New York, Westchester & Boston NYW&B Main Thread

[Travelsonic]

Wat at Mamaroneck today, and noticed that the trees and shrubs along the station were being torn up. Was finally able to walk alongside the Stamford side on the original concrete, which is in very sorry shape. Anyways, seeing the shrubs and wooden fencing on the GCT side, where the W&B once roamed - being torn up, it got me wondering if the catenary tower base [and whatever little things that can be remotely linked to the W&B that I have noticed there over the years] was going to survive any work being done there. Well, I guess it would depend on the work being done there.

[nyw&br]

Hi Folks -

Anybody know what this is?

It was recently found in Ward Acres (New Rochelle, NY) around 10 yards from the NYW&B right-of-way.

Hope it's something more interesting than a window weight. Thanks for any info.

[CNJ999]

At the NYW&B Centenial Anniversary meeting in July a gentleman and his wife had a table in the library lobby selling prints of computer generated images of NYW&B equipment together with offering reservations for to-be-produced repro NYW&B stamped steel signs. The production date and shipment for the signs was said to be September of this year. To date I haven't gotten the sign I reserved, nor have I had any communication from the gentleman. Did anyone else here reserve a sign and receive it so far?

CNJ999

[pbass]

I was there and don't recall these people. What signs were they talking about reproducing. How can I contact them?

Joe

[CNJ999]

I was there and don't recall these people. What signs were they talking about reproducing. How can I contact them?

Joe

Hi, Joe. The gentleman offering the Art Deco style NYW&B signage goes under the company name Beyond Real. Only just the other day with the arrival of my latest copy of the NHRH&TA publication "The Speed Witch" have I come across a brief note with the necessary contact info listed, although I have not acted on it yet. The tin sign in question is illustrated on the Beyond Real website (www.beyond-real.com) and seen by clicking on the tab "aniversary shows" on the opening page. Although on the site it is implied one can still order copies of the sign, I had been initially advised that production was supposedly scheduled on or before September of this year. Just what the current situation might be - especially in light of my not having received my prepaid example of the sign - remains to be seen.

CNJ999

[pbass]

cnj999: i went to beyond real's website and it didnot give me any info on the nywb signs in question.do you have any more info on how to contact these people? joe;

[CNJ999]

Joe, be advised that the operator of Beyond Real contacted me tonite to indicate that production of the NYW&B tin sign has been delayed due to unavoidable problems. He is attempting to schedule a new delivery date for the not too distant future.

As I indicated previously, Beyond Real can be contacted via email through their website at:

http://www.beyond-real.com/

Clicking on the "Anniversary Show" tab in the blue bar near the top of the opening screen takes you to details regarding the NYW&B tin sign.

CNJ999

[pbass]

thank you for your reply.i met the man at the nhrhta show in stamford on saturday,nov.10.the sign in question is not what i was expecting.

[PATTBAA]

I found information on the "original" 1872 W & B in a collection of legal documents concering litigation between two streets railroads that apparantly were in dispute about the use of the 1872 ROW constuction of the W & B between Port Chester and the Bronx.

The documents reveal that Harris Bros. of Vermont was the GC for the 1820 construction , and a "deponent" , a Port Chester contractor , stated in his deposition a description of the work he had performed.

This legal documentation is now in the archives of the Westchester Co. Historical Society.

[frank754]

Here's a video I ran across last week, it was posted on Youtube in September, 22 minutes long and I thoroughly enjoyed this.
I looked through all the posts here, and didn't see that anyone else had mentioned this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_Hnmae2 ... ture=share

[Noel Weaver]

Here's a video I ran across last week, it was posted on Youtube in September, 22 minutes long and I thoroughly enjoyed this.
I looked through all the posts here, and didn't see that anyone else had mentioned this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_Hnmae2 ... ture=share

There are some more interesting movies on this as well as the NYW&B. Thank you for posting this.
Noel Weaver

[CannaScrews]

I've heard of the Frank Shegl (sic) films. It is nice to see his work finally.

As for Roger "r" Carrot - a legend.

[Statkowski]

Thanks for the film of the NYW&B. Two things popped out while watching:

First, apparently the NYW&B used a mixture of color light and lower-quadrant semaphores along the Main Line to Port Chester (the line to White Plains was technically the branch line). Has anyone ever documented what signals were used where?

Second, there appears to be an interlocking plant on either side of the East 180th Street station. I'm told the interlocking machine controlling such was located overlooking the station in the railroad's headquarters building. Yes? No? From what I've seen of NYW&B ETTs, they had even less data about signal station locations than the New Haven's ETTs (which didn't have much). Can anyone provide a track diagram of the E. 180th St. complex?

I had te pleasure of meeting with and walking parts of the NYW&B right-of-way with Roger Arcara circa 1964 or so. A most knowledgeable gentleman indeed.

[Noel Weaver]

Henry, I think it is safe to assue that the only color light signals on the NYW&B were on the line to Port Chester. We have to remember that this line was not fully completed until 1929, I think, and by that time there had been a lot of advances in signals. I have a copy of this movie and have looked at it numerous times, that is what I think happened.
Noel Weaver

[Statkowski]

Noel (and others),

I would have to agree that any "new" signals on the NYW&B would be on the line to Port Chester, since that was the last part built. By 1929, the NYNH&H was already converting its lower-quadrant semapores to the more informative upper-quadrant semaphores. The NYW&B didn't have any money to spare, so what was already installed stayed the way it was, unless it broke and had to be replaced.

But, did the line to Port Chester start out with lower-quadrant semaphores on the west end and work its way into color signal territory, or was it a mixture without apparent rhyme or reason? For example, where the New Haven's freight spur crossed the NYW&B at Mamaroneck it shows the NYW&B using lower-quadrant semaphores, but also shows a New Haven style upper-quadrant semaphore as a rear home for the NYW&B's approach.