104th Street Curve, New York, Elevated ('El') Railway 1899

Filmed ca. late March to mid-April 1899.
Edison Manufacturing Co.
Producer: James H. White

The Ninth Avenue IRT Elevated was extended up the avenue by 1891. The next southbound stop from 104th Street in Manhattan Valley was 99th Street. The next northbound stop was 110th Street. This had a view of the ''Suicide Curve'' at 110th Street. The lower level was built first and had two tracks and two side platforms and served local trains. The upper level was built as part of the 'Dual Contracts' and had one track that served express trains that bypassed this station. The rebuilding project was extended all the way north to 116th St., creating Manhattan's first three-track elevated, although center-track express service did not begin until 1916. The 9th Ave 'El' was over 100 feet above the street at "Suicide Curve", which made a 90-degree turn east from 9th Ave onto 110th St. (Cathedral Parkway) then a turn north from 110th St. onto 8th Avenue. The line ran until it was closed on July 11, 1940 and dismantled, following the extension of the Eighth Avenue subway under Central Park West.
-TR

Original description from Edison film catalog:
Taken from the front platform of a special train run backward over this celebrated 'S' curve. Not only are the passing trains and crowded platforms of great interest, but the view of uptown New York is an excellent one, showing acre upon acre of roofs, towers, steeples and towering apartment houses. As the 'special' slows up at 92nd street, a Harlem express dashes by, the engineer leaning out of his cab, and waving a good-bye.

Recommended reading:
Subway City / Riding the Trains, Reading New York
- Michael W. Brooks

01/04/12 - 6,156

Category:

Film & Animation

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• 1899
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• white

[xxmoviemakerxxx]

The junction with the 6th Avenue El at 53rd Street was the site of the IRT's worst ever El wreck in 1905. (There were a couple of even worse wrecks on the subway.)

You say that center track express service did not begin until 1916, but there are clearly three tracks in this film. What ran on the center track back then?

[TigerRocket]

@xxmoviemakerxxx The tracks operated with cable from 1868 to 70 when they were abandoned. This was either 1 or 2 tracks. It was extended to Greenwich St. by 1891 with steam. In 1903 the IRT and the city took over the system and began major rebuilding. I think this is when the third track was added. Detailed info seems nonexistent. I'm assuming the project took until 1916 since the entire system was being unified and retrofitted with the original outer track(s) fully operational during this time.

[TigerRocket]

@xxmoviemakerxxx I'll post further info if I learn anything more conclusive from actual sources. Both the net and my own library contain nothing more than what I've posted in the description.

[TOMANDKATIE]

All Cocks -LOL

[macairl]

Great film - except it should be retitled. It shows two locations on the 9th Avenue El: the junction with the 6th Avenue El at 53rd Street, and the line from the "Suicide Curve" to 116th Street station. The latter section offers a fascinating view of Morningside Heights and a just-being-built-up Harlem. The steam locomotives wouldn't last for long: they would be gone from the 9th Avenue El by 1903.

[aronsteelo]

Before the El rebuilding era (1914-1920) the Els offered only partial express service or emergency bypass. And the express track carried no express stations of their own they had to use the local stations.

[Kell1295]

So thats where they went to buy all their .... :)

[BallsInYourJawsBitch]

ALL COCKS!!!!

[msc4lf]

Very Cool vid, thanks for sharing!