Bailey Avenue Trolley – B24 line

This brings back nostalgic memories of the trolleys that ran on Broadway. Sometimes boys would jump and hang onto the rear of the trolley to get a free ride and some thrills. I did that once and decided that it was supremely stupid…I could get really hurt if I were to fall off. In the summer, many trolleys would have wicker sides up to shoulder height and then open from there to the roof that allowed cool air to waft over the riders as the trolley moved from stop to stop. Those were better than the enclosed ones with only the windows opened; no A/C in those days.

I remember the trolleys going up Kingsbridge Road. I think that they carried a supply of sand to drop onto the tracks for traction in the winter to get themselves up the hill.

Although the buses are a bane, and having trolleys to replace them would be nice, from a safety standpoint, buses embarking and debarking passengers at the curb is better than doing so in the middle of the street.

Thanks for this post, Peter.

Bronx Trolley Lines did stop in 1948, however you could still ride a trolley up Broadway from Broadway & west 242nd St to west 263rd St and Broadway into Yonkers.

The streetcars in Yonkers — operated by Yonkers Railroad Company — made their final runs on Sunday November 9, 1952. (Some sources say November 8, 1952.) By then some of the routes had already been cut back with buses substituted on the outer ends. The reason for this was that New York Public Service Commission inspectors had ruled that the condition of track on the outer portions of the some of the lines was too poor to allow the cars to safely operate. For instance on the No. 1-Broadway/Warburton line the trolley service ended at Warburton and Glenwood Avenues. Riders traveling north of Glenwood Avenue — the No. 1 route ran as far as the city line — had to transfer to buses to complete their trip.   Photo on the last day the trolley’s ran have a car from the #1, #2 and #3 line parked at Van Cortlandt Park.

Having been born after the trolleys were gone in NYC, the number of this particular trolley brought back memories of the bus route that replaced it: the #24 bus. When we went to Orchard Beach, we always tried to get the #24 bus on Bailey Ave and Kingsbridge Rd to Fordham Road and catch the #12 bus, you usually got a seat then. Otherwise we had to take the #20 to the #12 when there’s less chance of a seat. The same thing done going home. Only problem was, it didn’t run often. I remember there was only one bus driver, his name was Joe. He reminded me of the Jackie Gleason character in the Honeymooners only he was nicer. Love those memories.

Thanks for the photos, Thomas.

In the first picture looking towards the train station, just to the right of the #1 trolley, is the rear of what looks like a 1948 Pontiac (Forest Green color?). What are the chances that that car was my parents’ car? We lived a block away on the street just out of the right frame (on Spuyten Duyvil Pkwy, changed to Manhattan College Pkwy in April, 1953).

I wonder if the picture was taken in November since all the trees have full, green leaves, ‘though men are wearing suit jackets and the lady by the #2 trolley is wearing a coat. The temperature in NYC on November 5, 1952 was around 55 F, so maybe the picture was taken on that date. The car at the left frame of the picture is, I believe, a 1951 Pontiac Chieftain with the driver’s window open, ‘though the resolution doesn’t lend itself to a more accurate analysis for either car.

The second picture with the #1, #2 and #3 trolleys had to have been taken in the Spring or Summer, not in November, as people are in shirt sleeves, the grass is green and the trees have green leaves.