TheNEW YORK DIVISION BULLETIN - APRIL, 2006 Bulletin New York Division, Electric Railroaders’ Association Vol. 49, No. 4 April, 2006 The Bulletin CHARLES A. AKINS, 1946-2006 Published by the New York Division, Electric by Michael Glikin and Raymond R. Berger Railroaders’ Association, Charles A. Akins, who all knew ahead as a leading light of our Incorporated, PO Box 3001, New York, New as Charlie, passed away on organization; full of ideas to im- York 10008-3001. March 22 after a long battle with prove the way we operated. Un- cancer. His service to the Electric til his health intervened, he par- Railroaders’ Association and ticipated in nearly every ERA For general inquiries, contact us at nydiv@ to its New York Division was activity, including the interna- electricrailroaders.org or lengthy and distinguished. Char- tional trips. He rarely missed a by phone at (212) 986- lie first joined the ERA in 1964 meeting. Many considered his 4482 (voice mail and had essentially held a variety the connecting link between the available). ERA’s website is of offices in both the New York great founders of this organiza- www.electricrailroaders. Division and our national parent tion in the years before World org. organization for more than 30 War II and the ERA we know years. These offices included two today in the 21st century. Editorial Staff: Editor-in-Chief: long periods as New York Divi- Charlie was born in Brooklyn, Bernard Linder sion Chairman in the 1970s and New York in 1946 and grew up News Editor: the 1990s. He continued as First Randy Glucksman National Vice-President and held Charlie Akins. Contributing Editor: Michael Glikin photograph Jeffrey Erlitz that office until his death. Charlie will be remembered in the years (Continued on page 9) Production Manager: David Ross TWO ANNIVERSARIES — IND FULTON STREET TWO ANNIVERSARIES — IND FULTON STREET SUBWAY AND BMT FULTON STREET “L” SUBWAY AND BMT FULTON STREET “L” ©2006 New York The BMT Fulton Street “L” ceased operat- forms were built over the local tracks at the Division, Electric ing fifty years ago, April 27, 1956, two dec- Rockaway Avenue and Ralph Avenue sta- Railroaders’ ades after its competitor, the IND Fulton tions. Trains were routed to the express Association, Street Subway, started running. tracks near the Utica Avenue station and Incorporated Seventy years ago, April 9, 1936, A trains, switched back beyond a temporary double In This Issue: which formerly operated to Church Avenue, crossover located between the express were rerouted to the new terminal at Rock- tracks just north (west) of the Rockaway Ave- Tuckahoe-New away Avenue. HH shuttles started running nue station. Rochelle Line from Hoyt-Schermerhorn Street to Court The new subway, which was under the ele- (North Avenue Street, where the Transit Museum is now lo- vated structure for several miles, was a com- Line) — History cated. E service was extended from East petitor to the Fulton Street “L,” which termi- and Track Plan Broadway to Church Avenue. Rockaway Ave- nated at Park Row, Because the A train fur- nue was a temporary terminal. Wooden plat- (Continued on page 3) ...Page 2 1 NEWNEW YORK YORK DIVISION DIVISION BULLETIN BULLETIN OCTOBER, - APRIL, 2006 2000 TUCKAHOE-NEW ROCHELLE LINE (NORTH AVENUE LINE) by Bernard Linder Owners: STREET CARS December 22, 1898 Westchester Electric Railroad Company January, 1899 Third Avenue Railroad Company April 13, 1900 Metropolitan Street Railway Company January 18, 1908 Third Avenue Railroad Company January 1, 1912 Third Avenue Railway Company BUSES Main Line March 15, 1931 Westchester Electric Railroad Company November 15, 1936 Westchester Street Transportation Company December 17, 1956 Fifth Avenue Coach Lines, Incorporated December 12, 1969 Bus Associates, Incorporated, whose principal stockholders were Arthur and George Ber- nacchia and Raymond Murphy. In 1973, Liberty’s principals had equal ownership in two New York City operations — Pelham Parkway and Pioneer Bus (whose name was subse- quently changed to Command Bus) — and had a 25% interest in the operation of West- chester Street and West Fordham through a holding company, Bus Associates About mid-1982 Liberty Coaches, Club Transportation, and Westchester Street were merged to form Lib- erty Lines Transit, Incorporated Route: STREET CARS December 22, 1898 Electric cars started operating from the New Haven station to North Avenue and Coligny Avenue (Fifth Avenue) 1903* Extended to Coopers Corners (Wilmot Road) 1904* Extended to Parsons Corners (Mill Road and White Plains Road) 1905* Extended to Tuckahoe station October 4, 1911 Began short line service to Coopers Corners November 9, 1914 Old Tuckahoe-New Rochelle Line and Old Tuckahoe Line were combined into the Tucka- hoe Line April 29, 1916 Rerouted via Railroad Place loop December 7, 1919 Cars were operated by one man March 21, 1920 Cut back to Waverly Square August 9, 1926 Cut back to Mill Road and White Plains Road. Buses replaced street cars south of Mill Road and White Plains Road March 15, 1931 Buses replaced street cars *Approximate date from Bullinger’s Monitor Guide BUSES March 15, 1931 Route M buses started operating from downtown New Rochelle to Wilmot Road. Shuttles provided service from Wilmot Road to Mill Road and White Plains Road March 6, 1932 Through-routed with the shuttle. Buses operated from Mill Road and White Plains Road to downtown New Rochelle August 1, 1939 Through-routed with Tuckahoe shuttle. Buses operated from downtown New Rochelle to the Tuckahoe station October 13, 1940 Cut back to Mill Road and White Plains Road. Tuckahoe shuttle service was resumed January 12, 1942 Started operating branch to Trenor Drive and Silverbirch Drive. Shuttles ran in non-rush hours and through service operated in rush hours February 27, 1942 Discontinued branch February 10, 1952 Extended to Main Street and Center Avenue 1969 Through-routed with the Tuckahoe shuttle. We do not know when service was perma- nently cut back to Mill Road and White Plains Road About 1973 Renumbered to Route 45 (Continued on page 3) 2 NEW YORK DIVISION BULLETIN - APRIL, 2006 Tuckahoe-New Rochelle Line (Continued from page 2) September 8, 1981 Extended to the Pelham Bay Park station via Main Street (Harrison Avenue and Huguenot Street in opposite direction), Franklin Avenue, Pelham Road, Shore Road, Hutchinson River Parkway, and Bruckner Boulevard EASTCHESTER TRANSPORTATION Street, Third Avenue planned to replace street cars with CORPORATION buses. It created another bus subsidiary. It changed the Third Avenue Railway’s first bus subsidiary was the name of the Concourse Transportation Corporation to Concourse Transportation Corporation, formed on July the Eastchester Transportation Corporation on March 3, 19, 1920. It was only a paper corporation and it did not 1926. Buses replaced the street cars on August 9, 1926 apply for the original Bronx bus franchise, which was on this shuttle, which was less than a mile long. This awarded to another subsidiary, Surface Transportation subsidiary continued operating the shuttle until it was Corporation. merged into the Westchester Street Transportation When the Village of Tuckahoe decided to repave Main Company on June 30, 1942. TUCKAHOE SHUTTLE August 9, 1926 Route O buses started running between the Tuckahoe station and Waverly Square November 20, 1926 Discontinued shuttle. White Plains-Scarsdale buses extended from Eastchester-Scarsdale line to the Tuckahoe station July 4, 1927 Resumed shuttle service* August 1, 1939 Route O shuttles were through-routed with Route M buses October 13, 1940 Resumed shuttle service 1969 Discontinued shuttles *Rush hour shuttle service was extended to Sprague Avenue on March 6, 1932 and to Mill Road and White Plains Road on July 1, 1935. We do not know how long these schedules were in effect Two Anniversaries (Continued from page 1) nished a fast, comfortable one-seat ride to Manhattan as far north as 207th Street, “L” riding declined rapidly, as shown in the following table: YEAR FARES YEAR FARES ENDING COLLECTED ENDING COLLECTED JUNE 30 JUNE 30 1935 35,372,394 1939 27,424,106 1936 35,126,452 1940 25,993,741 1937 30,735,706 1941 15,746,830 1938 27,984,900 IND under construction, April 11, 1930. To provide additional feeder service to the new sub- Robert J. Wasche collection way, two trolley lines were extended to the Rockaway Avenue terminal. On April 9, 1936, Jamaica Avenue When the Board of Transportation started operating cars were extended from Alabama Avenue to a new the BMT on June 1, 1940, service was discontinued on loop at Hopkinson Avenue, one block west of Rockaway the Fulton Street “L” west of Rockaway Avenue. Two Avenue. Cars continued operating to this loop until No- free transfer points were established between the BMT vember 30, 1947. The buses that replaced them termi- and the IND. Each day, 17,000 transfers were issued at nated at the Broadway-East New York station. On June Rockaway Avenue and 10,500 passengers transferred 10, 1936, an additional branch of the Bergen Street line at Franklin Avenue. operated from Sheridan Avenue via Liberty Avenue, Construction of the tunnel between Broadway-East East New York Avenue, Rockaway Avenue, and Fulton New York and Grant Avenue was completed long before Street to the Hopkinson Avenue loop. This service was service was extended to Broadway-East New York on discontinued on February 12, 1937. (Continued on page 8) 3 NEWNEW YORK YORK DIVISION DIVISION BULLETIN BULLETIN OCTOBER, - APRIL, 2006 2000 Tuckahoe-New Rochelle Line (Continued from page 3) NewNew Rochelle-Tuckahoe Rochelle - Tuckahoe 19291929 White Plains Rd White Eastchester Mill Rd Wilmot Rd Owen Rd Disbrow La North Av North Broadview Ave 5th Ave Mechanic St Bridge St Railroad Pl New Rochelle not St Hugue Lawton Lawton Main St Lawton St Data: B.