I think the question "Where was Westchester Ave. Yard?" is still open, so here is the answer.
Westchester Ave. Yard was located in a hole (in more ways than one) bordered by Westchester Ave on the south, 156th St on the north, Brook Ave. on the west, and Gedney Place on the east.
Coordinates are N40° 49.073' W73° 54.763'
The tracks were about one story below street level. The brick yard office at Brook Ave had an upper story at street level, and a lower story with a floor about four feet above track level. The two Port Morris Branch tracks ran under buildings from Melrose Jct to 156th St, and through a tunnel under St. Mary's Park with a portal at Westchester Ave.
There was no timetable schedule page for the Port Morris Branch in the NYC employes' timetables, because both "main" tracks (1 and 2) betwen Melrose Jct and Port Morris were operated as "Other than Main Track" under Rule 105, the same as side tracks or yard tracks. Tracks 1 and 2 were next to the Gedney Place wall. In 1960 and 1961, when I worked there, Track 1 still had a third rail only to carry power to the crane at Port Morris. It was not used for electric traction.
The meat tracks 36 and 38 were on the Brook Ave. side. They adjoined meat dealers. Each dealer could take two cars at a time by placing one on each track in front of the meat house. They would unload the one on 38, and then work through that car to reach the one on 36. The meat tracks ran on a fairly steep downgrade to the south end, and the special instuctions called for air on the cut when placing meat cars.
The freight house and agent's office adjoined Westchester Ave. at the south end of the yard.
The principal business was fresh meat in iced reefers. The salt from the ice bunkers made a white crust on the ground so it looked like winter in July. It also made it easier for the rats to get around - they didn't break through the salt crust into the mud underneath. Biggest rats you ever saw.
Some of the traffic came over trom Spuyten Duyvil on traveling switchers out of FH Yard, but most of the meat arrived on DM-2 (Dewitt - Melrose) that terminated at Westchester Ave, and then turned back (ND-5 sound right for 1960?)
Starting in 1960, the New Haven had closed the State Line (Mass) interchange, and the bituminous coal for Cos Cob Power House started moving via Port Morris and Oak Point. That could really plug the interchange when we had 40-50 cars of coal for the New Haven. It would fill the tunnel and extend past 156th Street.
As the Westchester Ave yard clerk, I had to make yard checks at Port Morris. I could walk through St. Mary's Park or through the tunnel. Neither was a lifespan-enhancing move, so I would borrow the yard engine and run it over there and back. In those days, every yard clerk was "qualified." On my first day of service in June, 1960, posting at Croton West Yard, I found myself running the yard engine under supervision. We can talk about that now; those things were not uncommon on the Electric Division.
If things got dicey up on the street around Third Ave., so I didn't want to walk over to the El at 156th Street or the IRT at 149th Street to go home, I would ask for an engine to come over from Mott Haven and take me out. I got that service a few times, because no one wanted to ever have to fill out paper work explaining why I didn't make it home that night. Actually, Elmer Lietz was the second trick chief dispatcher, and he was very good about taking care of his people.