INTERBOROUGH RAPID TRANSIT CO.
On account of its geographical peculiarities the city of New York has for many years been subject to traffic congestion on the north-south line. The long narrow outline of the island of Manhattan with its dense population presents an unusually difficult transportation problem.
Until the year 1914 the operations of the Interborough Rapid Transit System were confined almost exclusively to Manhattan and the Bronx, while the Brooklyn Rapid Transit System operated in Brooklyn and the Borough of Queens. This geographical division, however, was abandoned with the inauguration of the dual system. By the new arrangement the B. R. T. operates into Manhattan over the New York Municipal line and on the other hand the Interborough reaches into Queens through the Steinway Tunnels and the Queensborough Bridge and into Brooklyn by the Eastern Parkway and Nostrand Ave. Lines.
7-car Train Equipped with G-E Motors and PC Control
30,000-Kw. Turbine at 59TH Street Station, Interborough Rapid Transit
Interborough Rapid Transit Lines
The Interborough operates the old subway traversing the length of Manhattan and also the four elevated lines in Manhattan and the Bronx. The original lines of this system were built in 1868 and were the first elevated tracks in New York and probably the first in the world. Other elevated lines were built between 1870 and 1880, and the present old subway was completed in 1904-8.
Steam locomotives were superseded on the Manhattan Elevated line in 1902 and electric motor car trains were substituted. The original General Electric equipment installed at that time is still in daily operation after 20 years’ service.
The present rapid transit facilities of the Interborough include the following branches:
| Division | Length of Road | Total Single Track |
|---|---|---|
| Bronx Subway Line Contracts 1 & 2 | ||
| Underground | 19.56 | 62.97 |
| Elevated | 6.16 | 22.32 |
| Contract No. 3 | ||
| Atlantic Ave. | .... | .27 |
| Astoria Line Elevated | 2.33 | 6.87 |
| Brooklyn Line | 5.10 | 17.66 |
| Corona Line Elevated | 4.21 | 12.61 |
| Clark St. Tunnel | 2.31 | 4.67 |
| Jerome Ave. Line | 6.04 | 18.89 |
| Lexington Ave. Line | 5.00 | 21.15 |
| 149th St. Loop | .55 | .55 |
| Nostrand Ave. Branch | 2.70 | 5.55 |
| Pelham Bay Park Line | 7.15 | 21.6 |
| Queensboro Subway | ||
| Underground | 1.61 | 5.98 |
| Elevated | 1.03 | .... |
| South Ave. Line Underground | 4.19 | 15.73 |
| White Plains Rd. Line Elevated | 4.88 | 15.82 |
| Manhattan Division Elevated | 37.67 | 113.19 |
| 8th Ave. & 162nd. St. Connection | .62 | 1.26 |
| Queensboro Bridge Line | 1.35 | 2.73 |
| Webster Ave. Line | 1.74 | 5.33 |
| West Farms Subway Connection | .5 | 1.00 |
| Totals | 114.7 | 373.15 |
The number of passengers carried by the Interboro Lines during the fiscal year 1921 was 1,013,678,831. This figure represents 2,773,479 passengers per mile of track. In the main 4-track subway 10-car express trains are operated during rush hour periods on minimum headways of 108 seconds.
Power Supply
The power generating equipment of the Interborough includes briefly the following:
| 59th St. Power Station | Total Kw. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo-Generators | 3-30,000 kw. | 90,000 | |
| Compound Units | 5-15,000 kw. | 75,000 | |
| Engine-driven Units | 4-7,500 kw. | 30,000 | |
| Total | 195,000 | Kw. | |
| 74th St. Power Station | Total Kw. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo-Generator | 1-60,000 kw. | 60,000 | |
| Turbo-Generators | 3-30,000 kw. | 90,000 | |
| Turbo-Generator | 1-7,500 kw. | 7,500 | |
| Engine-driven | 3-7,500 kw. | 22,500 | |
| Total | 180,000 | Kw. | |
Power is generated 11,000 volts three-phase 25 cycles and transmitted principally underground at 11,000 and 19,000 volts. The total energy generated in the two main sections at 59th St. and 74th St. for the year 1921 was 830,000,000 kw-hrs.
Substations
For supplying 625-volt direct current to the rapid transit lines, there are a total of 25 substations containing 129 synchronous converters aggregating 283,000 kw.
Distribution
Propulsion current is delivered to trains through an unprotected over-running third rail weighing, in the old subway 75 lbs. per yard, on the elevated 100 lbs., and in the new subway 150 lbs. per yard.
Rolling Stock
The motor car equipment on the Manhattan Elevated lines includes over 800 cars which have been in operation since 1902-4 with GE-66 motors and Type M control. These cars after 20 years of hard service are referred to as the “back-bone of the system.” Frequent additions have been made to elevated and subway equipment so that the total rolling stock at the end of the fiscal year 1921 was as follows:
INTERBOROUGH RAPID TRANSIT ROLLING STOCK EQUIPMENT
| Manhattan Division | |
| Passenger Motor Cars | 1016 |
| Passenger Trailers | 721 |
| Service Motor Cars | 4 |
| Service Trailers | 56 |
| Elevated Extensions | |
| Passenger Motor Cars | 476 |
| Subway Division Contracts 1 & 2 | |
| Passenger Motor Cars | 785 |
| Passenger Trailers | 352 |
| Service Motor Cars | 10 |
| Service Trailers | 46 |
| Subway Division Contract 3 | |
| Passenger Motor Cars | 581 |
| Passenger Trailers | 217 |
| Service Motor Cars | 1 |
| Total Motor Cars | 2873 |
| Total Trailers | 1392 |
| Grand Total | 4265 |
The longest ride on the system for a single fare is from the terminus of the White Plains Road line at 241st St. near the Northern boundary of the city, the entire length of Manhattan and the Bronx and through the Eastern Parkway Subway to Linwood Avenue, a distance of about 26 miles. The maximum grades encountered are 4½ per cent.