Hello Bobby
One interesting bit of long ancient dead transit history, heh !
Some of the first (I think in 1907 or 1908) order of the H&M (Hudson & Manhattan Railroad subway -- now called PATH) "black" steel subway cars, were delivered via car float from New Jersey, to West side of Manhattan, and then thru temporary trackage, were towed on streetcar tracks over to, and up the Lexington Avenue (I think that was the NY Railways Co) streetcar line one H&M car at a time -- to where the streetcar line crossed the IRT 3rd Avenue EL's "Surface Layup Yards and Shops Complex" tracks between E.98th and E. 99th Streets. The IRT 3rd Ave EL yards and Shops connective multiple tracks curved off the EL from 3rd Avenue turning from north to west, at 90 degrees to the EL, and headed westward onto the yards and shop complex which ran in between E. 98th Street and E. 99th Street, from between 3rd Avenue west over to PARK AVENUE (and ending near the NY Central Railroad's 4 track outside mainline ) -- and crossed Lexington Avenue and its two streetcar tracks, at grade.
The IRT had two tracks which ran east to west and vice-versa across Lexington Avenue and connected the Park Avenue Half of the complex, to the 3rd Avenue half of the complex. Well -- the IRT put in some 'portable" connective tracks and delivered the H&M Cars into the 3rd ave. EL's E.99th St Shops. The H&M contracted the IRT (Manhattan Railway Division of the IRT) to install the electrical and control gear into the H&M Cars. The IRT did the same to its own IRT cars when they were delivered new. The completed H&M cars were then test-run road-tested on the stronger EL structure of the IRT 2nd Avenue EL. And then delivered to the H&M Railroad back in New Jersey.
My one later possible theory in thought -- but I have not confirmed it - is that the IRT may have used an easier route for later following H&M car deliveries - and perhaps worked a deal with the New Haven RR -- to car float these later H&M cars, from New Jersey, up to the Harlem River float bridges in the NHRR E.132nd Street freight yards -- and using the inter-connective trackage between the NHRR freight yards and the NHRR "Willis Avenue Station Passenger Terminal" (that station and tracks later used after 1912 by the new NY Westchester & Boston Railway until Dec. 31, 1937 closing of the NYW&B RR) -- to tow the H&M cars thru that terminal and directly on to the IRT 2 track "EL" trestle thru the NHRR freight yards that connected the NHRR passenger terminal station tracks to the 3rd Avenue EL tracks just off the Bronx side of the EL's Harlem River Bridge. Then towed down the 3rd Avenue EL line from E.129th Street station, Manhattan, to the E.99th Street Yards and shops ! That seems a more logical delivery concept for 1908 over the slow streetcar track route.
PS: The NHRR and the Manhattanh Railway Co (aka IRT after 1901) variously, used that same connective trackage under a joint service agreement, from the 1890s', thru 1905, for running steam hauled EL car type bodied shuttles from the EL's E.129th Street Station, Manhattan, across the Harlem River Bridge and down to the NHRR Willis Ave. The IRT and NHRR alternated these trains, using their own - and similar appearing - rolling stock equipment and small Forney locomotives. The NHRR had a small fleet of Open Platform Wood Passenger trailer cars that were IDENTICAL in body appearance and dimensions, and running gear to the Manhattan Railway Company's 6-4-6 window class EL Gate Trailer Cars. The NHRR Open end cars had end steps and platform trap doors for low level platforms along the NHRR Commuter Line running along the East Bronx (todays AMTRAK N.E. Corridor to Connecticut and north.
regards Joe F
