train traveling west on the existing station at Grand Street would Worth Street would have turned north have been removed to allow construction and joined the E line south of Canal Street. of Second Avenue line tracks on either The first station on Worth Street would side. Deep tunnel boring will most likely have been bounded by Baxter and Mott be used instead if the line is extended to Streets. The line would then have turned Hanover Square from 63rd Street, so there left approximately 45 degrees onto East will be a separate Grand Street station, Broadway while crossing over the Second most likely with a connecting passageway Avenue line at Chatham Square. between the two.
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The 1939 Proposal
The government of New York City made a city takeover of the Long Island Rail plans for expanding the subway system Road’s Rockaway Beach Branch. As this under a plan referred to in contemporary grandiose expansion was not built, the newspaper articles as the IND Second subway system is only 75% of what it System (due to the fact that most of the was planned to be. expansion was to include new IND lines, as opposed to BMT and IRT There are many differences between the lines). In this 1939 plan, with unification 1929 and 1939 proposals, but one striking planned for the following year, all three difference concerns the Second Avenue systems were included. Very few of these subway. The 1939 proposal shows the far-reaching lines were built, though Second Avenue subway extension to provisions were made for future expan- Brooklyn via what would have been sion on lines that intersect the proposals. known as the Water Street tube to the The core Manhattan lines of the expan- Court Street IND station and then sion were the Second Avenue Line (with continuing along Fulton Street. If this an extension into the Bronx) and the was constructed, the Transit Museum, Worth Street Line. The Rockaways were which is located in what was the aban- eventually served by the subway via doned Court Street station, would exist in another location.
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By John There are continual reminders that we are living in a wonderful age, at least as far as Pappas being a traction fan in the 21st century is concerned. These are the times we’d hoped At left, the KC Streetcar in the past would come someday. Practically every weekend sees an opening of a new grand opening poster by light rail system, streetcar line or an extension of one of these. Madison Crabtree. With the start of Summer 2016, this trend has spread to medium-sized Midwestern andrew grahl photo · friday, may 6, 2016 cities that once had extensive postwar streetcar systems featuring large PCC fleets. First Kansas City, Missouri (population 475,000) on May 6, and then Cincinnati, Ohio (population 298,000) on September 9. To make the comparison a bit more interesting, further on we will add a third new, medium-size system to the mix, this one in Granada, Spain (population 238,000). There are other examples, of course. Dallas opened an extension to their two-year- old Oak Cliff streetcar in September, and Washington, D.C. finally opened their inaugural streetcar line on H Street. Detroit is looking to be back in the streetcar business before the end of the year. But the two highlighted here have a number of things in common.
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46 Kansas City Opening Day andrew grahl photos (Far left) Kansas City held Sly James and others two days of celebrations (top), some 35,000 people beginning on Friday, May lined up to ride. As of this 6 at the historic Kansas writing, weekday ridership City Union Station, which is averaging 6,800. Special features the southern event Saturdays have seen terminal of the line. After over 13,000 passengers. the speeches by Mayor
(Bottom) There is room for sides of Pershing Drive two streetcars in the stub (seen in the background). terminal along the west Tracks are poised for easy curb of Main Street next extension south to the to KC Union Station. The University of Missouri at overhead walkway ties Kansas City near 51st and the station to the Crown Rockhill. Center complex on both
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(Top) River Market West is located on Delaware at 4th Street and is the last stop in the River Market area before the five block non-stop run across the Interstate 35 freeway to 7th and Main. Car 804 boards first time riders in early afternoon on opening day.
(Bottom left) Car 803 passes the Muse of the Missouri statue on Main Street south of 8th. The tribute to the river is by artist Wheeler Williams. Main Street narrows considerably south of 9th.
(Bottom Right) Two cars pass at Main and Truman. The view is looking north toward the traditional downtown of Kansas City, Missouri. Much of this area has become condos and lofts. For the most part, tracks are located along the curb lane of Main Street, but with parking highly restricted.
(Far right) A streetcar rounds the corner in the River Market area between downtown and the Missouri River. The famous Country Club line of Kansas City Public Service terminated at 3rd and Main, a corner served by the new Streetcar.
48 headlights 2016 49 a tale of three cities | kansas city East st Street
Town of Kansas Bridge
KC STREETCAR Shop
Singleton Yard Parking Streetcar Vehicle
Grand Boulevard Singleton Yard Walnut Street Maintenance River Market North Streetcar Vehicle East nd Street Facility rd & Grand Maintenance rd Street Facility Main Street Cherry Street (Detail at Right) City Missouri River Market River Market West th Street River Market th & Delaware Delaware Street East rd Street Delaware Street North City Market rd & Grand Locust Lane th & Walnut
Oak Street
Grand Boulevard
th Street North Loop th & Main City Market West rd Street Park City Market Delaware Street th Street West th Street Library River Market th & Main West East th Street th & Delaware
Main Street
Metro Center City Market th Street th & Main th & Walnut
Main Street Bartle Hall Walnut Street Convention West th Street Center East Missouri Avenue
th Street Power & Light West Independence Avenue th & Main Independence Avenue MO
C Delaware Street Kauffman Center th Street Kansas City, D D I th & Main Missouri E I Wyandotte Street US Walnut Street
West th Street Grand Boulevard US East th Street
Main Street Crossroads th Street th & Main West th Street
Page Street
McGee Street East th Street Superior Street North Loop Admiral Boulevard th & Main
Oak Street
Main Street
Baltimore Avenue
West th Street
Main Street East th Street Kansas City Union Station , , Union Station Pershing & Main Feet Pershing Road 50 East st Street
Town of Kansas Bridge
Shop
Singleton Yard Parking Streetcar Vehicle Walnut Street Maintenance East nd Street Facility
Main Street Cherry Street
River Market Delaware Street North East rd Street rd & Grand Locust Lane
Oak Street
Grand Boulevard
City Market West rd Street Park City Market Delaware Street
West th Street River Market West East th Street th & Delaware
City Market th & Walnut
Main Street
Walnut Street West th Street East Missouri Avenue
West Independence Avenue Independence Avenue MO
C Delaware Street
D D I E I
Wyandotte Street US Walnut Street
West th Street Grand Boulevard US East th Street
Main Street
West th Street
Page Street
McGee Street East th Street Superior Street North Loop Admiral Boulevard th & Main
Oak Street
Baltimore Avenue
West th Street
Main Street East th Street
,
Feet
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52 KCPS 1950s john stern photos (Far left) KCPS’s streetcar 767 is inbound beside system featured a variety Rockhill Road about a of private rights-of-way, block south of 47th Street many of them with scenic on September 28, 1954. surroundings. The Swope This portion of the line Park line featured two operated until the end of different sections. PCC streetcars on June 23, 1957.
(Top) Here’s another outbound on the Country view of Kansas City Club line on August Union Station and the 23, 1955. Billboards intersection of Main advertising passenger and Pershing, this train service, both Rock time looking north Island’s Golden State to and taken some 61 California and Kansas years earlier than the City Southern’s Southern dedication ceremony Belle to New Orleans, can shown on page 46. A be seen on the east side KCPS all-electric PCC is of the street.
(Bottom) The Country Club this point the right-of-way, Line featured extensive which parallels Brookside private right-of-way south Boulevard, is separated of 43rd Street where it from it by homes. The cohabited with freight current bus operator, trains, also run by KCPS. Kansas City Area Transit Freight service began in Authority, still owns the 1903 and outlasted the right-of-way and has streetcars introduced in “banked” it for possible 1907 by about 10 years. future use. Right now Car 501 is southbound, it serves as the Harry scheduled to the end of Wiggins Trolley Track the line at 75th Street. At hike and bike trail.
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Cincinnati john pappas photos Cincinnati Streetcar 1175 followed on from the delivery of the last new PCC 1174 in 1947. It is receiving some fine tuning over the pit in the modern two-track carhouse on Henry Street on June 14, 2016.
Entrance to the carhouse is from Henry Street. The track to the right in the foreground curves around the building to Race Street and forms a loop for turning around cars as needed.
The carhouse is compact, but has all of the contemporary design features including provision for a wheel truing machine and a mezzanine (over the track to the right) for easy access to roof components.
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(Top) Car 1176 shows seven modules. However, off the full look of the three modules offers the pre-wrap design. The simplicity of a two-truck three-module design arrangement with a fully has become popular for suspended center section. streetcar-type operations. The car is being backed If needed, it could be out to begin operator expanded to five or even training over the route.
(Bottom) Car 1177 is to Covington and other southbound descending Kentucky destinations the Walnut Street hill looped inside the between 4th and 3rd. building and accessed The building on the the Roebling suspension left housed the old bridge by way of a ramp. Dixie Terminal on the After streetcars, the loop second level. Green was used by trolleybuses Line streetcars destined and then diesel buses across the Ohio River until 1997.
(Far right) Car 1177 able to turn back in crosses Race on 12th emergencies in either Street at the middle direction. This color of the route’s “figure scheme, shot on June 14, 8.” Provision has 2016, has since proven been made here to be to be short lived.
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68 Cincinnati Street Railway tom scholey photos courtesy of the dave oroszi collection via newdavesrailpix.com (Far left) A family portrait car 2258 (1919), curvesider of the CSRy during the 2506 (1923), acquired used post WW II era. Lined up from the Maumee Valley on the Depot Street side of Traction Co., and 1940 Eighth Avenue Carhouse air electric PCC 1114. The is Peter Witt 119 (1928), carhouse was active until conventional deck roof the end of rail service.
(Top) The most modern service but, unfortunately, cars acquired before none were saved. The the PCC era were these 70-Oakley terminated 100 “Peter Witt” design, with a U-turn loop across lightweight vehicles, Madison Road at the delivered by St. Louis Car B&O’s suburban Oakley Company in 1928. They Station until conversion lasted until the end of on June 18, 1950.
(Bottom) Cincinnati the 41-Chester Park Street Railway line which, along with purchased 75 of these companion 47-Winton Cincinnati Car Company Place, was converted to curve-side cars in 1923. trolley coach on April The car is running on 17, 1949.
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72 Granada, Spain john pappas photos As mentioned at the electric railway service in one-way trip taking 47 inserts, the interiors During the ERA tour of beginning of the article, 2016. The original system minutes. Platform lengths are nearly identical as Spain in May 2016, we it makes sense to include shut down in 1970. Their allow for operation of well. CAF rates these were able to visit the shop Granada in with the first route is 9.9 miles long two-car trains. at a maximum of 304 and were given a special showcasing of Kansas and has street running, passengers and a preview of the Alcázar It will also operate 15 City and Cincinnati. This but also features center maximum speed of 44 Genil subway station, CAF Urbos 3 cars. The new European system, and side-of-road private mph. In contrast, the the southernmost of the design is similar in look 4,250 miles away from right-of-way, traffic official brochure indicates three in the central area. to the two U.S. orders, Cincinnati, provides flyunders and a 1.5-mile a total of 221 passengers. Considerable attention but the cars have five both similarities to the downtown subway. was paid to excavating sections and are 106 feet Unlike the U.S. cars, these two new U.S. systems and preserving some of Granada is designed on long, with six doors to a are fitted with an ACR and differences, many the artifacts discovered the principle of a modern side. This requires a third Freedrive system to allow of which should be during the construction of French tramway, as is truck under the middle for off-wire operation up expected in a different the station and the result true of many of the new section. The operator’s to six miles. The system part of the world and in a is architecturally striking. Spanish systems. The track cab and train controls uses lithium batteries different role in its city’s is standard gauge and are nearly identical to and ultra capacitors Cars 301–315 were transportation scheme. the overhead is energized those of Kansas City and and is advertised as delivered over a three-year Granada will join Kansas at 750 volt DC. Plans are Cincinnati, and save for non-proprietary to other period beginning in City and Cincinnati in to operate a 10 minute the yellow seat inserts rail builders in the transit 2012 as the project was once again offering service with a complete versus blue U.S. seat industry. originally to be completed and operational by 2014. Spain’s money woes slowed that down and the new date for operation is now projected to be December 2016.
Car 305 (far left) sits in the outdoor storage yard along with eight of its brethren (inset). During our visit, five more cars were inside the shop and one was on the road testing a portion of the route which had been released for operation.
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78 (Far left) Center platform of Alcázar Genil with both natural and back lighting.
(Top and bottom left, also pages 2 and 3) The running tunnel with unexpected paved trackway. Note the purple-hued lighting at points where emergency controls are located. In the foreground is the traction power cut-off box.
The overhead is a power rail instead of wire or catenary. This is a common design throughout Spain in both light rail and heavy rail subways.
(Bottom right) The stairs leading from the mezzanine down to the platform of Alcázar Genil.
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