On the FNY Norwood tour on May 31st, 2014, we ran across this tall, iron post at Webster Avenue and East 204th. My feeling is that it used to hold trolley wire, but the 3rd Avenue El once ran along Webster Avenue as well, north to where it made a right turn on East Gun Hill Road. So the question was, did they run at the same time?
The old Fordham and Woodlawn Line ran on 3rd Avenue, Fordham Road, Webster Avenue, and Gun Hill Road to Woodlawn Cemetery. It was abandoned on July 1st, 1918.
The Third Avenue El opened stations between 200th Street (Bedford Park Boulevard) and Gun Hill Road on October 4, 1920, so this post predates the construction of the El and survived long after it.
Subway historian Andy Sparberg:
Third Avenue Railway’s W trolley, the Webster-White Plains Road Line, operated on Webster Ave. south of Gun Hill Road until it was converted to a bus route, today’s BX41, in June 1948. So for 28 years both transit modes coexisted on Webster Avenue between Fordham Road and Gun Hill Road. The bus continues to operate today, using large capacity articulated vehicles because of its heavy traffic.
This section of the Third Avenue closed for service on April 29th, 1973.
Photo by Bob Mulero.
6/1/15