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Alfred E. Beach and New York’s First Subway

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The Wheels That Drove New York

Part of the book series: Springer Tracts on Transportation and Traffic ((STTT,volume 1))

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Abstract

On February 26, 1870, while Harvey, Gilbert and others were working on a practical elevated railroad, Alfred Ely Beach introduced a one-block demonstration subway to the public, charging $0.25 fare per ride. All of the proceeds were donated to the Union Home for Orphans of Soldiers and Sailors. The subway ran for one block under Broadway, between Warren and Cedar Streets, and was powered by air pressure. Thirty-four years would pass before another subway opened its doors in New York.

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References

  1. Pneumatic Railways. Mechanic’s Register and Journal of the Mechanics’ Institute 6(7) (August 1835) (American Periodicals On-Line)

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  2. Brennan, J.: Alfred Beach’s Pneumatic Subway and the Beginnings of Rapid Transit in New York (2003-2004) (an on-line web publication)

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Correspondence to Roger P. Roess .

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© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Roess, R.P., Sansone, G. (2013). Alfred E. Beach and New York’s First Subway. In: The Wheels That Drove New York. Springer Tracts on Transportation and Traffic, vol 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-30484-2_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-30484-2_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-30483-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-30484-2

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