New York City Cowboys

[N2NH]

For 80 years they roamed on the west side of Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen (Now Chelsea). By law, the New York Central Railroad had to have horsemen ride ahead of the electric engines to wave off pedestrians...

The story of these riders goes back to December 4, 1850 when the City Council passed a law compelling trains on the streets of New York to be preceded by a rider on horseback, on block ahead of the locomotive, waving a red flag by day and a red light by night to warn pedestrians and prevent runaways of horse-drawn vehicles. This quaint law is still in force, and the New York Central must, until it rises above the street, provide its riders or suffer revocation of its franchise.

The Tenth Avenue freight route extends from 30th Street south to St. John's yards below Canal Street, a distance of about two miles. To cover the operation of the various trains, a staff of twelve riders is maintained. These boys, who must all be over eighteen years old, are almost wholly recruited from Tenth Avenue and West Street, and strange as it may appear, riders are difficult to find, and only those who have, by strange fortune, learned to ride in the county are used, because a country boy knows and understands horses, and is thus prepared for any unexpected excitement that might affect his steed.

The "Ranch Boss" of these cowboys is the Superintendent of the New York Central Freight Yards, and since the law has been in effect two of the riders have risen from the range to the important position of Yard Masters.

This was replaced by the High Line which has now been converted into a park.

The Cowboys of New York

[w0aew]

It's too bad they're no longer around. In Britain, they would convert this into a tourist-attracting ritual that would increase in popularity as its actual necessity decreased.

[N8YX]

Any idea what that power unit is, John?

[n2ize]

Our country has a strange relationship with its rail system. Unlike other countries our railroad system is strangely locked in a state of antiquity. There is no better place to gain a sense of retro antiquity than the American rail system. Trains may be more modern but the system they operate on has changed little since the 1800's. I am surprised the "cowboys" are not used to this date, as a matter of ritual.

[kf0rt]

Any idea what that power unit is, John?

Looks like a horse to me. :rofl:

[KJ3N]

Any idea what that power unit is, John?

Bell 47 APU.

Hello.

[KC2UGV]

Any idea what that power unit is, John?

A 1 Horse Power engine

[n2ize]

Bell 47 APU.

Hello.

Is that Rudy driving that train ? Or is Rudy the guy on the horse.

[N2NH]

Any idea what that power unit is, John?

A New York Central DES-3 Tri-Power Locomotive. Could run on Diesel, Electricity (3rd Rail) or Battery. IIRC, these ended their days doing yard switching at Grand Central Terminal. Before the streets were paved over, those tracks were still there sitting unused. The High Line saw little work when I used to hang out in Hell's Kitchen in the 60s so its usefulness was short-lived. Many of the industries that used it moved out to the suburbs or out of the region and by the late 60s trains were rare.

The other pic in the link (which enlarges if clicked) had a shrouded steam engine. They covered all the running gear as it was believed at the time that horses (not from the NYC stable) would panic if they could see it. And yes, there is a guy walking with an actual peg-leg in the century old picture.

[n2ize]

A New York Central DES-3 Tri-Power Locomotive. Could run on Diesel, Electricity (3rd Rail) or Battery. IIRC, these ended their days doing yard switching at Grand Central Terminal. Before the streets were paved over, those tracks were still there sitting unused. The High Line saw little work when I used to hang out in Hell's Kitchen in the 60s so its usefulness was short-lived. Many of the industries that used it moved out to the suburbs or out of the region and by the late 60s trains were rare.

The other pic in the link (which enlarges if clicked) had a shrouded steam engine. They covered all the running gear as it was believed at the time that horses (not from the NYC stable) would panic if they could see it. And yes, there is a guy walking with an actual peg-leg in the century old picture.

Too bad its not like that today. And notice how clean the streets were.