IRT Dyre Avenue Line
IRT Dyre Avenue Line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Morris Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stations | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Rapid transit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
System | New York City Subway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | New York City Transit Authority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Daily ridership | 11,103[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 1941 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 4 mi (6.4 km) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of tracks | 2–4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Character | Elevated, open–cut, embankment, underground | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | Direct Current traction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The IRT Dyre Avenue Line (formerly the IND Dyre Avenue–East 174th Street Line) is a
The line is the only remaining portion of the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway (NYW&B). The NYW&B opened in 1912, providing service from the Harlem River to White Plains and New Rochelle (eventually to Port Chester). Service ended in 1937, and the line within New York City was acquired by the city in 1940, with shuttle service between Dyre Avenue and East 180th Street beginning the following year with IRT elevated cars. Through-service to Manhattan began in 1957, and the stations on the line were upgraded.
Extent and service
The following services use part or all of the IRT Dyre Avenue Line:[2]
Time period | Services | |
---|---|---|
All times | Entire line |
It is served by the 5 train, which makes all stops.[2][3]
The line has three tracks for most of its length. A fourth track briefly joins south of
In the late 1990s, the southbound express track was extended from south of Dyre Avenue and connected to the stub end track at Pelham Parkway. The southbound track at Dyre Avenue is in the position of the southbound express track, as the southbound local track is no longer present. The current platform is built over the northbound express track. Small portions of the original side platforms remain on both sides of Dyre Avenue station. South of Dyre Avenue station, the southbound track moves over to the local position and the southbound express track begins.
The northbound express track was used for storage but this use has largely been made redundant by the expansion of
The north end of the line is a simple two-track stub just below the Bronx County line, which is used to store trains,[4] with crossover tracks south of Dyre Avenue terminal. The south end is a flying junction (the Dyre Avenue Flyover), into the local tracks of the IRT White Plains Road Line (with crossovers to the express track).
History
Background
The Dyre Avenue Line was originally part of the four-track main line of the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway, an electrified commuter line that connected White Plains and Port Chester, New York to a station at the Harlem River adjacent to the IRT Third Avenue Line. The NYW&B opened on May 29, 1912.[5] Soon a station opened at East 180th Street, where passengers could connect with the IRT White Plains Road Line and go into Manhattan and various surface lines. Express trains stopped within the Bronx only at Pelham Parkway and East 180th Street.[6] The NYW&B was abandoned on December 31, 1937 due to bankruptcy.[7]
Plans were made for a parallel subway line even before the NYW&B's abandonment;
Acquisition
The New York City Board of Transportation (BOT) bought the NYW&B within the Bronx north of East 180th Street in April 1940 for $1,800,000 and rehabilitated the line.[16]: 59–60 The line was converted to accommodate IRT cars, and the 11,000 Volt AC power supply and the catenary were replaced by 600 Volt DC power supply via the third rails. Signals from the BMT Fulton Street Line were installed on the line. The Board of Transportation decided to rehabilitated twenty old surplus gate cars, numbered 1580–1587, 1589–1600, and 107, that were operating on the Third Avenue Elevated to use on the line.[9][17]
On March 19, 1941, a
The first train, an official train consisting of four cars with the Mayor and City officials, departed from East 180th Street at 11:21 AM on May 15, 1941.
Plans for restoring the old line north into Westchester County failed.[19] For a few years, the line retained the 11,000-volt catenary on the express tracks in case service to Westchester was resumed.[25] After the Dyre Avenue line was opened using the outer tracks (tracks Y1 and Y2), and once it was certain that service to Westchester would not be revived, the superfluous trackage from NYW&B days was removed, along with the catenary supports, for the World War II scrap drive of 1943.[18]
The connecting switch from the White Plains Road Line was not regularly used to bring in extra equipment or lay up a train on the Dyre Avenue Line itself until November 1952, and then only via new switches and the former Track 3, now Y1, at East 180th Street station. By this time some middle trackage had been restored as “Y3 and Y4” through Morris Park station and south of Dyre Avenue. The Y4 siding was later extended from Morris Park toward, but not to, Pelham Parkway by July 1971.
In March 1954, the old gate cars were replaced by
Improvements
The Dyre Avenue Line was connected directly to the White Plains Road Line north of
In 1957-1960, on the grounds of the former Starlight Amusement Park grounds the former the last wooden MUDC cars and many Hi-V Steel subway cars were scrapped and burned. The tracks south of East 180th Street were used to hold the cars before the cars were disposed of.[32]
On February 27, 1962, the Transit Authority announced a $700,000 modernization plan of the Dyre Avenue Line. The plan included the reconstruction of the Dyre Avenue station, and the extension of the platforms of the other four stations on the line to 525 feet (160 m) to accommodate ten-car trains.[33][34] At the time, the line was served by 9-car trains during the day, and 3-car shuttles overnight. Between 1954 and 1961, ridership on the line increased by 100%, owing to the development of the northeast Bronx. The Dyre Avenue station was rebuilt as part of the plan in 1963–1964. A 525 feet (160 m)-long concrete island platform was built atop the line's former northbound express track, and the wooden northbound platform was removed following the project's completion. Two new staircases were installed to the platform. A canopy was installed, covering the center of the platform, in addition to fluorescent lighting. The preexisting entrance to the station was sealed off, replaced by a new entrance on the station's west side. A new change booth and restrooms were installed.[35] Previously, trains had used the northbound side platform as the terminal with the southbound platform unused. Remnants of the side platforms still exist.[36][37][38]
On April 18, 1965, IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line trains and IRT Lexington Avenue Line trains swapped their northern routings, with Broadway–Seventh Avenue 2 trains running via the IRT White Plains Road Line to 241st Street, and Lexington Avenue 5 trains running via the Dyre Avenue Line to Dyre Avenue.[39][40][41] The line is still operated as a shuttle late nights.[3]
In 1986, the New York City Transit Authority launched a study to determine whether to close 79 stations on 11 routes, including the entire Dyre Avenue Line, due to low ridership and high repair costs.[42][43] Numerous figures, including New York City Council member Carol Greitzer, criticized the plans.[43][44]
Removal of vestiges
The siding connection between the Dyre Avenue Line at East 180th Street and the
In 2003–2004 the former NYW&B elevated structure was demolished south of Lebanon Street.[45][46] The former right-of-way was redeveloped with new buildings, and parking lots. Between 2006 and 2008, the earthen embankment from East 177th Street south to East 172nd Street at the Amtrak ROW was totally excavated and all that fill was removed to provide flat ground for redevelopment. The section between East 177th Street and East 174th Street was redeveloped into the Bronx Greenway–Starlight Park. A catenary signal gantry from the NYW&B was preserved and is located inside the park.[14][47]
Station listing
Station service legend | |
---|---|
Stops all times | |
Stops late nights only | |
Stops weekdays and weekday late nights | |
Stops weekends and weekend late nights | |
Time period details | |
Station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act | |
↑ | Station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act in the indicated direction only |
↓ | |
Elevator access to mezzanine only |
Neighborhood (approximate) |
Station | Tracks | Services | Opened | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Remainder of NYW&B in Westchester County abandoned | ||||||
Eastchester | Eastchester–Dyre Avenue | 5 | May 29, 1912 (NYW&B) May 15, 1941 (IRT) |
Originally a local station with two side platforms on the NYW&B. Converted to an island platform by the NYCTA. | ||
Baychester | Baychester Avenue | local | 5 | May 29, 1912 (NYW&B) May 15, 1941 (IRT) |
||
Gun Hill Road | local | 5 | May 29, 1912 (NYW&B) May 15, 1941 (IRT) |
|||
Pelham Parkway
|
Pelham Parkway | all | 5 | May 29, 1912 (NYW&B) May 15, 1941 (IRT) |
Bx12 Select Bus Service Was an express station on the NYW&B | |
Morris Park | Morris Park
|
local | 5 | May 29, 1912 (NYW&B) May 15, 1941 (IRT) |
||
Connecting Track to Unionport Yard
| ||||||
Merges with IRT White Plains Road Line (5 ) | ||||||
Remainder of NYW&B abandoned or demolished |
References
- ^ a b "Annual Subway Ridership (2018–2023)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ a b "Subway Service Guide" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
- ^ a b "5 Subway Timetable, Effective June 26, 2022". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ "img356--NEG# 385 - N above Dyre AV STA by NB local Tk as layup-7-1964". Flickr. May 3, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ General Statement of the Affairs of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company. 1914. p. 15. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ "world.nycsubway.org: New York, Westchester, and Boston Railway". www.nycsubway.org. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "Westchester Line Passes with 1937". The New York Times. January 1, 1938. p. 36. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
- ISBN 9780823267408.
- ^ a b c d e "Two Anniversaries–Dyre Avenue and Nassau Street". New York Division Bulletin. 54 (5). New York Division, Electric Railroaders' Association. May 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2016 – via Issu.
- ^ Authority, New York City Transit (January 1, 1955). Minutes and Proceedings.
- ^ "Dyre Ave Line Memories". www.angelfire.com. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "www.nycsubway.org: Subway FAQ: Evidence of Former Lines and Connections". www.nycsubway.org. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "Dyre Ave Line Memories". www.angelfire.com. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ a b "NYW&B-IRT Line- E.174th St. JCT to E. 180th St Station & Yards". Flickr. August 23, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "NEW IRT R-33 Cars delivered in Feb. 1964 via ex-NYW&B RR tracks". Flickr. August 23, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 9780823222957.
- ^ a b "Subway Trains Run to Dyre Avenue: Through Service Replacing Shuttle for Part of Each Day on Bronx Line" (PDF). New York Times. May 7, 1957. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "Map of the IRT Dyre Avenue Line". New York Division Bulletin. 30 (10). October 1987.
- ^ a b "Rail Line is Added to Subway System". The New York Times. May 16, 1941. p. 25. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
- ^ a b "Transit Record for 1940-1941". Photobucket. March 1942. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
- .
- ^ "www.nycsubway.org: History of the Independent Subway". www.nycsubway.org. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ a b "Transit Record for 1940–1941". Photobucket. March 1942. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
- ^ "1958 Subway System Map Service Information". nycsubway.org. Hagstrom Company. 1948. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "Dyre Ave Line Memories". www.angelfire.com. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- .
- ^ "New York City Transit Authority–Rapid Transit Operation" (PDF). Transit Record: Monthly Report of Operations New York City Transit System. 38 (9). New York City Transit Authority: 6. September 1958.
- ^ "Annual Report For The Year Ended June 30, 1957" (Document). New York City Transit Authority. October 1957. p. 9.
- ^ "IRT Spur Opens Today: Dyre Avenue Line in Bronx Will Have Five Stations" (PDF). New York Times. May 6, 1957. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ^ "Thru Service To Dyre Avenue". Flickr. New York City Transit Authority. 1957. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ ERA Headlights. Electric Railroaders Association. 1956.
- ^ "Scrapping IRT EL & Subway cars along NYW&B at E.174th St Area". Flickr. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "IRT Improvements Set: $700,000 Contract Awarded for Work on Dyre Ave. Line" (PDF). New York Times. February 28, 1962. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ^ "NYW&B R'way-IRT Dyre Line - Morris Park to Dyre Ave". Flickr. May 7, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "For Release: Tuesday, Feb. 27, 1962 #238" (PDF). New York City Transit Authority. February 27, 1962. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ "N on NB Local Track-Dyre STA to S. end old NB platform2008". Flickr. May 27, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ISBN 0-9629037-8-7.
- ^ "N. at end of Dyre Line (ex-NYW&B RR) Track -6-1973". Flickr. May 8, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "New Routes Scheduled for 2 IRT Lines in Bronx" (PDF). New York Times. March 22, 1965. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ^ "Better Subway Service For Bronx IRT Riders Starting Sunday, April 18". Photobucket. New York City Transit Authority. April 1965. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "Better Subway Service For Bronx IRT Riders Starting Sunday, April 18". Photobucket. New York City Transit Authority. April 1965. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ Brooke, James (April 29, 1986). "Subway Aides to Weigh Cuts on 11 Routes". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Gordy, Margaret (April 29, 1986). "MTA Studies Citywide Cuts in Subway Lines, Stations". Newsday. pp. 3, 27. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ Finder, Alan; Connelly, Mary (May 4, 1986). "The Region; On Shrinking The Subways". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "NYW&B RR West Farms Trestle Demolition-2003". Flickr. March 11, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "Photos 1-50 of 52". www.nycsubway.org. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "S on former NYW&B R-o-W to Catenary-Signal Gantry above E.174 Roadway Bridge". Flickr. March 11, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
External links
- NYCsubway.org - IRT Dyre Avenue Line
- NYCsubway.org - New York, Westchester & Boston Railway
- New York, Westchester & Boston Railway
- Forgotten New York: New York, Westchester & Boston Railroad: Part 1, Part 2
- The Bronx Chronicle Dyre Avenue Projects
- Report to Committee on rehabilitation of the New York, Westchester and Boston railroad upon traffic, operation, earnings and capital costs, June 1940