The ERA BULLETIN - NOVEMBER, 2012 Bulletin Electric Railroaders’ Association, Incorporated Vol. 55, No. 11 November, 2012 The Bulletin LAST YONKERS TROLLEY CAR RAN 60 YEARS AGO Published by the Electric The last trolley line, 7/Yonkers Avenue, 1947. Because the city officials were not sure Railroaders’ Association, which ceased operating on November 9, whether buses could give adequate service, Incorporated, PO Box 1952, was originally part of a large system. the Mayor appointed a Transit Committee, 3323, New York, New York 10163-3323. Third Avenue Railway operated streetcars whose members were Joseph A. Sinopoli, over a large area extending from Park Row, James L. Smith, and John W. Fisher, who Manhattan through the Bronx and Westches- was awarded Electric Railroaders’ Associa- For general inquiries, ter County as far north as White Plains. tion Honorary Membership #1244 on May 5, contact us at bulletin@ During the 1920s and 1930s, buses re- 1949 for “signal efforts in Yonkers toward erausa.org or by phone at (212) 986-4482 (voice placed trolley cars on most of the lightly trav- retention of trolley service.” Their report, is- mail available). ERA’s eled Westchester County lines. In 1940, trol- sued on May 6, 1949, concluded that motori- website is ley cars were still running on all nine Yonkers zation would not ease traffic congestion, be- www.erausa.org. lines, A/New Rochelle-Subway, B/Mount cause three buses were needed to replace th Editorial Staff: Vernon-229 Street, and nearly all Manhat- two streetcars to give equivalent service. The Editor-in-Chief: tan and Bronx lines. committee recommended that streetcars be Bernard Linder New York City Mayor LaGuardia favored retained on 1/Broadway-Warburton Avenue, News Editor: buses. When the company’s franchise ex- 2/Broadway-Park Avenue, 4/McLean Avenue, Randy Glucksman pired, he forced it to accept a franchise that 5/Nepperhan Avenue, and 7/Yonkers Ave- Contributing Editor: Jeffrey Erlitz required the company to substitute buses for nue, all of which carried heavy rush hour streetcars on one-fifth of the lines during loads. The committee also recommended Production Manager: each four-year period. The Mayor signed the that the other lines be replaced by buses. David Ross 25-year franchise on November 9, 1940 and The company ordered 115 Mack buses, the company started ordering new buses. But because it was sure it would receive a bus the bus conversion program came to an ab- franchise. But they never operated in Yon- rupt halt during World War II. As soon as the kers, because Third Avenue never received war was over, the company motorized its permission to motorize. Eventually, the ©2012 Electric Manhattan and Bronx lines, completing this Macks were sold to the Board of Transporta- Railroaders’ Association, program ahead of schedule on August 22, tion, which renumbered them to 5000-5114 Incorporated 1948. and operated them in Manhattan. Meanwhile, company officials revealed that Since 1945, Yonkers cars had been operat- the Yonkers City Manager offered the compa- ing at a deficit. Track and roadway needed ny a fifty-year bus franchise at a five-cent extensive repairs, which could have cost as fare with free transfers. But the franchise was much as $2.5 million. When the company In This Issue: not valid until it was approved by the Yonkers officials saw this estimate, they decided to Common Council. A citizens’ committee continue operating trolley cars on unsafe Development of brought pressure on the Common Council to tracks until they were replaced by buses. But the Long Island change the terms of the franchise. Without it had to substitute buses on portions of the Rail Road in the giving any reason, the company withdrew its following lines, after trolley cars derailed Rockaways application for a franchise on January 31, there: (Continued on page 4) (Continued) ...Page 2 NEXT TRIP: HOLIDAY TRIP WITH1 NYRRE, DECEMBER 8 NEW YORKERA BULLETINDIVISION BULLETIN - NOVEMBER, OCTOBER, 2012 2000 THE GENESIS OF “DASHING DAN” Part One—Rapid Transit and Early Electrification on the Long Island Rail Road by George Chiasson (Continued from October, 2012 issue) LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD SERVICE BY EL a new ramp into its modified surface level Carlton Ave- NUMBER 2 — THE ATLANTIC AVENUE nue Yard, it was never actually used as such after the CONNECTION (temporary) surface and elevated terminals were closed As previously described in the History of the A on November 5, 1905 and all LIRR passenger opera- Train, the Long Island Rail Road instituted its own local tions from Flatbush Avenue permanently electrified. rapid transit services originating at the Brooklyn Elevat- Though the LIRR and BRT lines did remain physically ed’s Sands Street Loop on May 24, 1899, one to Rock- joined until October, 1921, third rail was never extended away Junction via Jamaica Station and another to Val- beyond the immediate connection with the Fifth Avenue ley Stream via Woodhaven Junction and Far Rockaway. El and the structure only used for steam-powered From Sands Street these trains used the Fifth Avenue freight operations associated with the Long Island Mer- El to Atlantic Avenue, turned east onto a short elevated chandise Terminal after it was rebuilt as part of the re- extension, passed the Merchandise Terminal above the constructed terminal, surviving in this role until its re- existing (1892-built) Flatbush Avenue terminal, and moval from service in 1937. went down a ramp through Carlton Avenue Yard to as- A joint Brooklyn Elevated/LIRR Summer Sunday-only sume the LIRR Atlantic Division mainline, which was service was also instituted on July 30, 1899 from the then located at grade. En route they also stopped at the original 1885 Fulton Ferry terminal under the Brooklyn Johnson Avenue station of the Myrtle Avenue Line (later Bridge to Rockaway Park. This followed the “Old Main Adams Street, later still City Hall) and the Fulton Street Line” along York Street (with a stop at Bridge Street), station of the Fifth Avenue El, then went around the rail- ran along Hudson Avenue to the Fifth Avenue turnout, way’s Flatbush Avenue terminal as they navigated the then used the Fifth Avenue El (including a stop at Flat- ramp. LIRR supplied both crews and equipment for the bush Avenue) to reach the ramp described above. Rockaway Junction Line while the Brooklyn Elevated Trains then descended to the Atlantic Division mainline provided them for the service to Far Rockaway and Val- before turning off at Woodhaven Junction to gain a ley Stream, as both companies’ employees were then heading toward Rockaway Park, and ran express as far commonly unionized. Both routes were year-round in as Hammel’s. As the Old Main Line was never electri- nature and aimed at commuters, with the latter appar- fied, these summer-only trains from (old) Fulton Ferry to ently only operated between Monday and Saturday. On Rockaway Park required steam-drawn equipment and Sundays the Brooklyn Elevated ran its trains to Rocka- were not resumed after the 1903 season ended that way Park instead, as an express between the Fulton September. The Old Main Line itself was closed on April Street el station and Hammel’s. As part of the massive 11, 1904 and subsequently removed. terminal reconstruction underway around the Flatbush ROLLING STOCK USED IN LIRR/BRT JOINT Avenue LIRR terminal in December, 1903, the con- SERVICE, 1898-1917 necting LIRR el structure above Atlantic Avenue was To provide for joint operation on the Brooklyn elevat- fitted with platforms and used as part of a temporary eds (both to Sands Street and Broadway Ferry), the terminal for steam-powered LIRR consists until it was Long Island Rail Road initially deployed ten Forney-type completely converted to an electrically-powered under- locomotives of its own (numbered 217-226) that were ground facility in November, 1905. Both joint service purchased second-hand from Chicago’s Lake Street routes to Sands Street then added this as a “Flatbush Elevated in 1898, disposed of by that company after it Avenue” stop as they passed through while making their was electrified in 1896 and originally acquired as units way to and from BRT until they were discontinued on 160-169. Along with the Forneys went 55 elevated-style April 8, 1905. At the same time, LIRR trains used the “Gate” coaches, which had the center doors required to same makeshift elevated platforms as an end point in operate through to Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge. lieu of the pre-existing ground level station, which was The first 25 of these (852-876, delivered 1898) were demolished to make way for the underground terminal built in Chicago at the Pullman works while the balance in late May of 1905. While LIRR originally expressed its (877-906, delivered 1899) were made by the Wason intention to maintain connections between the new At- Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, but despite lantic Avenue Tunnel and the Fifth Avenue El, by way of (Continued on page 3) 2 ERA BULLETIN - NOVEMBER, 2012 The Genesis of “Dashing Dan” three of its namesake points, in 1917. More precisely, WB&A was a direct, high-speed passenger system that (Continued from page 2) connected the downtowns of Baltimore and Washing- such expense and preparation, LIRR was never permit- ton, D.C., and had very little in-street trackage, which ted to actually operate its own trains across the Brook- suited such former rapid transit and suburban equip- lyn Bridge to Manhattan. The Long Island Rail Road ment well. Once there the ex-LIRR trailers were num- also procured three ex-Manhattan Railway “K-class” bered in the 301-354 series and again used in the same Forneys from the electrified IRT in 1903, numbered 310, manner behind WB&A’s heavyweight motor cars, begin- 312, and 316.