Passenger Cars of the South Park

New York Elevated Railroad - Page 2

New York Elevated Cars

Scene from an old stereo view card of the New York Elevated Railroad. Note the caboose! (Click pic for enlargement.) (Ken Martin collection)


New York Elevated Railroad Cars
This scene from another old stereo view card seems to show the same train from the other end.  Whoops! That “caboose” appears to be a cleverly disguised locomotive!! (Click pic for full view.) Actually, the locomotive is the “Brooklyn,” one of the first steam dummy engines, and the view is of the Battery Park “L” structure at the Battery Place Station on the day of initial operation, 5 April 1877. (Ken Martin collection)

NY Elevated RR cars
The first cars on the NY Elevated RR had the floors between the trucks depressed to a few inches above the running rails to overcome passengers’ fear of the cars tipping over. They were known as “shad-belly” cars. Some of these were rebuilt in 1878 to the more “ordinary” style of the car in the middle. This view of the station and structures at Ninth Avenue and West 59th Street was taken in 1876.

"Shad-belly car on NY Elevated RR Heres another shad-belly car behind a steam dummy named Yonkers. Date is unknown, but it would have to be before 1880. This is from a very faded stereo viewcard. (Phil Reed collection)

 


Here is yet another pair of “shad belly” cars, probably about 1878.


NY Elevated Steam "Dummy" Steam “dummys” were not just a steam engine “disguised” as a passenger car. They were specially designed for their role. This one weighed just five tons.

Forney steam locomotive on elevated tracks Forney steam locomotive on the New York Elevated Railroad. These “modern” locomotives began replacing the 0-4-0 steam dummys about 1878.

New York Elevated Sheet Music (Click pic to see inside pages.)
 


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08 April 2006

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