New York, Westchester and Boston Railway

The New York, Westchester and Boston Railway ( abbreviated NYWB or NYW & B, called Westchester or Boston -Westchester ) was a standard gauge, electrified high-speed railway, the southern tip of the Bronx in New York City with some cities and towns in Westchester County in the U.S. state of New York combined. She belonged to the group of companies of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad ( NYNH & H, called New Haven ) and was in operation from 1912 to 1937.

The Westchester had been built in many parts parallel to existing lines of New Haven, to relieve this in the suburb of transport. To this end, they had comparatively very spacious, ultra modern and correspondingly expensive operating systems and was designed for very high transport services. Since the Westchester but had been built largely through sparsely populated area, a corresponding demand never ceased, so that the bankruptcy of the company group New Haven in the wake of the Great Depression eventually meant the end of the railway lines.

In the years immediately following closure of the routes have been largely broken down. A smaller portion was taken over by the New York subway, and is now (2008) still in operation.

• 3.1 Harlem River - 180th Street -Columbus Avenue
• 3.2 Columbus Avenue -Westchester Avenue
• 3.3 Columbus Avenue Port Chester

• 6.1 route
• 6.2 Energy Supply
• 6.3 stations
• 6.4 Rolling stock
• 6.5 depot
• 6.6 Tariff and ticketing

• 8.1 Books
• 8.2 journal articles
• 8.3 External links
• 8.4 Notes and references

Prehistory

Railways in the North of New York

Mid-19th century there were several railway lines that led from New York City from the east of the Hudson River to the north. These were seen from west to east, the Hudson River Railroad to Albany and Troy, New York and Putnam Railroad by Brewster and the New York and Harlem Railroad to Chatham. All three routes were from 1869 to the newly formed New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, New York Central briefly, and ended 1871 at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan.

Further east ran since 1849 the tracks of the competing New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, short NYNH & H or New Haven. They branched at the Woodlawn station of the New York and Harlem Rail Road, crossed at the Port Chester border New York - Connecticut and went further on Bridgeport to New Haven. These came in 1873 with the Harlem River Branch nor a branch line; the tracks of the formerly independent Harlem River and Port Chester Railroad led by New Rochelle in a southerly direction down to the Harlem River ( 132nd Street).

The New York, Westchester and Boston Railway Company was incorporated on March 20, 1872 to build a new railway from the former New York City border at the Harlem River by the Westchester County between the existing lines. The line should run from the Harlem River from the eastern Bronx, then to Mount Vernon and on through the southeastern part of the County to Port Chester. The concession also contained two branch lines, one from the 177th Street, Bronx, east to Throgs Neck, and another from Mount Vernon in northern direction over White Plains to Tarrytown. The tracks should and run in parallel parts so in competition with the two routes of New Haven. The founder crash of 1873 put the company but before the start of construction to an end.

The New Haven buys himself

1906 bought William Rockefeller and JP Morgan, the NYW & B for $ 11 million, and over it suitable then the New Haven.

This in itself excessive amount of money was due to the then business practices of New Haven. This consisted of all local competitors practically at any price to buy up to consolidate and modernize technical. By 1912 this way a traffic network with over 2000 miles was (3200 miles) emerged railways and other tram and steam navigation lines in southern New England. This de facto monopoly in the transportation sector was under the control of JP Morgan and his confidant in the board of the New Haven, Charles Sanger Mellen.

These hoped that the New Haven from the purchase and subsequent construction of the NYW & B positive financial effects because the track towards Port Chester was heavily overloaded by the many local trains to and from New York City. This was mainly at the expense of profitable long-distance and freight traffic, so that an increase in the transport capacity along this route seemed to make sense. In addition, the New Haven had been committed by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC ) to offer the tickets for public transport connections to and from New York City to a unit fare of 5 cents. The trains in question had, however, south of Woodlawn lack of own tracks using the track of the competing New York Central, the per passenger demanded again 24 cent range fee for the ride to Grand Central Station. To end the constant losses of 19 cents per passenger, local trains should go in the future on the path of the NYW & B to the Harlem River to let passengers change there to the elevated railway.

Similarly, these considerations occurred in anticipation of a further expansion of the central business district of New York City to the north. This had up to 1850, especially in the area of ​​today's Financial District south of Canal Street develops and reaches about 1900 Midtown Manhattan. It was generally assumed that the Harlem and the South Bronx would be given the recently opened metro experienced a similar development by 1950 so that the new transport link would become increasingly important. Also for the rural Westchester County itself, there were high hopes for a rapidly growing volume of traffic. Between 1900 and 1910, the population had increased by about 70 % and the price of land had sometimes tripled.

Construction

For the project to build a new route for the transport parallel to the existing lines of New Haven, the originally intended route branches after Throgs Neck and White Plains to Tarrytown were basically uninteresting. Thus, it was submitted to the competent New York Public Service Commission to be allowed to take these routes from the concession. There, only the elimination of the branch route to Throgs Neck has been approved; but the route Elmsford could be withdrawn only to White Plains.

The construction work at the track began in May 1909. The first section of the station 180th Street to North Avenue in New Rochelle, was opened on 29 May 1912. From 1 July of the same year it went to the terminus Westchester Avenue in White Plains. The Harlem River terminal was reached on August 3, 1912.

The entire route was laid out very expensive. The route was through two tracks and south of Mount Vernon even four tracks. Width curve radii and low pitches were to a high rate of expansion. These massive terrain barriers and dozens of engineering structures were necessary. The line was electrified from the outset over its entire length by means of overhead line to allow continuous electrical operation.

The Stations were designed as complex and generous, and particular attention was paid to aesthetics. The buildings and thus the path whole should act as attractive as possible in order not to adversely affect land prices and thus to promote the development of settlements along the railway line. So the buildings were made ​​of stone and often neo-Renaissance; inside which shops were set up, created the outdoor areas. The equipment also included terrazzo floors and central heating.

Then there was a fleet of EMUs comfortably equipped with 350 hp and a top speed of 57 mph (92 km / h). This represented the West Chester the then state of the art of high-speed railway and was designed for very high capacities. The total cost for the construction of the railway and the purchase of vehicles amounted officially $ 22 million.

The real goal, the loss-making passenger numbers along the original route of the New Haven to New York City to reduce required the completion of the parallel new route to Port Chester. The construction work beyond the North Avenue began in 1921; Mamaroneck in 1926, Harrison 1927, Rye and Port Chester in 1928 finally achieved in 1929. The number of passengers in public transport then went on the existing distances, and so this along the Harlem River Branch was terminated on 27 July 1930.

The route extension from North Avenue to Port Chester was apparently built for financial reasons for simpler standards. Even here, two main lines were laid, but the platforms were only made ​​of wood, and instead of generous buildings there were only small wooden shelters for access equipment.

Route

Harlem River - 180th Street -Columbus Avenue

The route began on the north bank of the Harlem River at 132nd Street Harlem River terminal corner and Willis Avenue. There was a direct rail connection to the IRT Third Avenue Line and a covered wooden footbridge to the station 133rd Street. Of the six parallel platform tracks two of the NYW & B and four of the elevated train were used.

The course was initially along the shore towards the southeast and then led to the Harlem River Branch of the New Haven. After four intermediate stops, the route branched in the amount of 174th Street again, was swung to the northwest and reached at the 180th Street station to the IRT White Plains Road Line subway. Behind it was on to the north-east to the city limits and beyond further north along the South Fulton Avenue by Mount Vernon to Columbus Avenue station. Until then, it was on the New York side another five, in Mount Vernon three intermediate stops. The second stop after 180th Street, Pelham Parkway, was doing in the tunnel location.

At the Columbus Avenue, the railway line of New Haven was crossed; the station was set up as a tower station with corresponding interchanges. About half a mile north-east to the then four-track route finally forked.

Columbus Avenue -Westchester Avenue

From Columbus Avenue from which a line has led further to the north towards White Plains. She was consistently double-tracked and had a total of nine stations in Mount Vernon, Eastchester, New Rochelle, Scarsdale and White Plains. The terminus White Plains -Westchester Avenue was corner Westchester Avenue and Bloomingdale Road, just east of the city center.

Columbus Avenue Port Chester

The other branch line was also continuous double track and initially ran east and served in Pelham and New Rochelle two more stations before she met shortly after the present station at New Rochelle for the second time on the New Haven. There the route swung to the northeast and ran parallel to the New Haven to the station Port Chester shortly before the state border New York - Connecticut. Along this section the Westchester served not only all stations of New Haven, but also some additional intermediate stops. It featured here in contrast to the Harlem River Branch through its own tracks.

Operation

The facilities of the Westchester were designed so that in addition to local trains ( trotters ), who held everywhere, even express trains that did not stop at every station, could be offered. While the double-track sections north of Columbus Avenue were navigated by two train groups in mixed mode, served on the four-track section of the outer pair of tracks the locals and the inner the express trains to the same direction overtaking. The stations along this route have been directed to this scheme of operation, so that at conventional stations only side platforms on the outer pair of tracks existed, Express stations, however, had two central platforms between the classification tracks. Express stations were particularly 180th Street, Pelham Parkway and East 3rd Street on the four-track section and Wykagyl and Heathcote on the way to White Plains. Towards Port Chester changed the assignment with the progress of construction work.

By concession, the West Chester was committed to offering on the New York City area daily from 04:00 clock in the morning until 01:00 clock at night at least 60 local train pairs with more than 30 minutes time interval; in Mount Vernon, it had to be at least 50 pairs of trains to and from New York City. By the will of the NYW & B should also each time-shifted by half run its express trains, which in turn should be timed so that could be switched on East 3rd Street mutually in the direction of travel. The travel time between the 180th Street and White Plains, was 25 minutes by Local 39 and by express train. Towards New Rochelle ( North Avenue ) took it to the Local 25 and the Express 13 minutes.

The company was incorporated in 1912 with a 20 -minute intervals for locals and a 40 -minute intervals for express trains. Later, should be further compressed to 15/15 minutes. Overall, the course was designed to be necessary to have local as per direction express trains in extreme cases, in five- minute intervals and thus come close to reaching the level of the New York Subway.

The end

The Westchester from the start was a hochdefizitäres companies. The reason for loss of last over 3 million dollars a year was not only in the dimensioning of the plant and the associated fixed costs. The number of passengers never reached the originally targeted level because the assumptions on population growth in the region were far too optimistic been. While passenger numbers rose steadily over the years to, from 2,874,484 (1913 ) over 6,283,325 (1920 ) to eventually 14,053,188 in 1928, but came to West Chester to 1930 not 264 trains a day out, whereby the route capacity was far from being exhausted.

These offered both the New York Central and the New Haven on their parallel routes commuter trains to New York City, who drove in contrast to West Chester directly to Grand Central Terminal in the city center. In addition, the NYW & B could not rely on profitable freight unlike other railway companies.

As long as the West Chester did not reach the breakeven point, the New Haven had to bear the deficit and on top of that, the burden of interest and the loan guarantee. The NYW & B was applied in order to benefit fully from the financial health of their parent company.

This in turn seemed to have always been a very healthy company. But Mellen had built a pyramid scheme from the total of 336 subsidiaries of New Haven, whose gains were achieved primarily by means of false accounting. Although these facts were brought to light in 1913, the financial difficulties of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railway apparently seemed not stop there. The global economic crisis led in October 1935 bankruptcy. The Westchester became then the face now of missing support payments in arrears and followed about a month later on 30 November. She had by then accumulated a total deficit of $ 45 million.

First, an attempt was made to keep the web through austerity measures and simultaneous efforts to increase ridership alive. Because, however, given the high cost of interest payments, lease and property tax ceased no improvement over the next two years, including the operation was set to a court order first. The last train to Port Chester drove on October 31, the last between the Harlem River Terminal and White Plains on 31 December 1937. Having also attempts to sell the company to an investor or placed under state control, had failed, was the Westchester eventually liquidated by court order out.

The section between the 174th Street and the city limits behind the station Dyre Avenue acquired the City of New York for $ 1.7 million to integrate it into their metro network. The EMUs remained with the New Haven; they were converted to non-motorized passenger carriages and used in commuter trains in the Boston area. The remaining assets were auctioned in March 1942 and still brought a $ 423,000; Tracks and catenary were dismantled and then recycled in the defense industry for the war effort. Many of the station buildings were left to the competent communities as compensation for the tax debts.

Technical details

The New York, Westchester and Boston Railway had been conceived as a largely independently operated high-speed rail and built by many places sparsely populated area. In addition, the route had not align with existing, slower to be traveled rail lines. In this respect, almost no compromise route, concession or technical equipment were necessary so that the web which at the time represented technically feasible.

Route

The route should be created for the highest possible rate of expansion, as evidenced by low gradients (maximum 1%) and gentle curves ( maximum of 4 ° ) should be achieved. Also crossings should be consciously avoided. To make this possible in the partly hilly terrain, had along the route generous cuts, viaducts and embankments are created. There were also more than 70 engineering structures, including a 0.75 miles (1.2 km) long, four-track tunnel, together with an underground station below the Pelham Parkway in the Bronx, several viaducts and a few dozen bridges and underpasses. All of these buildings were very solid design; even insignificant in itself pedestrian bridges were built of steel.

On the route through eingeschotterte threshold tracks were laid. This happened even on bridges and viaducts, there to keep the noise level as low as possible, including specially concrete troughs were placed on the supporting structure. The boost in the curves was further optimized exactly to their expected travel speeds down. The command was carried out by means of automatic block signals.

Energy supply

For the power supply, the 25 -Hz AC system with 11 kV of New Haven was used. The top line was suspended from portal pylons and had two superposed supporting cables ( Compound Catenary ). The top support ropes were suspended from the tops of the trusses and remained without power. It ( 91.44 m ) long fields were the lower carrying cables by means of insulators suspended and interconnected by transverse bars in the middle of 300 feet. In particular, the lower supporting parts have not been attached to the mast. Thus the overhead line could follow in the course curves of the tracks, the supporting cables at these points were additionally braced laterally. Furthermore, additional cross wires were attached to the guide of the pantograph within the course angle.

From Columbus Avenue to New Rochelle was for experimental purposes another, " experimental " (experimental) type used catenary. This Single Catenary was equipped with only a supporting rope which was attached directly to the underside of the portal masts. This more conventional from today's perspective construction should eventually prevail within the NYNH & H Group of Companies.

Stations

The stations were designed by architects Reed & Stem, New York and designed it according to the aspects of aesthetics, durability and ease of maintenance. The reception building consisted of concrete and are built in the style of historicism, especially in Mission Revival, Neo-Renaissance and Neoclassicism. In the interior of which also stores and offices were often set up besides the ticket counters; for floors and wall coverings Terrazzo was used. Since the tracks often came to rest in the notch or on a dam, the reception building were often not the same height, but below, above or the side above the track, which is usually one of the outer walls was flush with the retaining wall of the terrain obstruction.

The platforms were designed as a high-level platforms and were just like the station building built of concrete instead of the then customary wood. Also rear boundary wall, stairs and the Doric columns of the platform roof were made ​​of concrete. Only the front edge of the platform was designed as a plank of wood to the loading gauge widen a bit when needed.

Rolling stock

The fleet consisted of 95 four-axle solo railcars, which were supplied by Pressed Steel Car and Osgood -Bradley 1912-1929. They had two driving motors, each with 175 hp (drive configuration Bo'2 '), were up to 1 mph / s ( 0.447 m / s ² ) and speed were at 57 mph (92 km / h) electronically limited top speed. Furthermore, the car over Deadman and tracking control possessed; the power consumption was about two pantograph, which were arranged on the bogies.

The railcars were 70 feet 4 inches ( 21.44 m) long, 9 feet 7 3/ 4 inches (2.94 m) wide, 13 feet 3 1/4 inches ( 4.04 m) tall and 120,000 pounds (54, 43 tons ) difficult. They offered depending on the year 78 to 80 seats, had large windows and thermostat-controlled heater.

The entire car body consisted of a steel frame with riveted and partially welded steel plates. The cars were painted Green in New Haven and had on the front page transitions with bellows as well as at head height, two characteristic round window with 20 inch ( 51 cm) in diameter. The two leaders booths were located in direction of travel on top of each right-hand side. The page three compressed air operated pocket doors were installed with central control; two at the ends and one in the middle. Since the Westchester wrong on the Harlem River Branch in mixed operation with conventional trains and there only low platforms were available, the two door openings were also fitted to the vehicle ends with steps.

In addition to the railcar still existed four flat cars, a boxcar, a four-axle electric locomotive and a gasoline- electric catenary trolley assembly for maintenance.

Depot

The depot was located north of the station 180th Street just east of the railway line and covered yard and maintenance workshop. This, in turn, consisted of a 49 feet ( 14.94 m) wide, 171 feet ( 52.12 m) long, three permanent hall in steel frame construction and was designed solely for maintenance and repair of railcars. Great emphasis was placed on being able to perform all repairs as quickly as possible and on short routes. The building had large windows for bright rooms and was designed with compact external dimensions for maximum space utilization.

Fare and ticket

The fares were graded according to ( initially ) eight zones ( zones ), the fare for a single trip per zone was 5 cents. Each zone represented a certain stretch of the boundaries but not oriented directly to actual distances, but to the town limits. So the ride cost about 8.39 miles ( 13.5 kilometers ) from the Harlem River terminal Dyre Avenue in New York as well as 5 cents over the 1.65 miles (2.66 km) from the Kingsbridge Road to Columbus Avenue in Mount Vernon. This zone system also differed from the former flat-rate intra- city transport services as well as from the kilometer-based pricing, as it was customary in conventional railways. The idea came from London and Berlin. In addition to its European models the tickets were marked according to the target area in a different color, such as red for the metropolitan area of New York City.

The passengers bought a ticket at the starting point to the desired target zone. In this case, this target zone put the color, and the starting point of the payable fare fixed. The maps were then validated when entering the station at a turnstile with a stamp and discharged, and destroyed when leaving the target station to another hub. The color coding made ​​it easier to control because at every station in a particular zone only tickets were always leave in exactly the color of this zone. In addition, no train conductor were necessary.

Traces and remains

The section between 180th Street and the city limits today is the IRT Dyre Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, and is traversed by the line 5. The approximately 4.5 miles ( 7.24 km ) long section was refurbished after the sale on busbar and finally opened on 15 May 1941 as a shuttle and on 6 May 1957.

Along the route are with 2008 levels between Morris Park and Dyre Avenue just the original five stations in operation. At the 180th Street, the trains but control no longer the original NYW & B station on, but already thread a little further north in the IRT White Plains Road Line and use the same IRT station. The station building of Westchester and the associated platforms including canopies, however, are obtained and used as a depot. Overall, the Dyre Avenue Line remains active until the comparatively generous reception building and the larger station distances like a normal subway route on the periphery of New York.

South of 180th Street was initially the viaduct down to the Harlem River Branch and the track junction at the Harlem River terminal IRT Third Avenue Line exist because it would otherwise have been no track connection for the transfer of rolling stock. After opening the connecting curve to the White Plains Road Line this workaround was unnecessary and degrade over time. The station building at the Harlem River terminal remained until 2006.

The transport along the Harlem River Branch was also the part of New Haven not resumed after the end of the NYW & B, so that the local stations were abandoned. As part of the North -East corridor but up to now the route plays an important role in long-distance transport.

North of the New York city limits, the route has often been overbuilt, especially in the area of ​​Mount Vernon and New Rochelle with factories and homes, so that they only is partially understandable on aerial photographs. Further north, the railway embankment on the other hand raises particularly through the terrain barriers and its vast curve radii structurally still clearly from the rest of the landscape. In some places still exist individual passages and bridge abutments, such as on Columbus Avenue. The course of the tracks north of New Rochelle and on the Harlem River Branch in the Bronx can be traced through the portal there wider masts of the overhead line and individual surviving bridge elements. Most station buildings were either sold and converted, to decay or broken over time, provided that offered no other possible use.

Between Mount Vernon and White Plains, the path is still partly used for other purposes; so the incision is in the area of ​​Heathcote as subgrade for a ring road and north of the trail. At the location of the final destination in White Plains today is the shopping center Westchester Mall.

For more information

• Arcara, Roger: West Chester's forgotten railway, 1912-1937; the story of a short-lived shortline Which was at once America 's finest railway and its poorest: the New York, Westchester & Boston Railway, enlarged and revised edition. Quadrant Press, New York 1972. (English)
• Bang, Robert A.: The New York, Westchester & Boston Railway Company from 1906 to 1946. Self Publishing, Port Chester 2004. ISBN 978-0-9762797-1-6. (English)
• Bang, Robert A., John E. Frank, George W. Kowanski and Otto M. Vondrak: Forgotten railroads through Westchester County. Self Publishing, Port Chester 2007. ISBN 978-0-9762797-3-0. (English)
• Harwood, Herbert H.: The New York, Westchester & Boston Railway: JP Morgan's Magnificent Mistake. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 2008. ISBN 978-0-253-35143-2. (English)

Journal articles

At the start of operations in 1912 appeared a series of articles in the Electric Railway Journal. Two of them provide a good overview:

• McGraw Publishing Company (ed.): The New York, Westchester & Boston Railway. In: Electric Railway Journal, Vol XXXIX, No. 21, May 25, 1912 S. 864 ff (English)
• McGraw Publishing Company (ed.): Track and Stations of the New York, Westchester & Boston Railway. In: Electric Railway Journal, Vol XXXIX, No. 23, June 8, 1912, pp. 956 ff (English)

• Herbert H. Harwood Jr.: Grass grows on the West Chester. In: Trains. Kalmbach Publishing Co., Milwaukee, Wis.. October 1951, ISSN 0041-0934, pp. 42-47.