New York Elevated Railroad (Continued)
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Scene from an old stereo view card of the New York Elevated Railroad. Note the caboose! (Click pic for enlargement.) (Ken Martin collection) |
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| 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) |
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| 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. |
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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) |
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Here is yet another pair of shad belly cars, probably about 1878. |
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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. |
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Forney steam locomotive on the New York Elevated Railroad. These modern locomotives began replacing the 0-4-0 steam dummys about 1878. |
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(Click pic to see inside pages.) |