Pelham Park and City Island Railway

Pelham Park and City Island Railway

Company type	Private
Industry	Street railway
Founded	1884 (1884)
Fate	Closed after bankruptcy
Headquarters	Bronx, New York City , United States
Area served	Bronx, New York City
Products	Street railway transportation (horse-drawn cars, monorail, electric trolley)
Parent	Interborough Rapid Transit Company (from 1902)

The Pelham Park and City Island Railway was a brief street railway located in the Bronx, New York City, providing a connection between City Island and the Bartow station on the Harlem River and Port Chester Railroad. Operating from 1884 until 1919, the railway primarily utilized horse-drawn cars. In 1910, the section on the mainland was transformed into an electrically powered monorail, famously known as The Flying Lady. Prior to the establishment of this railway, a stagecoach service linked City Island with Mount Vernon.

Throughout its existence, the railway experienced two significant accidents—one occurring during its horse-drawn phase and another on the monorail’s first day of operation. It failed to become commercially viable and ultimately closed after declaring bankruptcy.

Stagecoach era

Before the construction of Bartow Station, Robert Vickery managed a stagecoach route connecting Mount Vernon and City Island until 1887. Additionally, local grocers ran a stagecoach service delivering supplies to residents.

Horse drawn railway

Established as two separate entities on August 30, 1884—the Pelham Park Railroad Company and the City Island Railroad—these lines joined at Marshall's Corner near City Island. The Pelham Park Railroad operated on a narrow gauge track. The route commenced service from the Cass Gilbert-designed Bartow station to Marshall's Corner on May 20, 1887, then extended five days later across the bridge to City Island, continuing along City Island Avenue to Brown's Hotel. By 1892, the line reached Belden's Point, covering a total distance of .

On April 8, 1889, an incident took place when a lead car tipped over near City Island Bridge, causing injuries to numerous passengers; although accusations of driver intoxication were denied, reckless operation was suspected.

In 1895, New York City incorporated the East Bronx area which included the railway’s route. That same year, Richard S. Williams, a City Island resident, contested the double fare policy imposed by the two companies functioning as a single line.

In 1897, Pelham Park Railroad applied for a franchise to build a line through Pelham Bay Park linking New Rochelle with Bronx trolley systems. Opposition arose due to plans requiring pavement removal along Shore Road. Although the Board of Aldermen approved the proposal with a vote of 25-3, Mayor William L. Strong threatened to veto it; subsequently, a court injunction prevented the franchise transfer.

On March 14, 1902—two years prior to the launch of New York City's first New York City Subway line—the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) acquired both railways. IRT operator August Belmont Jr. initially purchased City Island Railroad for $32,000 before acquiring it for $4.5 million. Expansion plans included connections with the New York and Port Chester Railroad and integration with the IRT subway line; proceeds from land sales supported these developments.

A mortgage amounting to $27,750 was filed in December 1902 with a term of one year.

Monorail

Howard Hansel Tunis introduced an innovative monorail at Virginia's Jamestown Exposition in 1907, which caught the attention of the Pelham Park Railroad's management. Encouraged by his Monoroad Construction Company, they advanced plans for its construction. The designed cars measured long and wide, riding on four double-flanged wheels along a single rail, with two four-wheeled trucks engaging an overhead guide rail. John H. Starin anticipated the monorail could reach speeds of . The journey from Bartow Station to City Island was expected to take between 3 and 5 minutes, a substantial improvement over the 40-minute horse-drawn trip.

Residents of City Island had long expressed dissatisfaction with the unreliable horse-drawn transit. In October 1908, the company sought permission from the New York State Public Service Commission to electrify the line via an overhead power system. Following a hearing on November 6, official approval was granted on November 17. The route originated near Bartow Station on the Harlem River and Portchester Railroad, continuing along Third Street to Shore Road, then following City Island Road to connect with the City Island Railroad at Marshall's Corner.

This monorail represented both New York City's first commercial monorail and the sole one operating in the United States at that period. After a short operational span from 1910 until 1914, New York would not see another monorail until the AMF Monorail was showcased at the 1964 New York World's Fair.

Operating history

Plans for the monorail were finalized by January 1909. Service between Bartow Station and Marshall's Corner officially commenced in mid-July 1910, although operations unofficially began two days prior. The line operated with a single car known as The Flying Lady, which could travel up to . Initially estimated at , later reports described it as in length and painted yellow or orange. The vehicle drew electric power from two overhead rails that also provided stability.

During its inaugural run, the car overturned while negotiating a curve carrying approximately 100 passengers—over twice its intended capacity of 40. Several riders sustained injuries; Howard Tunis, the operator, broke a rib, and his six-year-old daughter suffered bruises.

Tunis blamed the accident on an inadequately constructed roadbed composed of loose soil incapable of supporting the vehicle’s weight. This caused track subsidence and loss of contact with the upper guide rails on the third curve. The derailment occurred close to the power house, enabling an immediate shutdown of electrical power.

Operations were halted instantly but resumed on November 14, 1910. Financially, the monorail failed to thrive; bankruptcy was forced by the IRT on December 4, 1911. Both the monorail segment on the western end and the narrow gauge horsecar line on the eastern section continued functioning until 1914.

Conversion to standard gauge

In 1913, the IRT opted to convert the line into a electric trolley system and consolidated both companies into the Pelham Park and City Island Railroad, which began service on July 1, 1913. The track spanning the bridge and City Island was converted to standard gauge, with leased New York Railways horsecars providing transit during this period. The monorail ceased operations on April 3, 1914, temporarily replaced by a leased bus from Fifth Avenue Coach Lines.

On July 9, 1914, ownership transferred when IRT sold the company to Third Avenue Railway. After assuming control on August 1, Third Avenue completed construction of the standard gauge railway but did not install overhead electrical wiring. The final Bronx horsecar ran on August 18, 1914, coinciding with the introduction of the first storage battery car service from Bartow to City Island at 12:30 p.m.

Termination of service

In 1919, the Third Avenue Railway submitted a request to the New York Public Service Commission seeking authorization to discontinue the line due to financial difficulties; this request was approved. Operations ceased on August 9, 1919. Two days later, New York City mayor John Francis Hylan highlighted annual deficits approaching $18,000 () and expressed opposition to city management of the service. He suggested that the equipment be sold to scrap dealers.

As of , Bartow Station remains deserted and severely deteriorated—its roof is partly missing, trees have overgrown and are causing structural damage, and the walls are extensively covered in graffiti.

See also

• Boynton Bicycle Railroad
• 1881 map of the area
• 1893 map of the area

External links

• The Pelham Park and City Island Railway, part 1 – Forsyth's Compendium of Curious Contraptions, February 19, 2019
• The Pelham Park and City Island Railway, part 2 – Forsyth's Compendium of Curious Contraptions, February 27, 2019