The lower part of the Bronx 3rd Ave El was unique in that the structure was double-decked from the Harlem River Bridge to 144th St.
The double-deck structure began South of the 125th St station on the 3rd Ave El in Manhattan and North of the 125th St station on the 2nd Ave El and continued to the Harlem River Bridge, where the 2nd Ave El had two tiers of level junctions with the 3rd Ave El.
The junction for the 132nd St terminal was right over the bridge on the Bronx side of the river on the lower level.
Within the steelwork of the Harlem River viaduct on the Bronx side of the river was a junction to the material yard and at one time a shed for a Forney steam locomotive that performed switching operations on the non-electrified tracks of the material yard. The locomotive was left over from the steam era on the Els in the 19th century.
The double-deck 'S' curve viaduct structure went East to aligh with the Private Right of Way (PROW) between Alexander and Willis Avenues. The 133rd St station was at the end of 'S' curve. The 133rd St was also a transfer point for the New York Westchester & Boston RR from 1924 to 1937, when the Westchester Line stopped running.
Prior to 1924 an El shuttle train provided service from the NYWB / NYNH&H Terminal at 132nd St to the 129th St El terminal for transfer to 2nd or 3rd Ave El trains.
The 3rd Ave El double-deck structure on the PROW was very straight and was sandwiched in between the homes and apartment houses that lined the route of the El to 144th St, where the 2nd and 3rd Ave El routes diverged. The stations were extended to handle seven-car trains when the line was double-decked in 1916. The 133rd St station platform extended to 135th St.
The 134th and 135th St area was transformed into the Major Deegan Highway to the Tri-boro Bridge in 1937.
The next station North was at 138th St, which saw a great deal of construction activity when the Pelham Bay subway was built beneath it in 1920.
The structure between the 138th St station and the 143rd St was interesting in that a single-track ramp connected the two track levels. It was used only in emergencies until 1954 when the 149th St express track was taken out of service in preparation for end of service to Manhattan in 1955. The ramp was used continuously until the x-over and signals were installed and put into service in 1956 to eliminate the turn-back operation South of 149th St. A temporary switch between the local and express track was also installed South of the 149th St station
The 143rd St station was the last station the PROW. The junction to the bottom of the ramp to the upper level was at the South end of the station and the junction to the 2nd Ave El Bergen Cut-off was on the upper level. The 3rd Ave El tracks on the lower level and the single express track turned left North of 144th St to come out on Third Ave at 145th St. The Bergen Cut-off route curved right to come out on Willis Ave at 145th St. The 3rd Ave El express track descended from the upper level to form a three-track structure at 145th St.
When the single level 3rd Ave El structure was built at 144th St in 1888, a junction with a single section of track was installed in preparation for the construction of the Suburban Franchise route to Westchester Ave. That construction project would not occur for another 15 years, when the El was double-decked and the upper level junction to the Westchester Ave line was built.
The double-deck structure began South of the 125th St station on the 3rd Ave El in Manhattan and North of the 125th St station on the 2nd Ave El and continued to the Harlem River Bridge, where the 2nd Ave El had two tiers of level junctions with the 3rd Ave El.
The junction for the 132nd St terminal was right over the bridge on the Bronx side of the river on the lower level.
Within the steelwork of the Harlem River viaduct on the Bronx side of the river was a junction to the material yard and at one time a shed for a Forney steam locomotive that performed switching operations on the non-electrified tracks of the material yard. The locomotive was left over from the steam era on the Els in the 19th century.
The double-deck 'S' curve viaduct structure went East to aligh with the Private Right of Way (PROW) between Alexander and Willis Avenues. The 133rd St station was at the end of 'S' curve. The 133rd St was also a transfer point for the New York Westchester & Boston RR from 1924 to 1937, when the Westchester Line stopped running.
Prior to 1924 an El shuttle train provided service from the NYWB / NYNH&H Terminal at 132nd St to the 129th St El terminal for transfer to 2nd or 3rd Ave El trains.
The 3rd Ave El double-deck structure on the PROW was very straight and was sandwiched in between the homes and apartment houses that lined the route of the El to 144th St, where the 2nd and 3rd Ave El routes diverged. The stations were extended to handle seven-car trains when the line was double-decked in 1916. The 133rd St station platform extended to 135th St.
The 134th and 135th St area was transformed into the Major Deegan Highway to the Tri-boro Bridge in 1937.
The next station North was at 138th St, which saw a great deal of construction activity when the Pelham Bay subway was built beneath it in 1920.
The structure between the 138th St station and the 143rd St was interesting in that a single-track ramp connected the two track levels. It was used only in emergencies until 1954 when the 149th St express track was taken out of service in preparation for end of service to Manhattan in 1955. The ramp was used continuously until the x-over and signals were installed and put into service in 1956 to eliminate the turn-back operation South of 149th St. A temporary switch between the local and express track was also installed South of the 149th St station
The 143rd St station was the last station the PROW. The junction to the bottom of the ramp to the upper level was at the South end of the station and the junction to the 2nd Ave El Bergen Cut-off was on the upper level. The 3rd Ave El tracks on the lower level and the single express track turned left North of 144th St to come out on Third Ave at 145th St. The Bergen Cut-off route curved right to come out on Willis Ave at 145th St. The 3rd Ave El express track descended from the upper level to form a three-track structure at 145th St.
When the single level 3rd Ave El structure was built at 144th St in 1888, a junction with a single section of track was installed in preparation for the construction of the Suburban Franchise route to Westchester Ave. That construction project would not occur for another 15 years, when the El was double-decked and the upper level junction to the Westchester Ave line was built.