New York, Westchester & Boston NYW&B Main Thread

Great new photos!My grandparents lived 3 doors over on the same side
of the street as St.Catherine's on Second Ave,on the far side of the church..My grandmother's cousin was the pastor there for a number of years. That's looking downgrade from The New Haven.Reading Noel's post reminded me that my father&grandfather always referred to it as
The Boston&Westchester.

Noel,
Not to interrupt the thread but when you were with The New Haven
were you at all acquainted with a guy named Mike(Mickey)Novell?
He was a friend if my grandfather's who was the engineer on the
New York-New Haven section of the Yankee Clipper.He gave me great
cab ride from New York to Stamford when I was in grammar school.
A very generous,good natured man.

Please: If you want to ask Noel (or any other member) a question off-list, simply click the "email" or "PM" link next to their profile.

Otto-
Thanks for putting on that collection of postcards of the NYW&B.
Some very interesting pictures, as is the sketch from the east side of the White Plains terminal with the projected bridge to the New York and Northern. (I still can't reconcile the elevations in my mind.) 180th Street station sure looks green.
Incidentally, there is another NYW&B station postcard, of White Plains from the east side, on e-bay this weekend.

Noel - Appreciate your useful reminiscences, as always. They have greatly enhanced my understanding of how our local rr's worked. The little man in some of the station pictures: I believe these were original shots from the architect, Arthur Fellheimer, and the human figure is for scale. The pictures were first published in Architectural Record magazine in 1913, and have been used since in various publications.

Has anyone else got NYW&B pictures and postcards? As far as I know most of the George Votava shots and negatives are now owned by Allen Keller, who will sell prints to interested parties. Bob's Trains has about a dozen Votava shots as well, for sale.

Roger Wines

Otto- thanks again for posting these, have been looking at them more carefully. Some comments:

- White Plains Brochure, Sat Aug. 10, 1912
oops, not NY & Northern but of course "Westchester Northern" sorry.
The drawing from the east side of the building is especially interesting because it shows a horse and wagon, apparently receiving baggage??
Freight deliveries would have been on the other side of the station.
- also extremely interesting is the proposed steel trestle over Westchester Ave. for a northward extension on the never built Westchester Northern. If we take the enterance street level as first floor, the passenger terminal platforms would be second floor, and the tracks for the Westchester Northern third floor. If it were not to be a passenger line, the viaduct might have continued southward to form a gradual grade connecting with the two tracks of the NYW&B near the White Plains Tower, some distance south of the station. If a passenger line, there would have been a need for more steps up to the third level platform, something like the double decker NYC El stations, such as Gun Hill Road.

-North Ave. Station and Tower - The signal arms are black and yellow in this colorized card, but almost certainly are red with white stripe, following Nh practice.

-There is another NYW&B postcard on the web, posted by the Pelham historian, showing the viaduct across the Hutchinson River Valley, from topside. see www.historicpelham.com

-Mt. Vernon Third St. has green metal roofs. I wonder if the originals were painted terne or copper, which would have weathered green. In view of the "no expenses spared" mood of the original construction, I would suspect a copper job.

-I80th St. Station has red tile roofs and green trim. I would assume red tile was used throughout the railway regrdless of the colorizing.

-thanks again, these were fascinating. If any more are available, would love to see them. Best wishes,
Roger

Hello Bill Abbot. Thanks for starting this rather long thread with a question about exactly when the 180th stret station was built. Obviously not in time for opening of service in June and August 1912.
I uncovered a reference in a NYW&B report which gives the following dates:
180th st. began construction Jan. 12, 1912
completed construction Oct. 30, 1912

so most of the speculation in the thread has been close to the data.

Roger Wines

A developer has purchased the former NYW&B right of way between Secor Rd and Corell Rd from the Village of Scarsdale and plans to build 2 houses on the property.

I hope they contacted the railroad first for permission!

Does anyone know how the disposition of the Westchester land took place?

In May 1940 the Bronx County properties were sold to NYC. The Port Authority considered operating the Westchester County section, but that never took place.

I assume that the railroad was behind in property taxes owed to the various Westchester cities and villages, and those entities may have taken the property

The section from the New Rochelle/Scarsdale line north to Secor Rd became the Heathcote Bypass. Just north of Secor Rd is where the 2 houses are to be built.

Apparently, the Village of Scarsdale has an additional 7 acres for sale between that section and the White Plains city limits.

The northern terminus of the NYW&B is now the current location of a shopping mall.

The railroad was dismantled in order to satisfy creditors with proceeds from scrapping the line, as well as allowing the New Haven to default on the multi-million dollar mortgage due in 1947 (provided the company ceased to exist).

Aside from what the City of New York purchased in 1940, I think many municipalities got real estate as compensation for unpaid back taxes. Some villages used the land to build inexpensive apartment housing as early as 1948. In White Plains, the ROW is part of an undeveloped greenway trail.

-otto-
www.nywbry.com

Anything regarding the Westchester Iwould find interesting. I grew -up on Dyre Ave and Light St from 58-63 (watched original Northbound platform go over frommy window). Moved to Pelham in 63, East 6th was not filled-in andyou could walk from 7th Ave in Pelham to Pelhamwood. North Ave was still standing,the walkwayoff Hillcrest Rd also..

You can always check out my site www.nywbry.com for more info...

My dad grew up on Esplanade near Mace Ave., from 1927-1972, that's how I learned about the NYWB initially.

-otto-

Otto, took a look at your site, pretty cool. Do you have a similar site for the Put? Both lines have always been a fascination of mine, at least from a railfan standpoint (is there any other)?

At least I got to see the stub ends of the Put in limited action.

Arcara and Bangs' works have been great in documenting. I haven't been able to find the new book I've been reading about on this thread. I remember buying one of the earlier editions at a rail show at the County Center.

I've always thought that the best part of the line was saved - the Dyre Ave line. Used to take it from PP when my ex-wife worked in that neighboorhood, cheaper than a commuter pass from Patterson, that's for sure!

I wouldn't mind seeing part of the line resurrected as light rail to WP, but the old ROW has been encroached too much, at least south of Heathcote. The ROW north of Heathcote doesn't make much sense, either. Has it been rail-trailed? Linear park? I thought I saw somewhere that WP put a parking deck near the Mamk Ave station.

No, I think I'd run the light rail along the NH ROW (similar to the old Port Chester branch), or maybe along the Boston Post Rd, from New Rochelle along Main and Hugenot, and then turning to White Plains in Mamk, maybe to connect to whatever the MTA builds in WP at Westchester Av as part of the TZ project? If not the Post Rd, then along Palmer, rejoining the NH near the old Daitch strip mall by the old siding? The Larchmont Station would be problematic, 95 ate up the ROW there. No way it ever gets through downtown Larchmont on the streets. A flyover would never "fly" either over Chatsworth.

Maybe a branch up North Ave to Wykagl (oh the irony).

If NJT can do it, why not the MTA? Light rail would be a great feeder system for it's busiest stations, and reduce parking crunches.

Sarge, Ron's Books in Harrison might be able to locate a copy for you. I know we're all sold out, but a few dealers may still have it.

http://www.ronsbooks.com/

-otto-

There is one other section of the NY W & B besides the 5 line in service, though sporadically. Down off of Oak Point Yard near Harlem River is a freight customer called S&S soap. They get about 1 covered hopper a month. The catenary bridges are still intact above their spur.