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INDUSTRIAL & TERMINAL RAILROADS & RAIL-MARINE OPERATIONS
OF BROOKLYN, QUEENS, STATEN ISLAND, BRONX & MANHATTAN:

High Line West Side Line West Side Improvement Project Meatpacking District National Biscuit Nabisco Uneeda cold storage Merchants Refrigerating Manhattan Refrigerating Hells Kitchen Chelsea Village Tribeca upper horse escort manhattan cowboy Death Avenue Eleventh Avenue 11th Avenue Tenth Avenue 10th Avenue
Washington Street St. John's Park Freight Terminal street running trackage steam dummy Baldwin American Locomotive ALCO Schenectady 0-4-0 0-6-0 B-B tripower tri-power Lima Shay geared 30th Street Branch 

St. John's Park Freight Station (first) Hudson & Laight Streets - ca.1928	HUDSON RIVER RAILROAD NEW YORK CENTRAL & HUDSON RIVER RAILROAD NEW YORK CENTRAL RAILROAD West Side, Manhattan - Freight Operations 30th Street Branch - New York Terminal District, Hudson Division
	Page 1: Street Operations . 1846 through 1941

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Hudson River Railroad  - 1846 to 1869

New York Central & Hudson River Railroad  - 1869 to 1914 

New York Central Railroad  - 1914 to 1968

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Page 1: History & Operations

Street Running - 1846 through 1941

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Prologue

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The Hudson River Railroad comes to Manhattan

   Freight operations on the West Side in Manhattan began with the Hudson River Railroad, which was owned by Erastus Corning. The Hudson River Railroad was granted a charter from the city of New York to operate freight and passenger trains south to Chambers Street to Peekskill, NY; about 45 miles to the north. 

Erastus Corning December 14, 1794 – April 9, 1872

Corning was a businessman and politician born in Norwich, Connecticut and of whom relocated to Albany, New York; where he was a prominent politician: mayor of Albany 1834 to 1837; New York State Senate from 1842 to 1845, and the US House of Representatives 1857 to 1859, and from 1861 to 1863.    When the Utica and Schenectady Railroad was first chartered in 1833, Corning was a major investor and served as president and as a member on the board of directors. Corning was also a shareholder in, and president of the smaller Mohawk and Hudson Railroad. In 1851, the two railroads were reorganized as the Mohawk Valley Railroad, of which Corning served as president.    Corning began planning the New York Central Railroad, to what eventually became the largest corporation in America; until US Steel. ("Michael. We're bigger than US Steel." Hyman Roth.) In 1853, Corning succeeded in persuading shareholders and executives of six functioning railroads and two that had been planned but had not yet been constructed; to agree to a plan for consolidating their companies.    As the largest shareholder in the new company, Corning served as its first president and he held that office for twelve years, during which the Hudson River Railroad's expansion and connections with other railways gave it access to cities from New York City to Chicago, which made it one of the country's most important railroads.

   Corning entered into a charter with the City of New York in 1846, to route and operate trains from Peekskill, NY, to Chambers Street for for the purpose of transporting freight and passengers.

   The route as laid out followed the east shore of the Hudson River to Spuyten Duyvil, across the Harlem River and into Manhattan. A depot was located at Tubby Hook; at the foot of through the then undeveloped lands of Hamilton Heights, Carmansville (around 152nd Street), Manhattanville, Morningside Heights and the through upper West Side.

   Another depot was located at 132nd Street. It was at this point that the area started to become a little more developed. Here at 132nd Street was a hotel, a boarding house, stage company stables, a convent and a chemical works, but make no mistake, it was not developed to any degree more than a rural hamlet or small village. 

   The railroad line continued down the shore line, until reaching West 31st Street where it curved east into the Eleventh Avenue and West 30th Street where another depot was located. Here, the line continued Tenth Avenues, to and along West Street to Canal Street, where it turned east on Canal for a couple of blocks to Hudson Street. At Hudson, the line south again until ending at the depot at Chambers Street.

   The charter was approved the following year and tracks laid, with the line opening on September 29, 1949. In the years shortly after, the railroad was gradually extended north from Peekskill to Albany.

   Held in the Digital Collection of the New York Public Library are several gems pertaining to maps. This first one is dated 1848, and issued by the Hudson River Railroad. It was engraved by Robert Haering and published by George Snyder of 138 William Street. 

   This map is huge. It measures 17 by 150 inches as it contained to scale 1 mile = 1 inch, the entire route from Manhattan to Albany. What you see below is only a crop of the Manhattan vicinity! The full map, in maximum resolution .tif format may be viewed in the New York Public Library website here.

1848 - G. Snyder
Uncropped, uncompressed map here.
Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division
New York Public Library Digital Collection
added 03 July 2026

  While the above map shows the overall scale of the railroad; these next maps appear to be part of an survey atlas, as the remnants of binding can be seen on some of the edges. These maps were published by Matthew Dripps in 1851 through 1854 (inferred).

   These maps contain quite a bit more informationin regard to detail as it lists the purposes and owners of properties along the remote parts of the line, as well as shows topography and depths of the river and the original coastline prior to being landfilled, the property boundries of the original farms among other details

M. Dripps - ca. 1851-1854
The Battery to Horatio Street
Uncropped, uncompressed map here.
Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division
New York Public Library Digital Collection

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M. Dripps - ca. 1851-1854
The Battery to West 119th Street
This particular plate has been written on, in regards to the layout of the Hudson River Railroad.
While omitted from the original plate, the railroad was penned in through the West 30th Street area,
then again south of West 14th Street.
Uncropped, uncompressed map here.
Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division
New York Public Library Digital Collection
added 03 July 2026added 03 July 2026

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M. Dripps - ca. 1851-1854
West 142nd Street to Spuyten Duyvil
Uncropped uncompressed map here.
Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division
New York Public Library Digital Collection
added 03 July 2026

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M. Dripps - est. 1858
West 128th Street through West 166th Street
Uncropped, uncompressed map here.
Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division
New York Public Library Digital Collection
added 03 July 2026

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   The following is quoted directly from the 1920 Joint Report with Recommendations:

"The charter of 1846 granted the right, subject to permission from the City of New York, to build a line down the West Side of Manhattan. That permission was given the next year, and the West Side tracks were laid as part of the Hudson River Railroad.

The line handled passenger as well as freight business, inasmuch as the Park Avenue line to what is now Grand Central Station belonged to an entirely different company, the New York & Harlem Railroad Company.

The Hudson River Railroad Company established a passenger station at Chambers Street, but drew its passenger cars by horses between that point and Thirtieth Street.

The company's freight traffic grew to such an extent that the company was forced to find a site inland from the waterfront for a downtown terminal. On this site, at Beach and Varick Streets, was built the St. Johns Park Terminal, after which, in 1868, the tracks south to Chambers Street were removed.

In 1871, the same year the first Grand Central Station was completed at Fourth Avenue and Forty-Second Street, the Spuyten Duyvil & Port Morris Railroad, connecting what had then become the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad with the New York & Harlem Railroad, was opened, and the Central transferred its passenger trains to the new route.

Since that time the West Side line has been used almost exclusively for freight, express and milk business." 

   As originally laid out, the trains were brought as far south to a station located on the corner of Chambers Street and College Place / West Broadway beginning on October 8,1851.

   This direct route via the Spuyten Duyvil swingbridge gave the New York Central access to the "Water Level Route" which ran north along the Hudson River to Rensselaer, NY; where it could go east to Boston, Massachusetts or cross the Hudson River into Albany and go west to Chicago, Illinois; and through connections even farther to the West Coast; north to Canada; or back south to New Jersey and other points south along the Eastern Seaboard. 

New York Central & Hudson River Railroad - 1900
Library of Congress (click on map above for link to high resolution .jpg file)
added 20 October 2025

   Ironically, this physical connection still exists to this very day, albeit slightly rerouted to get the trains off the streets (which we will address in a later chapter on this page), and is now under Amtrak usage for passenger service.

   In 1881, the New York, West Shore & Buffalo Railroad had been planned as one link in a chain of a new transcontinental railroad from New York to San Francisco. This chain was to be comprised of the West Shore; the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad or "Nickel Plate Road"; the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, the Northern Pacific Railroad; and the Oregon Navigation Company.

William H. Vanderbilt May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885

However, William Henry Vanderbilt (son of Cornelius Vanderbilt and known as "Billy", and of whom now owned the New York Central Railroad); purchased the Nickel Plate Road in 1882, in effect breaking the chain and that plan.    From childhood though mid life; William was looked down upon by his father, with Cornelius frequently berated and criticized him, calling his eldest son a "blockhead" and a "blatherskite". Billy longed to demonstrate to his father that he was not, but William never dared stand up to the Commodore, who had a very imposing presence. A case in point and even in adulthood: William once stated to his father, "If you tell me not to smoke, I'll obey you." Cornelius grunted, and William threw away the cigar, and gave up smoking forever. Cornelius was that powerful of a patriarch. A major turning point in their relationship occurred on the family trip to Europe on the steamship "Vanderbilt" in 1860, after which the two became very close and Billy was given a greater role in business matters.    His father carefully oversaw Williams' education in the business world, starting him at age 19 as a clerk in a New York banking house. After joining as an executive of the Staten Island Railway and increasing the revenue, William was elected to the office of president in 1862. In 1869, he was made vice-president of the New York and Harlem River Railroad, further becoming its president in 1877. He took over for his father as president of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern (LS&MS) Railway, the Canada Southern Railway, and the Michigan Central Railroad (MCRR) at the time of the Commodore's death in 1877.    As crude as his father Cornelius was considered amongst his peers, it was William that drew the ire of the everyman. In 1883, reporter John D. Sherman questioned him about why he ran the limited express train, "Do your limited express trains pay, or do you run them for the accommodation of the public?"    Vanderbilt responded with, "Accommodation of the public? The public be damned! We run them because we have to. They do not pay. We have tried again and again to get the different roads to give them up; but they will run them and, of course, as long as they run them we must do the same."

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   This interview was then published in the Chicago Daily News, but Vanderbilt's words and the context were modified, with particularly heavy emphasis on "The public be damned." Several different accounts of the incident were then disseminated; the accounts vary in terms of who conducted the interview, under what circumstance and what was actually said.

   Vanderbilt received a great deal of negative publicity from the "The public be damned" portion, and so much so that he even went as far to clarify his response with a subsequent interview by the Chicago Times. In that interview he was quoted saying: "Railroads are not run for the public benefit, but to pay. Incidentally, we may benefit humanity, but the aim is to earn a dividend." As you can imagine, these words did not sit well with the public or the media.   

   Paying no heed to how the public viewed him, Vanderbilt's railroad holdings included no less than the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q); the Chicago and Canada Southern Railway; the Detroit and Bay City Railroad; the Hudson River Railroad (not to be confused with the New York Central and Hudson River RR), the Hudson River Bridge, the Joliet and Northern Indiana Railroad, the Michigan Midland and Canada Railroad, the New York Central Sleeping Car Company, the New York and Harlem Rail Road, the Spuyten Duyvil and Port Morris Railroad, and the Staten Island Railroad.

   During this same time frame, the New York Central began constructing the South Pennsylvania Railroad across southern Pennsylvania, of which was deep in the Pennsylvania Railroad's territory. At the same time, the New York Central Railroad then proceeded to drive the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railroad into bankruptcy via a brutal rate-war, of which the West Shore could not withstand financially.

   The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), which was and remained the New York Central's greatest rival right up until 1968; recognized that the West Shore Railroad would make a great addition to its network, and also allowing it to penetrate deep into New York Central territory. So it began to make overtures to acquire it.

   And now a second, but more destructive rate-war between the Pennsylvania and the New York Central commenced; to wit each railroad kept lowering its freight haulage prices to the point they were actually losing money in an effort to undercut the other.

This loss of revenue was an anathema to J. Pierpont Morgan; of whom sat on the board of directors of both the New York Central and the Pennsylvania. Morgan was well respected throughout the business world, and of whom was the top railroad financier in the United States, much less among many other industries. This rate war, which drove down stock and bond prices; was essentially killing Morgan's dividends. So, he decided to personally intervene.    In July 1884, Morgan and Vanderbilt agreed to try to negotiate a peace treaty between the Pennsylvania and New York Central Railroads. Morgan invited George B. Roberts and Frank Thompson (president and vice-president of the Pennsylvania Railroad) to meet with the New York Central’s president, Chauncey Depew, on board Morgan’s yacht, Corsair. Morgan picked the executives up at a Jersey City pier, near the Pennsylvania Railroad’s terminal, on a hot July morning. They proceeded north up the Hudson River 50 miles to Garrison, NY; and then turned back south to Sandy Hook, New Jersey; located at the entrance to New York Harbor.    Depew beseeched the Pennsylvania men to end what he called the “ruinous” competition of building parallel lines and endless rate wars. These tactics added nothing to the bottom line of either railroad. A luncheon was served as the Corsair sailed up and down the river. Morgan argued that this sort of competition was not only bad for business; it was adversely affecting the flow of European (especially British) financial capital into American railroads as they continued their expansion across the continent. No agreement, Morgan implied, equated to no further European investment.    While Thompson came around to Morgan’s way of reasoning, Roberts remained adamant against it. Only when Corsair tied back up to the Jersey City pier at 7:00 pm; did Roberts, finally relent and shook hands with Morgan on the dock, stating, “I will agree to your plan and do my part.” While it took almost two more decades for the final agreement to be signed; the West Shore Railroad, would now be owned by the New York Central as a subsidiary, and the construction of the South Pennsylvania Railroad ceased (sections of which were repurposed much later (1940) for use in constructing the Pennsylvania Turnpike.)

John Pierpont Morgan April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913

   The stock prices of the two railroads rose immediately; and naturally, the principals and the shareholders were pleased.

   The New York Central, having purchased the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway on November 24, 1885; reorganized its new acquisition as the West Shore Railroad on December 5, and leased it for 475 years from January 1, 1886. (So, in effect the West Shore Railroad West 36th Street Yard was originally the competition; wound up becoming a subsidiary and by proxy an expansion to the West 33rd Street Yards.)

   In 1914, all of Cornelius Vanderbilt's eleven other railroad operating interests: particularly the New York, West Shore & Buffalo with its carfloat terminals in Weehawken, New Jersey; were merged into the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad to form the New York Central Lines.

   With this basic but very convoluted and necessary history of the railroads in New York City now outlined, we can now get down to the specifics of the West Side of Manhattan Freight Operations.

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Early Service - Passenger and Freight

As we can see by the City of New York Ordinances, resolution dated December 4, 1850 (seen at right); "Resolved, That the Hudson River Railroad Company be, and they are hereby, permitted to propel their cars from Chambers street to Thirty-first street by their street locomotive, or "dumb engine," upon the condition that the same shall not be run at a greater speed than six miles an hour; and also, that they shall employ a proper person to precede the trains on horseback, to give necessary warning, in a suitable manner, of their approach, and be under such further directions as the Common Council may, from time to time, prescribe. December 4, 1850

So, the Hudson River Railroad was permitted to use a "dumb engine" (steam dummy or covered locomotive) from West 31st Street to Chambers Street, but the New York and Harlem Railroad along Fourth Avenue, was not.    So, not only was the Hudson River RR now permitted to use steam locomotives, but it was in fact using them in joint freight and passenger handling to and from the Chambers Street Station until 1868. Atlases of New York City - Manhattan - 1857 Plate 8 - William Perris Civil Engineer and Surveyor Third Edition  Publisher: Perris & Browne Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division New York Public Library Digital Collection annotated version © 2024~ freightrrofnyc.info added 20 May 2024

Atlases of New York City - Manhattan - 1857 Index Map William Perris Civil Engineer and Surveyor Third Edition  Publisher: Perris & Browne Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division New York Public Library Digital Collection annotated version © 2024~ freightrrofnyc.info added 20 May 2024

Hudson River Railroad Station Passenger Station - 1863

   Why was the Hudson River Railroad permitted to operate locomotives in the streets and not the New York & Harlem along Fourth Avenue? While this is a question that needs a definitive answer, I suspect that answer may be read between the lines of the Joint Report with Comprehensive Plan and Recommendations of 1920: New York, New Jersey Port and Harbor Development Commission:

The line handled passenger as well as freight business, inasmuch as the Park Avenue line to what is now Grand Central Station belonged to an entirely different company, the New York & Harlem Railroad Company.

The Hudson River Railroad Company established a passenger station at Chambers Street, but drew its passenger cars by horses between that point and Thirtieth Street.
The company's freight traffic grew to such an extent that the company was forced to find a site inland from the waterfront for a downtown terminal. On this site, at Beach and Varick Streets, was built the St. Johns Park Terminal, after which, in 1868 , the tracks south to Chambers Street were removed.

   Also, one must keep in mind, during this early era of operations, the New York & Harlem RR was operating in and through residential and light commercial zones south of West 14th Street. When first organized, the NY&H was a commuter railroad between Downtown and Midtown Manhattan. 

   The Hudson River RR on the other hand was routed along the undeveloped land of the shoreline (in the north), and wharfs and piers (in the south) which were home to heavy commercial and industry.

   And so it appears with increasing clarity, while the Hudson River Railroad engaged in both freight and passenger service, freight became its bread and butter (figuratively and literally!) Otherwise, why would it give up its passenger depot at Chambers and build an exclusive freight terminal?

   It is imperative to keep in mind at this point in time; the New York & Harlem River Railroad, was still a competitor to the Hudson River RR. It would not be until Cornelius Vanderbilt purchased the HRRR, that he brought them under the same umbrella a few years after in 1869.

So called "Death Avenue".

   One of my pet peeves, is that I particularly despise the moniker "Death Avenue" - of which Eleventh Avenue and Tenth Avenue have became to be called as a result of the pedestrian vs. railroad accidents. Not because I'm squeamish, (nor am I offended) but rather because I am well read. 

   Also, the general population, then as now; has a macabre obsession with death (but only when it doesn't involve them directly) whether it be a convict given the electric chair at Sing-Sing, or accidents in the streets. It's often said, "if it bleeds, it leads." 

   This is not personal opinion on my part, but well established through academic and psychological studies:

The journalism adage "if it bleeds, it leads" reflects a long-standing reality that sensationalism, crime, and tragedy consistently capture more public attention and engagement than positive news.

K. MacRae, Concordia University

The phrase is widely considered a staple of "yellow journalism"—a strategy dating back to the 1890s circulation wars between publishers like William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. These editors realized that printing exaggerated stories about violence and gore was an easy way to mass-produce sales and advertising revenue. 

International Council on Media Literacy

   Ergo, this "Death Avenue" moniker is a quite a bit of hyperbole and quite sensationalist, when one actually does the arithmetic. Unfortunately, it has become so ingrained throughout the historical accountings of the West Side Freight Operations, that referral to simply "Eleventh Avenue" or "Tenth Avenue" does not carry the same effect. 

   The 1800's and early 1900's - and with it the coming of the Second Industrial Age - were an inherently dangerous period of time of and in itself. People were maimed and killed by a great of things in daily life; pedestrians were also run over by horsedrawn wagons on a daily basis or trampled by horses. Riders were thrown. The subways were being constructed and temporary sidewalks and bridges collapsed under pedestrians on more than one occasion. With the expansion of electricity into the home and indoor plumbing, a lot of people thought it convenient and relaxing to place a radio near the bathtub. That is, until it fell into the bath water.

   Industry was drastically dangerous: coal mines, steel mills, lumber mills, steam boilers, bridge building, tunnel boring and land work with explosives, mechanized farm equipment, etc. Everyday life then was more of a hazard. 

   In short, injuries and fatalities came from all sorts of machinery and industrial accidents, and not just this particular train or its routing. A "big deal" has been made about the 540 people were known to have been fatally injured by train movements through 1905 by the operations of street running freight trains in Manhattan. 

   But as you will see, trolley cars caused deaths on the streets as well. More so than the freight trains on the streets of Manhattan. These trolleys, so essential to the movement of people to and from work and school; were no different in the hazard they presented. They ran people over too. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle ran a full page feature page on December 30, 1894 blasting the deaths of so many from trolleys. "Frightfully mangled". "Beheaded". "Legs cut off". But no one individual or any holder of city office ever enacted or tried to enact legislation, that forbade the use of trolleys or made them move to another street or part of the city. The trolleys were a public service, you see. And different in terms that lines were owned by different companies. One couldn't possibly get rid of them all.

   Yet, only a few people and politicians actually advocated banning the automobile from streets. What was actually done to counter this issue? Speed limits, perhaps; the hiring of policemen as traffic control officers, the installation of traffic lights, institution of one way streets; but not an outright all encompassing ban on th automobile.. 

• A tractor trailer driver gets stuck on a crossing that is well marked with signs as a "high center crossing" and a train hits it? Why didn't the train stop?
  (Why wasn't the truck driver better trained or more attentive?)
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• Trespassers got run over while walking on tracks? Why didn't the train blow it horn? Why doesn't the railroad build fences?
  (It did and it does.)
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• A movie crew (with large props no less) and after being denied permission from the railroad; tries to film a movie scene on a railroad bridge with clear and visible no trespassing signs. A train comes along and kills a member of the crew.
  (The decedents family sues the railroad for wrongful death!)

• A train derails? It must because of shoddy maintenance or faulty equipment on the railroad's part.
    But no matter how well something is maintained or how new, things will break. People vandalize infrastructure.
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• A train derails carrying hazardous materials? Hazardous materials through my town!?!?! Absolutely not! Reroute the train to somewhere else. Rip out the railroad lines!
    But everyday life, more now than ever; requires chemicals:

   Diesel fuel. Gasoline. Pesticides. Herbicides. Agricultural chemicals. Pharmaceuticals. Wood treatments and preservatives.

   Let us take something found in almost every kitchen and hardly thought of: Cling wrap or Saran^® wrap. It is manufactured from Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) combined with polybutylene. Ethylene and Butylene are both highly flammable, and transported in bulk via railroad tankcar. Can be explosive when subjected to uncontrolled heating without emergency venting. Polyethylene is also used in the manufacture of ZipLoc^® bags another kitchen staple for storing leftovers. Plastics are used in food sales and storage: meats are sold wrapped in plastic for hygienic and sanitary reasons. The medicines you take to treat illness and disease.

   Other plastics are utilized in contact lenses and eyeglasses. Plastics require chemicals, that require refineries to process, and through chemicals that require transportation by rail or truck or pipeline. The very computer or smart device you read this on, the products you purchase and consume, use various chemicals which are needed to make plastics; as well as acids, and heavy metals in its construction. Acids are used to etch metals for electrical contacts. 

   The list of hazardous chemicals transported by rail, and that by subsequent processing become inert and used throughout our daily lives, is endless.  

   Point being, injury and death goes hand in hand with living. The more advanced the civilization, the more hazards there are that come about as a result of those advancements. Trains derail, trucks run off the road, planes crash, ships sink. All transportation methods collide with other objects.

   Despite the best maintenance, items such as wheels, rails, pipes and storage tanks will fail. This bothers you? What are the options? Going back to living in a cave, hunting for your food daily with a stone or a spear? Hell, even archaeologists have even found primitive man injured by those basic hunting implements!

   The point being, it is one thing to call out negligence and seek justice and remediation when it is truly a factor in an accident; but it's another matter entirely to steadfastly condemn something because it simply scares a portion of the population. It take great composure and education not to knee jerk react: to stop knee-jerk reactions, you need to create a deliberate pause between a trigger and your behavior / reaction. By interrupting the brain's rapid-fire "fight or flight" response, you shift control from your emotional center (the amygdala) to your rational mind (the neocortex). ;)

   Even the author is guilty of this: every time I read an AI generated misstatement regarding the West Side Freight Operations - I go into fight mode. LOL! </rant>

   Anyhow, returning to the 1800's; and in the case of the New York Central Railroad; when that railroad was owned by a very outspoken ultra-millionaire, like it was by William H. Vanderbilt living in a mansion of Fifth Avenue; well, these persons made for an easy target by the media. The railroads were, and remain to this day; to be perceived as a big faceless uncaring corporations. Not much has changed, has it?

   Despite this, that is not to say solutions and remedies were not attempted back then. One of the solutions to the hazard of operating trains through the city streets, was to have a man on horseback escort the trains during transit on public thoroughfares. Which brings us to our next chapter.

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The West Side Cowboys

a/k/a
"Dummy Boy" - "Tenth Avenue Cowboy" - "Eleventh Avenue Cowboy" - "Paul Revere"

"that the Hudson River Railroad Company . . . are permitted to propel their cars from Chambers Street to Thirty-first Street, by their locomotive, or 'Dumb Engines,' upon the condition that the same shall not be run at a greater speed than six miles an hour; and also, that they shall employ a proper person to precede the trains on horse back, to give the necessary warning in a suitable manner of their approach, and be under such further direction as the Common Council may from time to time prescribe."

   Mind you, this is just one paragraph of a multiple page agreement regarding the rights of the Hudson River Railroad to use streets and avenues in Manhattan to convey freight AND passenger trains to Chambers Street Depot. The unabridged text may be read by clicking on the excerpt of legislation above. It contains some very interesting information to say the least regarding which route the railroad had to follow, distances between cars, and other details lost over time. 

   This horse rider was to lead the locomotive movement and warn pedestrians to yield to the oncoming train. An escort if you will. These horse riders became known as a "West Side Cowboy", or a "Dummy Boy" (after the steam dummy). They were also known as the Tenth Avenue (or Eleventh Avenue) Cowboy. And when first established, this rider escorted both passenger trains to Chambers Street AND freight trains.

   You will note in a lot of images; these riders appear quite young. They were - back in those days when a lad was old enough to ride a horse, he was old enough to work. It was not until 1938 that the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed, prohibiting most children under age 16 from working (with exception to agriculture and domestic labor). So a lot of young men, no older than their early teens; were seen at work and this position was no exception. 

two image above and one below Bain News Service  / George Grantham Bain collection Library of Congress added 05 April 2024	unknown provenance

   The following film, converted to digital format, shows several of the West Side Cowboys at work escorting the trains. The following digital video from the blog "LivinTheHighLine" article titled "The West Side Cowboy and the High Line", (www.livinthehighline.com/the-original-urban-cowboy/).

   This image below, coincidentally visually exemplifies how pedestrians got injured or killed on the streets on their own accord. In this image we clearly see an escort to the train with red flag warning the public about the oncoming train (moving at no more that 6 miles an hours per City ordinance); yet in that brief span of time between that escorts passing and the train following behind, a Department of Street Cleaning (predecessor to the Department of Sanitation) street sweeper and a pedestrian are crossing in front of the train. This was a decision - sometimes a fatal decision - made by the individual to take that risk. This is an exhibition of free will. And it was not the railroads fault.

A railroad flagman who for more than twenty years has waved red flags by day and a red lantern by night to warn persons on the busy West Side of the approach of on-coming railroad trains was killed yesterday in an automobile accident traceable in part to an old city requirement.    The flagman, Thomas Kelly, 55 years old, of 462 West Sixty-seventh Street, was fulfilling a condition of the railroad's franchise to operate in the city that requires trains moving on street levels not protected by fencing to be preceded by a flag or lantern bearer to warn of their approach. Kelly was waving his red flags at 11:30 A. M. about ten feet in front of a switch engine hauling two box cars across Twenty-seventh Street to Pier 66, North River. As he stepped into Thirteenth Avenue, under the Miller Highway, a car driven by Joseph Hanley, 23 years old, of 148 Willis Avenue, the Bronx, going north, approached the crossing.    Hanley swerved his machine to the left to circle the oncoming train and the rear of the automobile struck Kelly, about to step into the southbound traffic lane to wave his warning flags. The force of the impact hurled the flagman under the driving wheels of the engine. He was dead when a police emergency squad extricated his body from beneath the train.    Hanley told the police that Kelly was not at his place in front of the locomotive when it first moved into the avenue, but was on the sidewalk and suddenly darted in front of the train. He said he swerved to avoid striking Kelly.    According to the Corporation Counsel's office, all railroads operating over the city streets have a clause in their franchise requiring them to employ safety measures to protect pedestrians from being hit by "Iron Monsters." To this day the New York Central Railroad is obliged to have its trains on Eleventh Avenue operate at a speed “no greater than a horse with rider can walk.”    To make sure that the requirement is obeyed the railroad has a horse and rider walking sedately in front of all of its trains that use that thoroughfare. The rider, usually a boy, has become a common figure and is always hailed as "Paul Revere.”    The engineer and fireman of the train told the police that Kelly was at his proper post when he was hit. They also declared that the locomotive's bell was being sounded continually.    In Jefferson Market Court Magistrate Abeles held Hanley in bail of $1,000 for a hearing Tuesday in Homicide Court. The machine he was driving is owned by James Brown of 172 Anderson Avenue, the Bronx, whose father was a passenger at the time of the accident.

While the New York Central & Hudson River operated north of West 72nd Street on mostly privately owned land, the New York Central & Hudson River RR had been operating the trackage in the streets south of West 60th Street under a perpetual franchise, renewed every 25 years.    In 1905 it was proposed, and in 1906, the New York State Legislature passed a bill introduced by Senator Martin Saxe which gave the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company a year in which to negotiate a settlement with the old Board of Rapid Transit Commissioners; and in default of which; the City was to begin condemnation proceedings. But nothing came of it.    Later, the City brought proceedings against the railroad, with the result that in 1910 the Court of Appeals rendered a decision holding that the City of New York had no right to interfere with the company, but that, as it had succeeded in showing that the presence of the New York Central operations on Eleventh Avenue were a danger to the citizens and a detriment to the neighborhood. Therefore, the State could, under its general police power; take steps to force the railroad company to find a new site for its tracks at its own expense.    This included the railroad placing its tracks in a six track tunnel and which the railroad would retain its franchise on two of the six tracks, with the city renting the other four tracks to the railroad. Not to mention, the engineering issues in constructing a six track wide tunnel under active city streets!    A two track subway tunnel, maybe... But six tracks? Surprisingly, the railroad was in favor of this very costly project of approximately $50,000,000 dollars - which equates to $1,775,000,000 (that's 1.775 billion) in 2024 dollars and allowing for inflation.    Nothing came of it, and this did nothing to solve the increasing problem. In 1908, Calvin Tompkins (the Commissioner of Docks for the City of New York) proposed the following: an elevated freight line from West 72nd street to St. John's Park, and a "union" freight terminal with transfer bridges at 30th Street; union meaning to be operated by all the railroads seeking presence, and paid for by rental charges. This proposal too, went nowhere. . Riverside Park    North of West 72nd Street, as businessmen (and women) earned (or inherited) the financial wherewithal to leave the congested urban center; the increasing population of Upper West Side, more specifically Riverside Park area was developing as well and increasing in population. What was once rural, transgressed rapidly into a suburban, high income enclave. The surrounding area had not quite been built up yet, so it offered refuge from the urban congestion; but not too far away from the commerce areas of lower Manhattan to be an inconvenience. With Riverside Park to the west and Central Park to the east, the locale was not overdeveloped or crammed. It was without a doubt, a better quality of life.    Beginning around 1890 the residents of Riverside Park began organizing civic groups and began to rail (pun intended) against the railroad operations.    Even though the railroad operated on its own private right of way (unlike further south in Manhattan where the train ran in the streets) the wealthy residents were abhorred by the smoke, cinders and clamor. Genuine railroad grade crossings were far and few between, so the railroad was not the imminent hazard it presented to pedestrian or vehicle as in lower Manhattan.    Here in Riverside, the railroad was purely a nuisance, and not a safety hazard.

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   Thereupon the Legislature of 1911, by chapter 777, directed the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Company to file before October 1 of that year; plans to show how it would remove its tracks, and authorized the Board of Estimate and Apportionment to enter into negotiations with the railroad to effect this. The situation then, in short was this: the City is trying to get the railroad off of its public streets; and the railroad company is trying to improve its freight terminal facilities. The question was, how can these two ends be attained and the interests of each conserved in fairness to those of the other?

   So, the new plan was thus: tracks to be placed in a roofed cut, designed to carry a motor parkway above, from Spuyten Duyvil to West 72nd Street, and then an elevated steel girder structure from 72nd to St. John's Park. But it was also stipulated that the trains be drawn only by electric locomotive after 1915, which the entire project was to be completed by 1917. 

   The railroad and the city were getting close, but no cigar. Back to the table they went in 1916. Now it was proposed (from north to south): a tunnel under Spuyten Duyvil Creek (Harlem River) to a six track roofed cut to West 60th Street, then a four track elevated from West 60th Street to a point just south of St. John's Park, and an extension to Cortlandt Street carried on a viaduct above West Street and the bulkhead line. The railroad also took the moment to suggest enlarging their existing freight yards, and while they were at it; a provision for passenger service to the West Side to help alleviate the load from Grand Central Terminal. Total estimated cost? $65,000,000 dollars ($2,010,000,000 in 2024 dollars). Both parties agreed.

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1916

Riverside Drive looking north from West 74th Street - 1910
Library of Congress
added 19 October 2025
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Riverside Drive looking north from West 145th Street - 1911
Library of Congress
added 19 October 2025
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• remove or relocate railroad operations from New York City streets on and along Twelfth, Eleventh and Tenth Avenues (Hell's Kitchen / Chelsea); and,
• remove or relocate and hide railroad operations through Riverside Park, north of West 72nd Street (Upper West Side, Manhattanville)
  

Documents of the Assembly of the State of New York - 1917 (commencing on page 252)

Report of the Commission to Investigate the Surface Railroad Situation in the City of New York - 1918

The Port of New York, Volume 1 and Volume 2, by Carl W. Condit - 1981

1920

"Manhattan Island lives on a hand to mouth existence. Because of the dearth of warehouses and storage facilities and of modern equipment for handling freight. The unnecessary costs and losses yearly are prodigious; [and] none but a rich and growing city could have borne the burden."

It was suggested that a two to four standard gauge railroad loop system be constructed, approximately 18 miles in circumference; utilizing electric locomotives.    One of these plans (the diagram at right) would operate through an extensive underground tunnel network to and from Manhattan, with no less than 10 small yards along the West Side of Manhattan, from the Battery north to about West 40th Street, where the tunnel returned back west to New Jersey and that connected with a new "Joint Yard" standard gauge freight yards in New Jersey.     There would be a spur north to West 60th Street, but the New York Central would have to give up their yards at West 30-36th Streets (east west oriented), for two yards a little further north that were oriented north- south (numbers 11 and 12) in diagram at right.    The other plan (seen at left) substituted the tunnel system for an elevated railway beginning with a helix at the Battery to transition the tunnel to an elevated line. (Think Lincoln Tunnel helix). This elevated built to four track width, and sometimes even six tracks; would proceed up the West Side of Manhattan; where "union terminals" would be constructed about every 5 to 10 blocks.    These terminals would have second story railroad yards (think Morgan Parcel Post Building only much larger), with trucks and motor freight at ground level, and the freight storage and industrial occupants from the third story and  above. Diagrams show both truck elevators as well as freight car elevators to bring either to the appropriate floor above for loading or unloading.    At approximately West 40th Street, another helix would bring the elevated tracks down to the tunnel to cross the Hudson River and back to New Jersey.

"In 1911 (chapter 777 of laws of 1911) the West side Improvement was made the subject of special legislation, and the carrying out of the improvement was left generally for direct action between the City authorities and the railroad company. Under the Mitchel Administration plans for carrying out the West Side Improvement were developed in great detail, but at the last the proposed arrangement failed of approval. In 1917, the special legislation of 1911 was amended to confer certain jurisdiction of the (state) Public Service Commission for First District (chapter 719, laws of 1917).

The statutory authority now is so confused that little can be down until that confusion is eliminated.

Following the failure of accomplishment under the Acts of 1911 and 1917, the City Administration began litigation to test the title of the railroad company to the property occupied by its tracks. This litigation resulted unfavorably to the City (City of New York vs. New York Central R. R. Co., 234 N. Y. 113).

Toward the close of 1923 the New York Central Railroad Company made application to the Transit Commission for the elimination of all the crossings on the West Side under the provisions of the Railroad Law. The Commission found that the confused legal situation, coupled with the lack of adequate State appropriations, prevented effective action.

On December 19, 1924, the Transit Commission adopted an order denying in general the application of the Company except in so far as it related to grade crossings in the Manhattanville district, which includes the approaches to the ferry terminals at 125th Street (Fort Lee Ferry) Ferry) and at Dyckman Street. The Commission, subject to the appropriation by the State of the necessary funds, ordered the elimination of 10 grade crossings in the neighborhood of 125th and Dyckman Streets which, it estimates, will cost approximately $4,000,000.

   Put into the simplest terms; the Kaufman Electrification Act of 1923, ratified by the New York State Assembly; was the act that mandated that all railroads located in the City of New York City be electrified by January 1, 1926, and by proxy tried to eliminate steam locomotives.

   All legislations prior to the Kaufman Act, were restrictions specific to a certain location and / or a particular operation in Manhattan, but not the entire borough or the city.

   A great deal of misinformation exists about the Kaufman Electrification Act, or simply "the Kaufman Act". This misinformation circulates both in general discussion of New York City history, as well as within railroad historical contexts. All too often, it's simply stated "steam locomotives were banned in Manhattan in 1908, blah blah blah". This is simply not true.

   So, like most things on this website; the page concerning the Kaufman Act and the previous acts became quite lengthy and detailed; and in discussing that history, it was necessary to move it to its own page: Steam Locomotive Legislation and Regulations in and around the City of New York

• the Riverside Park problem;
• trying to figure who had jurisdiction for the West Side Improvement Project; 
• grade crossing elimination / street operations in Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea.
• the Kaufman Act demanding electrification or cessation of steam locomotive operations in the City of New York;

Ingersoll-Rand / General Electric Demonstrator #8835 - sometime between June 9 and August 23, 1924 
Tenth Avenue, Manhattan, NY
from Diesel Spotters Guide, Jerry Pinkepank / Kalmbach Publishing

"The Diesel-electric locomotive... has none of the objectionable features of the steam locomotive; it is substantially noiseless and its movement are virtually the same as those of the electric locomotive of the same capacity.  It has one other feature... which has an advantage over the overhead system of contact or the third rail. in the case of the latter, there are frequent momentary discontinuances which draw arcs causing vivid flashes. These are a source of annoyance and would be objectionable to those living along Riverside Drive. The results where the contact shoe jumps from one conductor to another and such intervals would be frequent in the third rail system."

"the railroads had nearly a year to demonstrate they were attempting to comply with the provisions."

"that the task imposed upon the railroads is a difficult one because it involves not only the question of electrification but also that of the grade crossing removal."
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Freight Handling in the Port of New York and the LCL Problem

Handling Freight - via the "Armstrong" method

   Industrialized society has come a long way what with electric and gas powered fork lifts, material handlers and other conveniences of saving labor.

   But as many have forgotten, this was not always the case. With the first Industrial Revolution (ca. 1760-1840), came the basics: steam, wind and water power. Then with the second Industrial Revolution (ca. 1870 through 1920), electric and internal combustion powered vehicles and mechanized production and handling allowed for labor conveniences.

   Until this second revolution, almost all cargo had to be transfered by hand. Scows with tons of coal, sand or gravel; had to be hand shoveled. Sacks, bales, crates and barrels, it didn't matter; one at time, they needed to be picked up, placed on a cart or barrow, moved to another location, then picked up and set down again. Moved to and fro, from origination to destination and everywhere in between.

   The railroads and the private warehouse and handling concerns using the railroads; hired vast pools of labor to load and unload carts, wagons, trucks, station carfloats and covered barges. The freight - what ever it may be - in those conveyances, a pair of hands and strong back was needed to move it.

   In some cases a barrel dolly, or "handtruck" could be used, but they remained to be moved one at a time. It wasn't until 1906, that someone finally applied a form of power to these carts for movement, but still required manual winching.

   Improvements to material handling really took off with the outbreak of World War I. With men conscripted for battle, the labor force required the hiring of women as well as older men not suitable for military service, and these persons needed mechanical assistance in moving the freight. By the 1920's the electric mule (a four wheel battery powered tractor (think baggage handler at an airport) towing a cart or two or three could assist, but most freight transfer required manual labor.

   It was not until 1924 that palletization allowed convenient movement of less than carload in organized lots. Now, a few boxes or drums or kegs could be strapped to a pallet and pallet jack used to move the lot at once, instead of individually. Machinery arrived on skids (solid deck pallets) and could be picked up with the pallet jack.

   Pallets were made of the cheapest softwoods, often remnants from dimensional lumber manufacturing; and were considered disposable after one use. Usually, they were broken apart and then used for burn barrels for heating in the cold months.

   The first three images below are part of a New York Central publicity bulletin on the safe handling of cargo and freight.

NO! 9/12/1928  New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110377		YES. 9/12/1928  New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110375
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DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU! 9/12/1928 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110374 added 05 May 2026
. .   Any manual labor as shown in these images carries with it the potential for injury. But with at least a dozen newspapers that once covered New York City (New York Herald, New York Daily News, New York Times, New York Post, The New York World, to name but a few); the handling of rolls of newsprint for the papers was especially fraught with the potential of serious injury or even death. These rolls weighed from 1000 to 1225 pounds EACH; and once they got rolling, you either got out of the way or you got rolled over.
Unloading roll of newsprint from boxcar. Two men are required for each roll. Note the use of a short piece of round wood pole in the core of the roll tied to the top of the dolly. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR290418 added 05 May 2026		Unloading roll of newsprint from boxcar. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR290420 added 05 May 2026
. . Loading rolls of newsprint onto truck via electrically powered newsprint lifting table. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR290419 added 05 May 2026 .
Electrically powered newsprint lifting table. Note the tied off wood pole laying on the dolly. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR290416 added 05 May 2026		Electricaly powered newsprint lifting table. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR290417 added 05 May 2026
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A powered pallet jack loading freight into a boxcar on a carfloat moored to a pier shed - 6/1/1929 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR130239 added 05 May 2026		Unloading boxcars on a station carfloat, directly to shore and a waiting truck - 1930 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR44162 added 05 May 2026
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Loading a crate from a pier house into a covered barge - 9/12/1928 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110376 added 05 May 2026		Unloading cartons from a boxcar into a freighthouse with a cart -  1/30/1940 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR260500 added 05 May 2026
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Here is a particularly wet and smelly job: the transfer and weighing of live fish from tanks on board a specially outfitted baggage car (tanks and aeration system), to a "live fish transport tank truck" (sometimes called a "fish hatchery truck"). This live fish could be used as a supply for the fresh fish market, for transport to a hatchery for further breeding and or restocking, or directly to a man made lake or reservoir for stocking. The photos are a tad blurry, so I cannot identify the species of fish.
unloading live fish from tanks in a baggage car to "live haul fish tank truck" - 1/7/1950 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR45040 added 05 May 2026		unloading live fish from tanks in a baggage car to "live haul fish tank truck" - 1/7/1950 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR45039 added 05 May 2026
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unloading live fish from tanks in a baggage car to "live haul fish tank truck" - 1/7/1950 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: PC532172 added 05 May 2026		unloading live fish from tanks in a baggage car to "live haul fish tank truck" - 1/7/1950 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: PC532173 added 05 May 2026
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Freight transfer direct from boxcar to truck at team tracks in West 34th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: added 05 May 2026

   With the basics of freight handling having been outlined, now we need to discuss a type of freight transportation method that was utilized in Manhattan (and other large cities) needs to be discussed. This method appears in many of the images below; but unfortunately has been a largely forgotten segment of the railroad industry; especially in large yards and facilities of the various metropolitan areas. Nor has this method been covered in any other historical publications or journals.

   We are discussing the modular "LCL Container".

What is L.C.L.?

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   L.C.L. (or LCL) is an abbreviation for Less than CarLoad (or Less than Carload Lot)   

   To the average person, the over-simplistic idea of using a single railroad car to transport a full carload of a singular cargo is the first thing thought of when discussing the transport of goods; e.g.:

• a gondola full of pipe from Point A (steel mill) to Point B (pipe distributor), 
• a tank car of crude oil from Point A (well head or storage depot) to Point B (refinery), 
• a hopper full of coal from Point A (coal breaker) to Point B (wholesaler or coaling dock); or 
• any possible and conceivably any commodity in a boxcar from Point A to Point B.

   While transporting full carloads is relatively simple in procedure: load at shipper, transport, unload at receiver; whether it be a boxcar of corrugated containers, a covered hopper of cement or flour, or a tank car of liquid; very rarely did the railroad car have to be relocated once loading or unload commenced. Full carloads are desirable from the railroads standpoints both in cost and labor.

   Unfortunately, the shipping world doesn't exist in black and white and consist of nothing but full car loads.

   There are many shippers that desired to ship only one or a few boxes, barrels, kegs or a single appliance. And it is here the railroad puts in the most labor; for hauling a mostly empty railroad car does not earn its keep. If the consignor / consignee only has a few boxes, crates or barrels; said small load only took up a small space in the interior of an entire 40 foot boxcar. Hence, each railroad freight agent attempts to fill as much space of that particular and partially laden car, to maximized that freight cars' usage and the cost of its haulage.

    Ergo: If ten sacks of tulip bulbs has arrived from Holland on board a trans-Atlantic steamship; and needs to go to Albany, the sacks are placed in a boxcar at the West 30th Street Yard for placement on the mixed manifest train heading in the direction of Albany. Since the boxcar will be passing Rhinecliff along the way, then Aunt Maude's new Sears & Roebuck four burner range oven could share the ride in the boxcar. A dozen barrels of nails for a house construction concern in Hudson, NY, could also be unloaded along that particular route. Once arriving in Albany, the sacks of tulips are unloaded in Albany, Aunt Maude's stove is transferred to truck or another boxcar to be placed on the local "peddler" train. Why didn't the first train drop it off? That's not the way the system worked, however there were exceptions. But for the lowest priority, lowest cost, freight required multiple handling and usually multiple boxcars.

   Once the tulips and stove are unloaded, kegs of beer from a brewery in Albany and destined for Buffalo are loaded. In Schenectady, electrical components from General Electric needs to go to Erie, Pennsylvania; and they too were loaded into that boxcar. And so the method and ritual goes round and round and on and on. Freight was brought to the nearest "local" railroad siding, where the local picked it up, brought it to an intermediate yard, and where the freight from different sources was transferred to a car going to the destination.

   However, once and after the boxcar was emptied, it could sit empty for days if not weeks. Likewise, empty railroad cars make no money, so to lease space for a bunch of smaller partial loads for the boxcar is the hoped for answer and is known as LCL "Less Than carLoad" shipping. But even this was not a complete solution, as the boxcar waited (partially loaded) at different locations mentioned above, to be off loaded or loaded again, to say nothing if it had to be uncoupled from the train and brought to a loading dock. Then, it would be put on another train the next or two days later, until it arrived at its next location for another load, and until it eventually reaches its final destination. This could take a few days, a week or even more; before that boxcar moved again and reaching that end point.

   An analogy would be the tiered mailing system we are familiar with: slow bulk, parcel post, representing: cheapest and slowest. Need it there a lot faster? A customer could opt for express shipping like American Railway Express or third party expediters, who took care of that method for an increased cost. The railroads eventually absorbed the expediters in the late 1950's and 1960's; and now offer the express service directly.

   But even when all works well, the railroad still deals with a mostly empty car at most points after leaving the originating terminal. If there was only a way to subdivide the cargo compartments. And thanks to the New York Central System Historical Society, we now have images of how those partial load commodities were consolidated and transported.

   A new modular transport system of "LCL containers" had been developed specifically for this reason.  The LCL Container subdivided the loads AND the empty space. When the car carrying the LCL Container(s) arrived at its particular destination,

• the cut (grouping) of LCL cars was shunted onto a "through yard" track, (instead of being uncoupled from the train and brought to a dead end stub siding),
  or:
• the individual LCL Container was picked up by a crane directly from the LCL gondola car in a matter of minutes; allowing the balance of the LCL containers in that gondola car to continue along the route.
  

   The railroad car itself no longer had to wait for a consignee to be notified and come and picked up the freight out of an entire freight car. Nor did the LCL car need to be uncoupled from the train and placed at a loading dock or station platform for unloading or loading. If all LCL containers in a particular gondola were going to a hub, say Manhattan, Chicago, Kansas City;  then the entire LCL car could be emptied at the hub. But if at an intermediate stop, only the LCL container for the locale was plucked directly from the gondola.

    This LCL Container method did required two dedicated persons: one to operate a traveling gantry or crane; and a second "hook man" to place the hooks in the lfting rings. But this LCL container method actually saved the railroad and the shipper money by:

• eliminating several of the 13 minimum "man-handling" steps of handling and transfering freight;
• eliminated an excess of empty freight cars taking up space in a freight yard waiting for assignment, as well as 
• reduce demurrage charges to the shipper / receiver

    The railroads usually had at least one movable crane or derrick on hand anyway. You just needed a crane operator on a regular shift and a ground man to unhook and hook the container.

 
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Port & Terminal - July 1922

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How the LCL Containers were used

   The system in which these containers operated is thus: for a modest fee, these LCL Containers were leased by a consignor in their chosen size or commodity and loaded either by themselves or railroad laborers. Then the crane picked up the loaded container, and placed it on the railroad car. Lather, rinse, and repeat; until all the places of the railroad gondola car were taken. Any standard gondola car could theoretically be used and have been; but as discussed, LCL built special container carriers with drop sides, that allowed offloading of the container (if the container doors were facing the sides) and while the container was still loaded upon the car.

   With the LCL containers, they could also be transfered from railroad gondola directly to on board a flat bed truck and brought to a consignor or to the consignee. The container did not have be loaded / unloaded in the rail yard. However, the nature of their mounting on the railroad car required a gantry or crane to lift it off the railroad car to access the container door, which was a security feature.

   But most often the consignor/consignee brought his goods to or from the freight station. Railroad employees loaded the LCL container, and placed it into an LCL gondola, and each (or a few) gondolas could go to a different geographical area.

   And where better to try it out this modular system? Manhattan - one of if not the biggest, port and freight transfer points in the United States! Hence why I have included this chapter on this page.

   Once the gondola cars were fully loaded, they were added to the train going to or through the consignees delivery area: such as; two cars for Albany, two cars for Utica, three cars for Buffalo, two cars for Erie, PA, one car for Toledo, OH, six cars for Chicago, IL, etc. Obviously all container cars placed on a particular train, went along that specific route. And, the containers could be unloaded directly from the train, leaving the train intact, but with empty cars; or the loaded gondolas could be cut off the train and brought to a yard area or team track for unloading.

   What the container system did was reduce both lag time (the car lingering in a yard or at a destination) and the demurrage costs (the rental time the railroad charged for use of the railroad car, after a free grace period.) Instead of $75 to $300 per day for the railroad car, the LCL containers were under $25 per day, plus mileage; which was a significant cost savings to the consignor / consignee. The downside was the LCL containers tended to linger a bit longer at the consignee, because the demurrage charges were not as hefty as a full sized railroad car.

   All that was really needed for the LCL Container concept was an area of flat land, and movable crane or derrick. Even small railroad derricks located on a directly adjacent track were utilized.

   It was the railroads answer then, to todays UHaul "U-Box^©" or "Pods^©" method of shipping for the homeowner. The company (or a contractor) drops off a "pod", you fill it with your belongings on your time frame and when filled, you call the company to pick it up the loaded pod. It is then picked up, and brought to a facility where the Pod is stored with others, and waits for others destined for the same general area. Then they are loaded onto the one truck for its destination and final delivery. It is a lot more cost efficient than renting a large truck and rushing to load and unload, because another day's rental will cost the renter a few hundred dollars.

   Ironically, Lionel modeled the LCL method in O scale - how many remember them?

   As stated above, the inspiration for the LCL Container system came about from the modular containers placed into service by the New York Central for transporting all classes of mail and parcel post packages, according to the Engineering and General Contracting, 1922 article above.

   These first containers were composite construction: wood timber framed walls, reinforced with vertical and diagonal steel straps; a wood plank floor and sheet steel roof.

   They came in  two sizes:

• Large: 7' x 16' x 8' and 
• Small: 7' x 9' x 8'.

   Neither of these sizes had feet or legs, and were transported in a sloped, fixed side gondola.

    LCL car designs progressed over the years. The first LCL gondolas had fixed sides (straight and sloped designs with large bulk ends, preventing the opening of the container doors, are approximately 50 foot in length with a steel mesh floor to allow for drainage of rainwater and snow melt. A 50' fixed side gondola that held nine 8 footers or three 16 footers (or a combination of sizes: two 16 footers and two 8 footers or one 16 footer and four 8 footers. This fixed sided gondola absolutely required container removal for access to the container door.

   Another fixed side design had large bulkhead walls at the A and B ends of the gondola. These bulkhead gondolas appear to have been used for the mail containers.

    It appears these fixed side designs was discarded in favor of the drop side gondola seen in the image below. By its nature, it permitted the containers to be loaded or unloaded while the container was still mounted on the gondola. When the car was ready to move, the sides swung up, which barred the container doors as well, adding security. Another benefit of the drop sides, was that they acted as bridge plates at high level platforms, as evidenced in this image:

LCL Container Facility at Utica, NY - 4/18/1930
Note how drop sides form bridge plates to platform deck, facilitating easier movement.
New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: NG606231
added 05 May 2026

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LCL Containers - the predecessor to the modern shipping container

   The reason why I have gone to great length to describe this operation, is it was because the LCL Container concept was pioneered jointly between the New York Central Railroad and the Less Than Carload Corporation (or "LCL Corp.") and was developed in consideration of the extensive freight commodity haulage through the Manhattan railroad terminals.

Alfred Holland Smith b: April 26, 1863 d: March 8, 1924

The initial idea of this compartmentalized shipping is credited (and patented) to Alfred H. Smith. Yes, THAT Alfred H. Smith: of whom became president of the New York Central Railroad, and the one that the huge bridge at Castleton over the Hudson is named after.    He invented and patented the concept of a "plurality container" system. The system was comprised of containers of a modular sizing that all would fit on a railroad car with compartments of adaptability for size. On the top of any of the containers, was four lifting loops or shackles, one each at the four corners. Here, with a container at a railroad yard; a traveling gantry or even a mobile derrick (wheel or tracked for road types or railway mounted and of which were a common fixture on smaller railroads) could lift and set down the container where ever. The gantry or derrick could set the container down on the railroad car, transfer it from one railroad car to another, place it on a platform truck, or place it directly on the ground.    The system worked well, and over the years gradually expanded for the containerized transport of many different commodities not just dry goods. Unfortunately, Mr. Smith did not live long enough to see his development come to fruition.    Sadly, on the afternoon of March 8, 1924; Smith and his freight manager Edward Hoopes mounted their horses for a regular ride through Central Park. Both were expert riders and regular companions. They started off from Smith's residence at the Plaza Hotel and rode together for more than two hours; Smith had already changed his mount. The two were riding near the 67th Street intersection when a woman on a horse crossed suddenly into their paths.    According to Hoopes' testimony Smith pulled up sharply on the reins to stop his horse, but in the process lost his balance, grabbed for the horses's neck and fell onto the ground head first. Mr. Hoopes dismounted and ran over to Smith immediately and yelled for help, but Smith was limp. He was determined to have been killed instantly from a broken neck. The woman and horse that ventured into his path, left the scene and her identity remains unknown.

   After his untimely demise, the patents were assigned to the LCL Corporation. There were many different containers patented, in two generations. The first in the early 1920's, and the second from 1930 through 1941. It appears there were four sizes of container that were the most widely used:

For dry goods transport:

• the first generation "Large"size container, made of wood timber framing (4" x 4" and 4" x 3") and vertical tongue & groove boards. It had double doors on one side offering wide egress, and appears to measure 7'W x 16'L x 8'H. Steel diagonal braces and corners added strength. They were marked as having empty weight of 4800 pounds, and a capacity of 7000 pounds.
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• the first generation "Small" size container; constructed in same fashion as the large above, but inherently shorter: 7'W x 9'L x 8'H.
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• The second generation "Merchandise Container" was comprised of all steel construction. The most commonly one seen in images. Had a single door with double steel latches (both were capable of being padlocked) on one side. These containers appear to be similar in the dimensions of the first generation small: 7'W x 9'L x 8'H. but the second generation had steel "L" legs. This container is marked as having an empty weight of 2900 pounds, and a capacity of 3500 pounds
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• The "US Mail" Container", which was what inspired the use of a modular container for general shipping purposes; is of the "Merchandise Container" dimensions; but had no legs.
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• The "Refrigerated Container" also appears to be of these "medium" dimensions, but the weights are unknown. Heavily insulated walls like the "MilkTainer", these had room for ice blocks or dry ice inside them.
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• the "Drop Bottom Container" had the smallest footprint size, of 4'W x 8'L x 8'H. No doors on any of the four sides, these had a loading hatch on top and steel trap doors on bottom, which allowed for rapid dumping of materials. These were used for the transfer of bulk items, such as sand, cement, lime, flour, bricks, stones, Belgian block, etc. The empty weight and the weight capacity are unmarked. There appear to be two versions: all steel plate of riveted construction; or composite wood slat sides and bolted steel angle frame.
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• the "Brick Container": in some cases, new brick or concrete block construction materials were carried in a "C" shaped container shell with a slotted bottom and no top. The bricks were stacked neatly on the tines of the bottom and within the three walls (two sides and back) in an interlocked fashion.
  
     When these brick containers arrived at their destination, a hoisted apparatus was attached to the traveling gantry. This apparatus was comprised of a bottom made of vertical plates (like the tines of a fork) with a solid back. The tines were inserted under the stacked bricks. The gantry lifted the stacked bricks without the C shaped "shell". Once over a truck, the hinged bottom floor was released, slowly pouring the bricks. This method reduced breakage during unloading instead of simply tossing the bricks into the top of a Drop Bottom, or when dumping out of them.
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  For liquids:
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• The "MilkTainer", which was essentially a 645 gallon glass lined tank in an insulated box of 7'W x 9'L x 5'H. 645 gallons of milk weighs 5,550 pounds, plus the weight of the container. The TankTainer could also be used for other liquids, such as oils (vegetable, corn, cottonseed, nut), fruit juices, and / or chemicals and acids.

   There are approximately 50 patents issued for these containers and variants thereof, and railroad cars used to carry them; as well as other designs of containers for the shipment of an automobile; lime / cement carboys; hopper containers with a moveable gate for on bottom for slow unloading. All are credited to Graham C. Woodruff; vice president of the L. C. L. Prior to this, Mr. Woodruff who was formerly a freight traffic manager of the New York Central. These patents and the drawings may be viewed here and are provided here for the benefit of the modeler.

   For the record, the Wikipedia entry for LCL Containers (accessed 6/7/2026) misattributes the development of the LCL Container to the Pennsylvania RR, the "PennRoad Company" in 1928 when it acquired National Freight Company.. This is not so, and furthermore there is a New York Times article regarding a lawsuit against the PRR for copying the design while under patent protection, with NYC and LCL prevailing in the lawsuit. The original New York Central patent dates back to 1920.

   Again, this author is deeply appreciative of the New York Central System Historical Society, and their digital collection, of which these images are part of.

First Generation Dry Goods Large and Small Composite Containers

Showing a "large" 7' x 16' x 8' LCL Container (no feet) timber framed interior; steel bottom frame, with a tapered fixed side LCL gondola New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID WR110252 added 11 May 2026		Showing a "small" 7' x 9' x 8' LCL Container (no feet) timber framed interior New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID WR110143 added 08 June 2026
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Modularity: two 7' x 16' x 8' and two 7' x 9' x 8' LCL Containers on older tapered style fixed side gondola. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID WR110278 added 11 May 2026
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Modularity: two 7' x 9' x 8' "medium" and two 7' x 18' x 8' "large" LCL Containers on older style fixed side gondola. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID WR110272 added 11 May 2026		Note how the fixed sides / ends blocks the container doors from opening. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID WR110274 added 11 May 2026
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Note the slots on inside walls and moveability of the divider boards to accommodate any combination of container sizes. This car is shows for set up of four 16' containers. This image also shows the slide channels (receptacles) for the container's tapered slide shoes. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID WR110267 added 11 May 2026

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"MilkTainers" / TankTainers

   It was not long until a tank was installed installed inside of a container. Any liquid commodity could be transported, but the specialty was milk.

   A glass lined tank, placed inside a heavily insulated container, with hinged lid on top allowed for filling the tank, or accessing the tank for cleanout or repair. A trap door at the side bottom of the external container, allowed for access to a hose coupling. Like with the LCL containers, a crane lifted the MilkTainer off the railroad car, and placed it on a truck to be brought to the bottling company. When empty, it was washed out, sanitized and returned to the railroad yard.

   While the footprint dimensions of the container was on par with most others 7' x 8'; the milk containers were shorter than other types of containers: approximately 5'. The tank had a capacity of 645 gallons.

   Because of the insulating effects of the container, pre-chilled milk could also be transported without the need of separate refrigeration unit.

   These containers could also be used for juices, acids, edible oils.

West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY - 1922 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID:  WR110193 added 05 May 2026		Showing hose connection - 1922 West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY The opening at top right is for display purposes of the interior and tank, and not on production units. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110195  added 05 May 2026
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1922 West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110195  added 05 May 2026
Showing the MilkTainer to respected members of of the New York Dairy Association, dealers and the City of New York Health Department - 1922 West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110191 added 05 May 2026		Showing hatch on top - 1922 West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110190 added 05 May 2026
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Showing the MilkTainer to respected parties of the New York Dairy Association, Deputy Commissioner of Markets, Mrs. Welzmiller; and Health Department officials Note the insulated plug door laying on the main top hatch -1922 West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110186 added 05 May 2026		Boonville, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110204 added 05 May 2026

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Second Generation:

   These following images show the second generation containers, including the US Mail containers. All of which featured all steel construction, and were even more tamper resistant and resistant to accidental damage.

   Transporting the US Mail used to be a serious business. A postal employee was regarded as a good position of employment and came with it trust and responsibility. Today it's just another federal job, but prior to 1971, the US Post Office Department and its employees took a lot of pride in their work. We have come a long way since twice a day delivery, intrastate first class mail arriving within a day, and in most cases interstate mail within three days. Look at the postmarks on some older mailings, as a lot carried postmark of drop off station and arrival station. You will see this is no exaggeration on my part.

   It is stated in the patent filings, the use of the LCL US Mail Container method saved a great deal of time in handling the mail, as the contents of a mail express baggage car needed to be unloaded by hand into carts, wheeled to trucks, the contents of the carts unloaded into trucks, the trucks then brought to the sorting facility where the mail sacks and parcels were unloaded again into other carts to be brought to the sorting floor.

   With the LCL container, the container itself was transferred with all of its contents from railroad car to truck, and brought to the sorting facility; where the container was unloaded into the mail carts, for the trip to the sorting floor.

   And again, containers sizes could be mixed and matched: you can have any type of container on a LCL gondola carrier car as their foot print was standardized to fit on the carrier car; as can be evidenced by the LCL MilkTainers, mixed with US Mail (which were both expedited handling.)

   One of the principal differences I took notice of between the standard LCL Merchandise Container and US Mail Container is that Merchandise Containers have legs, which raise the container off the ground whereas the Mail Container do not..

 

US Mail Containers

Two kinds of expedited LCL: Milk and Mail. Both were time sensitive. Note bulkhead fixed side gondola. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110202 added 05 May 2026		A small railroad yard derrick lifting a US Mail LCL container - ca. 1930 Note bulkhead fixed side gondola. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110202 added 05 May 2026
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Flat bottomed. The tapered slide shoes on the bottom front corners, slid into matching channels / slots on the inside wall of the fixed side LCL gondolas; preventing front to back shifting. All containers had these. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110202 added 05 May 2026		Interior of all steel mail container New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110147 added 08 June 2026
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Two 7' x 9' x 8' LCL Mail Containers (no feet) on straight truck - no date added 08 June 2026		Loading a mail container while still on truck. Undated New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110221 added 08 June 2026

   Now, some of you might be saying to yourself, how convenient can these be containers be? Once set on the ground or platform, they couldn't be moved around.

   Well, there was a dolly that was furnished for platform use. It had small steel wheels, and while it would not have been very good on rough surfaces or bare ground; it was well suited for moving the containers on wood and concrete platforms.

   These images were taken in the West 33rd Street express freight warehouse. Note the baggage express car in bottom right image. mail is being transferred from the baggage car to the LCL containers to be brought to sorting facility. (The construction of the Morgan Parcel Post Building eliminated this hand transfer.

Loading a US Mail Container situated on tow dolly New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110218 added 08 June 2026

electric (battery) "mule" towing US Mail Container on dolly to truck platform for further transport to mail sorting center. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR110220 added 08 June 2026

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Merchandise Containers
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   Again, with my deepest thanks to Paul Woods of New Zealand; who was kind enough to forward digital copies of the construction plans for the Merchandise Container. With them, we now recognize there were at least two varients: a smooth front, seen below, and a external ribbed front  as seen below right.

Unloading a Merchandise LCL Container (with feet) in freight house. Note smooth face panels and the flat roof over door.  These conform to LCL drawing 10222 and measured at 7'L x 9' 3½'W x 8' 2"H' New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID:  WR110195  added 05 May 2026		Unloading an Merchandise LCL Container - November 18, 1930 Note the external reinforcing ribs on front and peak of roof over the door. Is is believed these also measured at 7'L x 9' 3½'W x 8' 2"H' New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR150129 added 05 May 2026
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Lifting an 7' x 9' x 8' Merchandise LCL container with feet out of standard (non-LCL) gondola by traveling gantry crane - 11/1/1931 West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR160269 added 05 May 2026		various 7' x 9' x 8'  containers in LCL (drop side) gondolas at West 33rd Street Yard; Manhattan - no date Note that some of the containers are shorter than others. The shorter units are flush bottom, no legs and are US Mail containers. The taller units have 12" legs on the bottom of each corner.  The containers with square dome on top are refrigerated containers. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: PC532194 added 05 May 2026
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Two 7' x 16' x 8' LCL Merchanise Containers (with legs) on tractor trailer truck, Manhattan, NY - 2/5/1930 Note the forklift type mover for LCL Containers on platform. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID:  WR140052 added 05 May 2026

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"Drop Bottom Container" or "BulkTainer"

   The smallest footprint container, approximate dimensions of 4 feet wide by 8 feet long and 7 feet tall. It had an open top with hinged covers; as well as had a trap door bottom.

   Ascertained from the images, there were two designs: a riveted all steel version, as a composite wood slats and steel frame.

   This allowed a solid and/or powdered commodity such as bricks, sand, stone, cement, lime, sugar, or flour which could be shoveled or dropped by chute into the top hatch. With the hatch sealed, it was placed onto a railroad car for transport. Once at its destination, the crane lifted it up, swung it over a truck, where a man pulled the rope and the bottom trap doors opened, dumping the contents into the truck.

   From these images, it appears 12 containers fit in a standard (non-LCL) gondola car.

all steel "Drop Bottom" 4' x 8' x 8', twelve units fit in standard 50' gondola. West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR1120540 added 05 May 2026		lifting all steel "Drop Bottom" container. West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR1120541 added 05 May 2026
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"Drop Bottom" container positioned over truck. West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR1120542 added 05 May 2026		doors opened, "Drop Bottom" container dumping lime West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR1120543 added 05 May 2026
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composite wood & steel "Drop Bottom" container with bottom trap doors sealed February 1, 1929 West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR120574 added 1 May 2026		composite wood & steel  "Drop Bottom" container bottom trap doors opened  February 1, 1929 West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR120575 added 11 May 2026
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Looking at the bottom of an all steel "Drop Bottom" - December 7, 1931 Heavy chain keeps bottom doors closed until released. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID:		LCL Bulk Containers in LCL gondola carrier - January 24, 1929 Note trap door release rings hanging off top. West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR120539 added 05 May 2026
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6/26/1930 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR150034 added 05 May 2026		Showing a close-up of a brick container being unloaded on a truck. - 10/23/1930 West 30th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID:  WR150113 added 05 May 2026

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   Here is another example of how the BulkTainer could be used.

   A loaded bulktainer was unloaded at the railyard onto a truck. Then, brought to the batch plant, where it was hoisted to the top of the bin by derrick, then the bottom opened to transfer the contents directly into the mixing plant.

Showing LCL cars handling cement by crane with the cars in mid-air-being emptied into the cement silo and the awaiting trucks at West 33rd St Yard -  2/19/1932 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR170110 added 05 May 2026

Showing LCL cars handling cement by crane with the cars in mid-air-being emptied into the cement silo and the awaiting trucks at West 33rd St Yard -  2/19/1932 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR170109 added 05 May 2026

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Brick Containers
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Picking up a stack of brick at West 30th Street Yard - September 1, 1941 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR290452 added 08 June 2026	Lifting apparatus showing tines inserted to carrier at West 30th Street Yard - September 1, 1941 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR290451 added 08 June 2026
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Picking up a stack of brick at West 30th Street Yard - September 1, 1941 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR290449 added 08 June 2026	Positioning brick stack over truck at West 30th Street Yard - September 1, 1941 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID:  added 08 June 2026
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Dumping stack of brick at West 30th Street Yard - September 1, 1941 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR290448 added 08 June 2026	Empty brick handling apparatus at West 30th Street Yard - September 1, 1941 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR290447 added 08 June 2026

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Refrigerated Containers

   It was only a matter of time, until someone came up with the idea of a heavily insulated container. I originally understood this design container to have a small mechanical refrigeration system, but upon locating the patent drawings; this is not the case - they were loaded ice or dry ice.

   It's a shame the emulsion on the negatives is degraded, but I do like the idea of the New York Central RR publicity man to have taken these images on a winter day with snow covering, to portray the "cold." 

NYC RR publicity image showing a new LCL refrigerator car in West Side yards - 3/1/1934 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR180099 added 05 May 2026		NYC RR publicity image showing a new LCL refrigerator car in West Side yards - 3/1/1934 Note side panels in down position for unloading. New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR180098 added 05 May 2026
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NYC RR publicity image showing close up of new LCL refrigerator containers in West Side yards - 3/1/1934 New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR180100 added 05 May 2026

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Cement / Lime Canisters / Bottles / Carboys

 
   Out of the LCL Container system, came the cylindrical cement canisters or bottles. I have also seen the term of "carboy" used in reference to these, but etymology reflects that carboys were small glass containers used for brewing or storage of liquids in the quantity of one through seven gallons. For example: the five gallon containers (glass or plastic) used for water coolers is a carboy. I will however use all three names here for web searchability.

   These steel canisters / bottles / carboys were air tight and moisture tight. Most frequently they were used with dry powdered cement or lime; but could be used with any pulverulent material such as cereals, grains, seeds, malts, etc.

   Whichever the commodity, it could be poured in by bulk (26), or shoveled in via the top hatch (16) and sealed; or pumped in via the material hose (31).

   The bottom of the container consisted of the funnel (6) that terminated into a hose fitting (18). There were two fittings for hoses. When the car arrived at its destination and was ready to be offloaded, a large diameter material hose (31) and an small diameter air hose (32) was connected to the bottom of the carboy. A stationary pressurized air system in a factory (29), or a portable air compressor cart (34) - like the type used for jackhammers and asphalt breaking; was turned on, and the pressure differential literally blew the powdered product out of the container.

   While this design originated on the New York Central, this particular method of cement transport fell out of favor for the "Airslide" covered hoppers that entered service around 1954. The Lehigh Valley Railroad however held on to this container method a while longer; until they too eventually switched to the covered hopper. The Delaware & Hudson RR used a "V" shaped "pressure slide" tankcar.

   These bottles and car remain popular with the vintage Lionel crowd.

cement carboys  / canisters / bottles New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID:		Ingersoll Rand air compressor cart with hoses to cement carboys  / canisters / bottles The air supply or pressure hose is the smaller black hose. The material hose is the larger lighter colored hose.
cement carboys  / canisters / bottles

Large Milk Tanks

   A larger variation of the "MilkTainer" was the milk tanker. These were large elongated tanks about 20 foot in length with a bell bottom for stability. However, these tanks were removable from the railroad car.

   The idea of carrying milk in containerized tanks that could be easily transferred between a flat car and a truck was the brainchild Benjamin Fitch, the president of Motor Terminals, Inc. located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was a revolutionary idea that also contributed to the intermodal concept of transportation.

   The National Car Company (a railroad car builder and a subsidiary of Fruit Growers Express Company), joined in partnership with Motor Terminals in 1940; and marketed the concept. Many milk bottlers, namely Borden's; was a faithful customer of the National Car concept for many years. Others dairys included Hohneker's, Renkins, Dairymen's League, Sealtest and Sheffield Farms.

   These special flat cars were known as "NX flats" which were 50 foot in length and held two tanks. On the bottom of the tank were four sets of roller wheels in rows oriented across the bottom of the tank, and located about one fifth (approximately 4 feet) of the tank length apart.

   A special flat car with embedded U channel (opening to the top and perpendicular to the length of the flat car), and the roller wheels on the bottom of the tank slid into the open U channels on the deck of the flat car from the side. Hinged locking tabs projected up from the bottom once the tank was secure on flatcar or trailer.

   At its destination, a trailer truck with a special trailer, also with embedded U channels as part of its frame; parked next to, and parallel to the flat car with the tank. A winch on the trailer was attached to the side of the milk tank, and the tank was winched onto the trailer sideways.

   This particular method did not achieve widespread use in regards to the West Side Freight operations; and the enclosed New York Central Milk Car seen on the adjacent track remained the standard method for transporting milk.  

   Those seeking more information are directed to "New York, Ontario and Western Railway - Milk Cans, Mixed Trains and Motor Cars" by Robert Mohowski.  A entire chapter is dedicated to containerized milk transportation.

   The following three images are captioned "Showing milk tanks being transferred from flat car to truck trailer W. 61st. Yard -12/7/1945"

New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR 350309 added 05 May 2026	New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR350308 added 05 May 2026
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New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID: WR350307 added 05 May 2026

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Todays ISO Container Variations

   The advent of the LCL Container did not solve so much the burden of hiring vast pools of labor to unload freight from carts, wagons, trucks and barges; but it did simplify transporting and re-handling those goods in small lots.

   Todays inter-modal shipping containers are a descendant of the same principle of modularity, only they are a bit larger and built to ISO standards, the International Organization for Shipping; all standard 8 foot wide.

   These types consist of the:

• standard "Dry Van" containers in 10, 20, 40 foot (International) or 53 foot (US domestic only)
• in the event when the dry van does not fit the cargo, such at a piece of machinery, the "Open Top" is used: a four sided container with floor; with a removable tarp instead of a hard roof, ideal for tall or heavy cargo. However, these must either be placed at the top of a stack, or by themselves.
• "Flat Racks": Containers with collapsible sides and no roof, designed for oversized, bulky loads like machinery or vehicles. 
• "Tank Containers": a tank set inside a rectangular steel frame for modularity to the other containers.

   All of these are currently in use and interchangeable between railroad, highway and martime industries.

   

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New York Central Railroad - List of Station and Facilities, September 1925

Spuyten Duyvil through Inwood, Fort Washington



Dyckman Street


Grade Crossing Elimination - date unknown
Note no third rail at this location on this date, switchman's shanty on right edge. 
New York Public Library Digital Collection - Image ID 734615B
(the image description card associated with this image is mismatched in the library digital collection.. It states this is "the Bowery")
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West 155th Street

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Riverside Park at West 158th Street
Looking north-northeast at Riverside Drive under construction - 1908
Frank S. Savastano image
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025

West 158th Street grade crossing with Riverside Drive viaduct under construction - July 7, 1928
Looking east.
Frank S. Savastano image
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025
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West 157th Street and Riverside Drive viaduct under construction - May 23, 1927
Looking east-northeast at nice homes.
Frank S. Savastano image
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025
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West 156th Street - July 31, 1906
Looking south at construction of cantilevered roadway.
Oh, I get it now. The railroad is good enough to carry the materials for your urban improvement projects, but once those are done, the railroad is a nuisance and you want it out.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025
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West 156th Street - June 14, 1907
Looking south at construction of cantilevered roadway.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025
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West 157th Street - June 18, 1908
Looking south at almost completed construction of cantilevered roadway.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025
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Marginal Street and West 156th Street - January 13, 1932
Looking south. I know I'm pretty much beating a dead horse here, but someone want to tell me which is the bigger eyesore?
The railroad; or the ramshackle boat houses, abandoned vehicle hulks and industries? Remember this is 1932! The railroad is electrified - no more steam locomotives.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025
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West 155th Street - January 13, 1932
Milk cars. Looking east. Image notes state "Victoria House". I don't know if it means Victorian style house, or the home was named Victoria House. I cannot find reference to it.
What I do know is that apartment building is still standing, and its address is 775 Riverside Drive East.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025
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West 156th Street - July 7, 1928
Looking north from up upon the cantilevered roadway and construction of Riverside Drive West. The West 158th Street grade crossing can be seen left center of which image is at beginning of chapter.
Note the installation of extra long ties every fifth tie, for third rail supports. Milk cars on the siding to right of running tracks.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives

added 13 October 2025
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West 155th Street - 1906
Looking north and up from the railroad grade at the cantilevered street.
Note tell tales hanging to warn brake men of approaching overhead obstacle (presumably the foot bridge in above photo).
Dead end stub track here is shown completed through forming a siding in below image.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025
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West 155th Street - July 7, 1908
Looking south from up upon the cantilevered roadway and construction.
Note the recently completed Riverside Park, and many foot bridges connecting the waterfront and residential areas.
Note the bridge abutments for a bridge removed for the Riverside Project.
Also note the very ancient Hall Automatic signals by first foot bridge. Of particular importance is the passenger lean-to for the "Dolly Varden" local railroad service.
And the dead end stub track in above image is completed through making a run around siding.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025
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West 151th Street - ca. 1940's
Looking south with stone gazebo in foreground at West 145th Street Yard with six lane Henry Hudson Parkway opened in 1937.
unknown provenance (please contact me with either provenance, date or repository.)
added 13 October 2025
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West 150th Street - October 10, 1907
Looking north with stone gazebo foundation under construction.
As a railroad historian, I am loving those white faced Hall Automatic Signals. If the track was occupied, a red disc entered the window. If not, the window was see through to the back side.
However, glare from the sun could block the red disc. You can also see the manual station stop semaphore signal to the right of the Hall.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025
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West 145th Street
Milk Platforms

West 145th Street Station - June 30, 1907
Looking north-northeast at stone arch. 
Note the manually operated block signal to the left of the building. This was a station stop signal for the passenger service. Another can be seen at West 155th Street.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025
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Can't place the location today? The arch is still there, but the West 145th Street overpass down to Riverbank state Park covers it up!


Google Maps
added 13 October 2025
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West 143rd Street & Riverside Park - 1917
Looking north.
E. M. Jenks photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
20 August 2025
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West 145th Street Station - Milk Platforms - January 19, 1929
Looking north with George Washington Bridge towers under construction. Also note cantilevered street at West 155th, Riverside Drive West
 and the stone gazebo at West 151st Street (behind steam plume.)
I'll say it again. The railroad is less of an eyesore than the boatyard, land fill and jumble of buildings.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
added 13 October 2025
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West 145th Street Station - August 30, 1931
A little further north than above image. Looking north with George Washington Bridge almost finished. Note that a third rail has been added to the main line and yard tracks. No more steam locomotives here!
 Also note cantilevered street at West 155th, Riverside Drive West and the stone gazebo at West 151st Street.
Still unimproved landfill and a jumble of buildings two and half years later.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives

added 13 October 2025
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West 145th Street Yard -  July 31, 1931
Milk transfer platforms looking southeast from West 144th Street. Note third rail at this location at this date.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 30 August 2025
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West 145th Street Yard - July 31, 1931
Milk transfer platforms looking south from West 142nd Street.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 30 August 2025
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West 145th Street Yard - July 31, 1931
Milk transfer platforms looking northeast from West 142nd Street.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 30 August 2025
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West 145th Street Yard - West 142nd Street & Riverside Park - July 31, 1931
Looking north-northeast from West 138th Street.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 30 August 2025
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Traveling gantry crane at West 145th Street Yard, Manhattan, NY - July 19, 1927
Looking northeast.
New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID PB644001
added 12 May 2026
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West 130th Street - Manhattanville
Weber McLoughlin Coal
Burns Brothers Coal
Freight Station
meat packers?
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West 133nd Street & Riverside Park - October 16, 1925
Looking east. This scene would be obliterated with the building of both the Henry Hudson Parkway and the grade separation.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 30 August 2025
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West 132nd Street & Riverside Park - October 16, 1925
Weber - McLoughlin Coal, Burns Bros. Looking northwest.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 30 August 2025

West 130th Street Station
Looking north from West 135st Street Viaduct - April1, 1938
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 30 August 2025
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Google Street View- looking northeast	Google Aerial View

West 115th Street


Looking north from Columbia Boat House at West 155th Street - April 8, 1925
General Grant's National Memorial on bluff overlooking river..
unknown photographer
added 20 October 2025
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Looking south from Columbia Boat House at West 155th Street - April 8, 1925
unknown photographer
added 20 October 2025
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West 96th Street & the Hudson River - September 16, 1880
Getty Images / Science & Society Picture Library
unknown photographer
added 20 October 2025

The Railroad YMCA 

Prior to construction of West Side Highway.
Note third "half storey" under eave of roof. 
New York Central System Historical Society Digital Archives
Image ID:


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"The Value of the Railroad Y. M. C. A."

Men should be cared for at terminals to improve their mental as well as social standing. We believe that good, clean rest rooms should be provided at terminals and encourage cleanliness with our men. We also believe that they should have access to reading rooms or libraries where they can keep themselves posted on the leading topics of the day, mechanical and otherwise. Your chairman is fortunate enough to be employed on a road that has a Railroad Y. M. C. A. at each terminal. At one of the associations there is a large library, and members of any of the other associations can draw books from this library, the books being handled back and forth by the railroad free of cost.

Railroad Age Gazette, 1906

"Where's Hendricks? Anyone seen Hendricks? Hey! Lawson! You seen Hendricks? He has the express freight to Buffalo pullin' out in 10 minutes.."
"I don't know boss, I last saw him last night tying one on at McGillicuddy's, with an empty-headed bottle blonde in one hand and a half empty bottle of Old Fitz in the other."
"Damn that lush, that's the third time this month. Stanton! You got the express freight to Buffalo! Get a hustle on, will you!?!
"Aw, boss; not Stanton.. He runs the engine like granny in her Model T on her way to Sunday services."
"Stanton's here, and he's reliable. Just get the train outta town on time, will ya!?!"

   By 1875 Cornelius Vanderbilt II, the favorite grandson of Commodore Vanderbilt, had risen from a clerk in the treasury department of the New York Central Railroad to a position of major importance.  He was also active in St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church and sat on the board of directors of the Young Men's Christian Association of New York. That year he received a visit from General John H. Devereaux, the president of the C. C. C. & I. Railroad, who lived in Cleveland.

   Three years earlier the first Young Men's Christian Association for railroad workers had been formed in Cleveland. Now Devereaux explained the organization to Vanderbilt, who quickly embraced the idea. The concept of a Y.M.C.A. expressly for railroad workers had advantages to both the men and to the system.  The employees would have a comfortable place to relax while in New York City, one which offered a variety of pastimes.   On the positive side for the railroads, the men were not tempted to get drunk or jailed and therefore unable to return to work, and morale would be greatly uplifted, as well.

   Vanderbilt began with a basement space in Grand Central Depot. In 1900 Railroad Men magazine, would recall, "the first Railroad Branch at the Grand Central Station, New York, began with a single room, a canary bird, a few volumes of U. S. Reports, and a secretary."

   The detractors who warned that "The men won't have it" were soon proved wrong.  The Railroad Branch of the Y.M.C.A. was a success and in 1886 Vanderbilt acquired land at the northeast corner of Madison Avenue and 45th Street as the site for a permanent building.  Ground was broken on September 20, 1886 and construction was completed exactly a year later, in September 1887.  The building rose three stories at the corner, with a two-story extension that ran 45 feet along the avenue.  Vanderbilt personally paid for the construction, which cost him $100,000--about $2.95 million today.

Daytonian in Manhattan
The stories behind the buildings, statues and other points of interest that make Manhattan fascinating.
Monday, September 12, 2022
The Lost Railroad Branch YMCA - Madison Avenue and 45th Street

West 72nd Street Railroad YMCA - December 9, 1930
New York Municipal Archives - Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
Image ID: REC0069 03 20 0517-a1
added 26 June 2026
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zoom and crop  on porch: "Old Reliable - G. P. Stanton"

West 72nd Street Railroad YMCA - April 25, 1931
New York Municipal Archives - Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS)
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Railroad Young Mens Christian Association "YMCA" at West 72nd Street - September 17, 1931
 Looking south-southwest. Note roof of YMCA has been removed and building "flattopped" to permit West Side Highway to pass overhead.
Also, the open water to north of the YMCA is now being landfilled to extend the shoreline west.
The coal trestle with chutes can be seen, which allows us to see how the older steam locomotives were fueled. However, by this date, steam has been replaced.
Locomotive to left of coal trestle is R Class, locomotive to right is Tri-Power DES-3 class.
New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) / New York City Municipal Archives

   "The Vanderbilt Branch of the YMCA of Greater New York was established in 1875 as the Railroad Branch of the YMCA of the City of New York. Also known as the Grand Central Branch, it was started with the support and encouragement of New York Central Railroad chairman Cornelius Vanderbilt II. First located in the basement of Grand Central Depot, the Railroad Branch existed to improve and elevate the rapidly growing number of men working on the nation's railways who passed through New York City. Although the Grand Central branch was initially intended to be used by the employees of the New York Central Railroad, it became a place where in-transit railroad men from around the country would go. At first, the branch offered Sunday services, a library and reading room, and occasional programs and entertainment. Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was the initial branch chairman, personally led Sunday Bible classes for the railroad workers and their families. The name of the branch changed to Vanderbilt YMCA in 1972 in recognition of the role played by the Vanderbilt family throughout the branch's history.

   The first secretary, Orlin R. Stockwell, visited the sick and talked with men in engine houses and cabooses. The personal touch offered by Stockwell was one of the many reasons for the popularity of the YMCA among railroad men, and additional railroad Y locations were established in short order: the 30th Street Depot, 72nd Street Roundhouse, Weehawken, New Durham and Mott Haven. All of these locations were collectively known as the Railroad Branch.

   In 1886, Mr. Vanderbilt engineered the purchase of land and the construction of a building at the corner of Madison Avenue and 45th Street. Growth in membership and use resulted in a project to double the building's capacity in 1893. By 1912, the railroads had other uses for the site, and plans began for a new building, this one on the east side of Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Street. The old site is the current location of the Roosevelt Hotel, which replaced the YMCA building on that block. The new building, dedicated in 1914, was quickly outgrown, and once again commercial interests, this time in the form of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, made their interest in the land known. The new building was demolished 15 years after it opened.

   A third building, still in use, was constructed in 1931, opening on January 1, 1932. The building, on East 47th Street, was ten stories high and included a swimming pool, eight bowling alleys, a billiard room, a barber shop, tailor shop and laundry. It also boasted a pipe organ, a chapel, a roof garden and a 24-hour dining room to cater to the needs of traveling men. Guest rooms occupied eight stories.

   Today, the Vanderbilt Y operates as a hotel, a fitness center with two pools and a very popular child care center. Its proximity to Grand Central Terminal is the only reminder of the branch's history as the Railroad YMCA."

  (The YMCA at 150: A History of the YMCA of Greater New York, 1852-2002 by Pamela Bayless, and from the Vanderbilt YMCA records)

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   This was the main railroad facility in Manhattan. This facility's main features was comprised of the following, beginning at the northwest corner of the property at where West 72nd Street would meet the water: a rather large roundhouse and engine servicing facilities for locomotives and the aforementioned Railroad YMCA and other building containing offices for railroad departments. 

   Working south along the bulkhead was Pier I (an open pier for direct lighterage); the three transfer bridges #4 (steel overhead suspended French contained apron type), #3 (steel truss bridge on pontoon), #2 (electrically operated, overhead suspended separate apron Bensel type), then enclosed pier houses G, F, E, D and B; the West 62nd Street transfer bridge #1B (electrically operated, overhead suspended, separate apron Bensel type); then Grain Elevator A between West 62nd and West 60th Streets. 

   Just south of the grain elevator was the West 59th Street Freight Station on Pier 99. Working counterclockwise (east) along West 60th Street were a warehouse and stock pens for cattle, a repair in place track for expedient repairs of rolling stock, poultry platforms. At West End Avenue and West 60th Street were the yard offices and comfort station and rooms for railroad car men. In the center of all this were the stock yards, surrounded by the various classification tracks for inbound and outbound freight, and storage sidings.

   Over the ensuing decades, additional property was acquired (triangle at northeast corner of 1955 map below), and the yard facilities were reconfigured to accommodate the changes in freight haulage. From the 1800's to around 1930, the stock pens at the south end of the yard were done away with and warehouses constructed, along with auto unloading platforms and Live Poultry Market. The freight station at West 59th Street was closed and property usage ceded to the City of New York Department of Sanitation (which, ironically still occupies the site.)

   By the 1940's, the bulk storage of grain was no longer necessary in the New York City area. The original Grain Elevator A, which had been built in 1876, and had a capacity of 1.5 million bushels of grain and was one of the largest single structures in New York City; burnt down in April 1889 in a huge conflagration, along with Elevator B which was located on the pier. After the fire, Elevator A was built back slightly larger somewhat combining the capacities of the two previous elevators. For those of you who are interested, a bushel of grain weighs 60 pounds. A new grain elevator built in 1941 and of 13.5 million bushel capacity was constructed at Albany, NY (130 miles north), which pretty much supplanted those in the New York City proper. The grain elevator site in Manhattan now was home to a small concrete loading plant built in its footprint. 

   The advent of mechanical refrigeration led to a decline of the local slaughterhouses, what with meat now being able to be processed closer to the stockyards of the Midwest. As such, the stock yard at West 60th Street was closed, with any remaining inbound livestock destined for West 41st Street. This space developed into the poultry area. Trackage and poultry platforms were constructed, arranged as such with a track on one side and a wide driveway on the other. Poultry cars would be spotted at these platforms, and poultry buyers would back up their trucks to the platforms to load. 

   Additional platforms were built to the east of the poultry area for automobile unloading, which by the 1940's was really becoming a major shipping commodity. A chicken in every pot and an automobile in every garage finally became reality!

   Strangely, new milk platforms were built in the in acquired triangle bordered by West 65 and West 62 along West End Avenue. These replaced the milk platforms that were located at West 30th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues and that were razed for construction of the Morgan Parcel Post Facility. But, with the advent of the mechanically refrigerated express milk car (tanks) these platforms would not last long.

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   Just about the time that 1955 Bromley Property Atlas was published, New York Central sold that triangle of land where the milk sheds were located to the New York Times, for an anticipated printing plant as referenced in the October 1955 issue of New York Central Headlight. This printing plant became operational in July 1959, and ceased operations in 1976 with the opening of the Carlstadt, NJ plant. This is important as we know Conrail was handling carloads of paper in 1982 at West 60th-72nd Street Yard for the New York Times, and where it has been stated trucks were transporting the rolls of newsprint from the yard in Manhattan to New Jersey.

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1924 - Fairchild Aerial Survey Image
8B - N.Y.C. (Aerial Set)
New York Public Library Digital Archives
annotated by author © 2025
click on map for un-annotated version
added 02 September 2025

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.  For that direct freight that was to be transfered to New Jersey and the terminals in Brooklyn and Queens, those cars were blocked and placed into the transfer bridge assemblage yards, for eventual loading upon carfloat. Carfloats (waiting to be unloaded, or those that were loaded and waiting for pick up were moored to piling in the carfloat holding area.

Pier  I: this was an open pier and was for oversize and heavy freight, such as structural beams, boilers, engines, machinery, trucks, etc; and that of which required transfer for lighterage by open barge or stick lighter for further travel to its destination.

Pier G was designated for westbound / outbound freight (to New Jersey). Cars that needed to be combined were placed in sub-yard G, until dock workers could get to them.

Pier F was designated to handle eastbound / inbound (to Manhattan) barreled flour. Cars that needed to be loaded with this barreled flour were stored in sub-yard F.

Pier E was designated for dry export.

Pier D was designated for miscellaneous freight.

"Pier C" is mentioned in Gratz Mordechai's "Report on Terminal Facilities for Handling Freight of the Railroads Entering the Port of New York" as being held in reserve and not used frequently. This is odd, because there is no Pier C shown on any of the maps, property or railroad. It may have burned in the April 1889 conflagration, discussed below.

Elevator B is also mentioned in Mordechai's "Report on Terminal Facilities"; but it too is not shown on any maps. It is believed at this time, it occupied "Pier B" as Elevator B had direct waterside transfer. Located in an 1889 Report of the Fire Department of the City of New York; a lard factory located at West 59th Street and Twelfth Avenue caught fire on April 19 at 3:40 pm. The building was fully engulfed within minutes; and the heat thereof communicated to surrounding structures which included Elevator A, and Elevator B, even pierhouse Pier D. The New York Times coverage "Millions Swept Away" and of this conflagration gives explicit details. When an urban area like New York (or Chicago or San Francisco) had a fire, it really knew how to have a fire! As Elevator B was built on a pier so fire apparatus could not access it despite fireboats being on scene. So it appears Elevator B was not rebuilt following this fire, and the pier reconstructed as a pier house instead. Elevator A however, was rebuilt. This also explains the construction date of 1889 for Elevator A.

Elevator A was used for the storage of grains with 2,300,000 bushel capacity. Carloads of grain and corn both for human consumption as well as those used for livestock needs. Cars went to Elevator A yard to be brought into one of three tracks underneath the elevator for transfer by conveyor into the appropriate silo bin. If I understand what I read correctly, it was supposedly regulated that a 10 days worth supply of grains needed to be kept on hand. As it was dispensed into either covered barges or floating grain elevators for further distribution.

West 60th Street Stock Yard: for livestock that was not destined for West 41st Street Livestock Yard and Abbatoirs (slaughterhouses); these were placed into the West 60th Street Stock Yard unloading tracks. The stock house (building) that was located on West 60th Street, was known as the "sheep house."

Team tracks: Team tracks at this facility were an unusual departure from the standard arrangement. The more common arrangement was to have one or two tracks with wide driveways on either side paralleling the trackage; then another track or two, a wide driveway, another track or two; and so on. This allowed a horsedrawn wagon or cart, or truck, that could either back up directly to the boxcar door or park alongside it for loading and unloading. However, here at West 60th Street Yard, a single team track came out from each of the pier house leads (or the transfer bridge lead) and curved to run parallel along the bulkhead and alongside a raised platform which was located between the track and the bulkhead; and parallel to the long driveway; but this track now ran perpendicular to the sub-yards trackage themselves. Freight could be directly unloaded from a barge or lighter moored to the bulkhead and directly into a freight car, or the freight car could be unloaded to the platform or onto a barge or lighter. After unloading, the car went to the empties yard. Freight could be anything from one or two crates, to crated appliances, furniture. Team tracks are highlighted below in yellow (north is to the right):

Empties Yard: empty cars went to the "empties yard" where they would be cleaned and swept out, if required. This task was usually relegated to male pre-teen and teen aged youth. These were the days where there were no under age employment laws. After cleaning, empty cars would be brought to whatever pier shed that needed cars for loading on an as need basis. This freight would arrive by covered barge or lighter; and whereas these loaded cars were then made up into outbound (northbound) trains.

Car repair tracks: adjacent to the empties yard. Here carpenters, metal workers, and any other skill craft that was necessary for the repair of freight cars was located here. These repairs could be as simple as replacing a broken or bent hinge on a door; to an entire wood body or floor; or later metal patches to steel cars.

The train assembly yard was for putting together the various groups of cars for the terminal yards and freight houses further south. Those long distance trains that arrived, were broken up (or broken down, depending on your preferred railroad lingo) by switch engines. Cars for the same general locations were grouped together (or "blocked" in railroad parlance). For those cars to be forwarded to the West 36-30th Street Yards and Freight Houses, and New Washington Square Market and St. John's Terminal, were made up in smaller blocks of cars, usually no more than 8 to 10 cars which was the norm for street running in Manhattan.

This could include, but are not limited to: 

• the New York Stock Company's Stock Yard and the Abbatoirs (slaughterhouses) at West 41st Street; 
• carload and less than carload freight to West 36th-33rd Street Yards;
• Milk trains were "unit trains" meaning the entire train was comprised of milk cars. These milk cars went to the milk platforms at West 29th Street, or after 1930; to the platforms built at West 62nd Street and Eleventh Avenue to replace the West 29th Street milk platforms which were razed for the Morgan Parcel Post Building. Most milk cars had white roofs to reflect heat from the sun. 
• the Fresh Produce Yard at West 17th Street;
• the New West Washington Market, at West Street at the foot of Gansevoort Street; 
• spurs into the pierhouses of South Pacific Steamship Company occupying Piers 48, 49 and 50; located at the foot of West 11th Street, Bank and Bethune Streets respectively.
  
• the St John's Park Freight Terminal. 
  
  

Running tracks were kept clear for the passage of trains. 

   In short, the West 60th-72nd Street Yards were the "heart" of the New York Central Railroad's Manhattan freight operation. From here, it went out to peripheral routes; the "arms and legs" of commerce.

   Excerpts of physical characteristics of New York Central terminals are included below; but perhaps most importantly, the procedures on how the freight was handled at each of the terminals is defined in great detail. Therefore, I have simply reproduced the text here verbatim. Keep in mind, this is how the freight was handled and the terminals operated in 1885 - and such procedures likely changed over the decades.

1921 New York Central Railroad Industrial Directory and Shippers Guide - Page 748
image courtesy of Terry Link - canadiansouthern.com
the unabridged directory is available on Google Books and the section pertaining to New York City are pages 746 through 762
added 15 August 2025

   Some of the following images were taken as part of a series for surveying the route and subsequent construction of the Miller Elevated Highway a/k/a West Side Highway.

   Because of the vastness of this facility, I have made an attempt to separate images into geographical groupings. This set of images view the structures and yards from the west side.

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West 72nd Street, looking north from the end of the West Side Highway construction - December 1931
Tri-Power working running track. Landfilling of timber basin underway.
New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) / New York City Municipal Archives
added 14 October 2025

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Railroad Young Mens Christian Association "YMCA" at West 72nd Street - April 25, 1931
 Looking south-southwest. Note steam hook up to tank cars. This presumably is Bunker C oil for tugboats; possibly Diesel fuel for locomotives.
New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) / New York City Municipal Archives
added 14 October 2025.
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West 72nd Street - Coaling Trestle, Roundhouse & Turntable
Looking southwest from Pedestrian Bridge.
added 06 May 2026
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West 72nd Street - Coaling Trestle
Looking south from Pedestrian Bridge
New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID NG605289
added 11 May 2026
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Railroad Young Mens Christian Association "YMCA" at West 72nd Street - September 17, 1931
 Looking south-southwest. Note roof of YMCA has been removed and building "flattopped" to permit West Side Highway to pass overhead.
Also the coal trestle with chutes can be seen, which allows us to see how the older steam locomotives were fuelled. However, by this date, steam has been replaced.
The pedestrian bridge where above image were taken, can barely be discerned above the trestle and camouflaged by West Side Highway girders.
Locomotive to left of coal trestle is R Class, locomotive to right is Tri-Power DES-3 class.
New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) / New York City Municipal Archives
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General view of shop area at West 72nd Street - September 28, 1931
 Looking south-southwest; note water tower has scaffolding around it - presumably ready to be taken down as there are no more steam locomotives to this facility.
New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) / New York City Municipal Archives
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General view of shop area at West 72nd Street - August 18, 1931
 Looking south-southwest. 
Note that girders for West Side Highway are brought directly to location of construction by railroad car. Very convenient!
New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) / New York City Municipal Archives
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West 72nd Street Roundhouse and Turntable (looking northwest) - October 30, 1930
Looking northwest, NYC #2473 [ALCo 4-8-2] class L-2d "Mohawk"
New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) / New York City Municipal Archives
added 15 August 2025

West 72nd Street Roundhouse (looking west) - December 9, 1930
Looking west at NYC #2824 [ALCo 4-8-2] class L-2c "Mohawk"
Without a doubt, it is striking to think that those big 4-8-2 Mohawks set foot in Manhattan.
   Since there are other images from other dates in this series also showing other 4-8-2's at this roundhouse, it was apparently commonplace
for these monsters to bring freight to this yard; then those required running repairs brought to the roundhouse.
New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) / New York City Municipal Archives
.added 15 August 2025
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General view of shop area at West 72nd Street - June 1, 1932
 Looking south-southwest. 
Locomotive on left edge is Tri-Power class DES-3, locomotive at center right is R class.
New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) / New York City Municipal Archives
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Transfer Bridges: #2, #3 and #4

Three types of transfer bridges in one location: New York Central Railroad West 60th Street Terminal, Manhattan, NY - 1978
Looking east.

left:       #4 - electrically operated, overhead suspension; steel, contained apron bridge "J. B. French patent" with steel gantry
center:  #3- pontoon float / steel, pony truss
right:     #2 - electrically operated, overhead suspension, wood, Howe truss bridge / separate Apron "J. A. Bensel patent" with wood enclosed gantry house

T. Flagg photo
added 04 January 2012

West 60th - 72nd Street Yard at West 69th Street and bulkhead (looking northeast) - October 19, 1930
Tracks in foreground lead to Transfer Bridge #4 (steel French type). The track that crosses them to the right (with the open hoppers) is
one of the team track leads along the bulkhead and the access driveway.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 15 August 2025
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West 60th - 72nd Street Yard at West 69th Street and bulkhead (looking northeast - October 19, 1930
Tracks on left lead to pontoon type float bridge (#3), and tracks on right lead to enclosed wood Howe truss Transfer Bridge (#2).
This is an very interesting image, as it shows the one-of-a-kind ALCo / GE / IR Diesel-electric DES-2 #1525 Prototype locomotive on left edge.
It's also interesting as it shows a simple yard incinerator for refuse. Obviously, locomotives weren't the only thing making smoke in Manhattan.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 15 August 2025
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West 60th - 72nd Street Yard at West 68th Street and bulkhead (looking northeast) - October 19, 1930
Yard tracks between wood Howe truss Transfer Bridge and Pier G.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 15 August 2025
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West 60th - 72nd Street Yard at West 65th Street and bulkhead (looking east-northeast) - October 19, 1930
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 15 August 2025
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West 65th Street Freight Office / Freight House

   A building was located at the west driveway, just to the east of Pier E, where West 65th Street would have begun. This structure is alternatively listed in the property maps as either a freight office or a freight house. Images do not show any platforms or wide doors conducive for unloading / loading of freight, and the arched windows are reminiscent of office windows. The author believes this is more of freight office than a freight house, as it was also central to the team platforms.

   With the commencing of construction of the West Side / Miller Elevated Highway in 1931, it was necessary to "flattop" the building to allow for the highway girders, similar to what had been done with the YMCA at West 72nd Street.

West 65th Street Freight House (with peaked roof) - February 27, 1931 The paddle like object in foreground is actually a boring bit for caisson drilling. The "pipes" laying horizontal are the caisson. New York Municipal Archives / Department of Records and Information Services Image ID: REC0069 03 20 0517-b26 added 26 June 2026	West 65th Street Freight House (roof removed) - May 2, 1931 Note the use of wall support tie rods to hold the walls (first, third and fifth windows)  Note the caisson installed. New York Municipal Archives / Department of Records and Information Services Image ID: REC0069 03 26 0566-a.jpg added 26 June 2026
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West 65th Street Freight House (new roof installed) - June 11, 1931 New York Municipal Archives / Department of Records and Information Services Image ID: REC0069 03 20 0517-b28 added 26 June 2026

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Pier E roof (looking southeast) - June 26, 1931
Note combine baggage / passenger car in yard. That should be on the carmen's repair tracks.
New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) / New York City Municipal Archives
added 15 August 2025
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Pier E roof (looking southeast) - June 26, 1931
The West 65th Street Freight Office can be seen peeking out from under the highway structure mid-center left
Frank S. Savastano photo
New York City Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) / New York City Municipal Archives
added 15 August 2025
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West 60th - 72nd Street Terminal - September 23, 1937
Looking north from West 64nd Street, taken from upper level of Elevator A. Transfer bridges to left of West Side "Miller" Elevated Highway.
West 67th Street footbridge on right edge.
Associated Press photo
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Piers


Looking southeast at outshore end of Pier E and the covered barge "West New York"- September 1, 1942
(covered barges often carried names of stations along the New York Central network, as an homage)
New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID WR300743
added 11 May 2026
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Looking northeast at outshore ends of (from left to right) Transfer Bridge #2, Pier G, F, E, D, B and Transfer Bridge #1B - no date
New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID WR050187
added 11 May 2026
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Looking southeast at outshore end of (from left to right) D, B and Elevator A - no date
New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID WR250458
added 11 May 2026
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Transfer Bridge - #1B


Looking east at outshore end of Pier B (note exposed boxcar) and Transfer Bridge #1B - no date
New York Central System Historical Society - Image ID WR320272
added 11 May 2026
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Elevator A

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New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Grain Elevator A - foot of West 61st Street -  February 10, 1919
Note West 62nd Street Transfer Bridge (#1B) on left edge.
Digital Culture of Metropolitan New York
William D. Hassler photo
added 16 August 2015
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   With the widespread proliferation of trucking in the 1950's, and with that being exacerbated by the opening of the Eisenhower Interstate System; door to door trucking became prevalent. It diminished the need for terminal to pier lighterage, and as a result without a need for lighterage transfer, pier houses became superfluous.

   The New York Central Railroad owned this property (not the City of New york), therefore property taxes needed to be paid, more so on upon improved lots. So, to reduce expenditures, some pier houses were demolished. Some burned and others collapsed from neglect. Since the pier houses were no longer needed and demolished, the need for the pier yards was eliminated.

   So the railroad rebuilt the yard track configuration. Note in the next two images, the yard trackage layout has been changed to a central main track supplied ladder yard or "hourglass" configuration (where as the old configuration seen above was groups of dead end sidings in groups or "subyards" in front of the piers. The team tracks & yard has been thinned out, to allow tractor trailers access.

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West 60th - 72nd Street Yard - east side of yard, looking south - 1924
Image taken from West 67th Street footbridge.
Library of Congress
added 15 August 2025
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East side of yard looking west

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West 60th - 72nd Street Yard - east side of yard looking west - 1911
Image taken from West 67th Street footbridge showing Pier E and F
added 15 August 2025
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West 60th - 72nd Street Yard - east side of yard looking northwest - 1911
Image taken from West 67th Street footbridge showing Pier G, Howe truss transfer bridge wood gantry house
added 15 August 2025
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West 60th - 72nd Street Yard - east side of yard, looking north - 1911
NYC (B&A) #133 [0-6-0] - image taken from West 67th Street footbridge showing roundhouse and yard leads, tenements on West 68th Street
Library of Congress
added 15 August 2025
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West 60th-72nd Street Yards looking north from West 67th Street footbridge - April 14, 1924
West 71th Street footbridge in distance.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 31 August 2025
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West 60th-72nd Street Yards looking north from West 67th Street footbridge - April 14, 1924
West 71th Street footbridge in distance.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 15 August 2025
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West 60th - 72nd Street Terminal - September 28, 1931
Looking south from apartment building roof at West 69th Street. Transfer bridges to right of West Side "Miller" Highway which is under construction.
New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) - New York City Municipal Archives
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West 60th - 72nd Street Yards, looking northwest. Miller Elevated Highway under construction - September 17, 1931
Derrick is over the roundhouse.
Library of Congress
added 15 August 2025
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West 60th - 72nd Street Yards - December 19, 1937
Looking west-southwest. Milk cars at about West 63rd Street. Note third rail installation.
These milk tanks cars are on the staging track (Track 212) waiting to be brought to the new Sheffield Farms underground siding at West 57th Street.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 20 August 2025
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West 60th - 72nd Street Yards looking north at yard entrance at West End Avenue and West 59th Street  - May 20, 1927
Looking north at semaphore signal (but no shanty!), up West End Avenue. Note lower quadrant northbound semaphore on southbound track, and
clear signal for northbound movement on northbound track. Note semaphore blades are round ended.
P. L. Sperr photo
New York Public Library Digital Archives
added 20 August 2025
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