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| Re: Polo grounds shuttle was to be connected to Lenox Line (1181769) | |||
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Re: Polo grounds shuttle was to be connected to Lenox Line |
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Posted by Elkeeper on Thu Oct 18 19:04:15 2012, in response to Re: Polo grounds shuttle was to be connected to Lenox Line, posted by Dyre Dan on Wed Oct 17 10:03:27 2012. I have said this before, but I'll say it again. The 1903 leasing of the Manhattan Elevated Railway was a millstone around the IRT's neck, lmost from the very beginning. This was yet another example. The design and construction of the connector between 155St/8Av and 162St/River Ave was overseen by the Manhattan Elevated's members, who sat on the IRT Board. The tunneling and retaining walls were built to carry Manhatan cars with el style third rail. Apparently, the IRT was more concerned with its subway obligations under this Dual Contracts, so the MER was left pretty much alone to build their extension. When the steel Flivers and Lo-V's were put into service on the Polo Grounds Shuttle in the early 1950's, not only were the contact shoes modified, but the had to be cut in half to fit through the tunnel. The 155th St Station was built to handle the NY central's Putnam Division, so there was not problem for subway cars on the structure. However, the tunnels would have to have been widened to accomodate regular IRT cars. That would have been a bit dicey, given that apartment buildings had been built over the tunnels east of Sedgewick Ave. |
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