Chapter 12: Subcontractors

The scope of this book does not permit an enumeration of all the sub-contractors who have done work on the Rapid Transit Railroad. The following list, however, includes the sub-contractors for all the more important parts of the construction and equipment of the road.

General Construction, Subsection Contracts, Track and Track Material, Station Finish, and Miscellaneous Contracts

S. L. F. DEYO Chief Engineer

For construction purposes the road was divided into sub-sections, and sub-contracts were let which included excavation, construction and re-construction of sub-surface structures, support of surface railway tracks and abutting buildings, erection of steel (underground and viaduct), masonry work and tunnel work under the rivers; also the plastering and painting of the inside of tunnel walls and restoration of street surface.

• Bradley, William, Sub-sections 6 A and 6 B, 60th Street to 104th Street.
• Degnon-McLean Contracting Company (Degnon Contracting Company), Sub-section 1, 2 and 5A, Post-office to Great Jones Street and 41st Street and Park Avenue to 47th Street and Broadway.
• Farrell, F. J., Sub-section, Lenox Avenue Extension, 142d Street to 148th Street.
• Farrell & Hopper (Farrell, Hopper & Company), Sub-sections 7 and 8, 103d Street and Broadway to 135th Street and Lenox Avenue.
• Holbrook, Cabot & Daly (Holbrook, Cabot & Daly Contracting Company), Sub-section 3, Great Jones Street to 33d Street.
• McCabe & Brother, L. B. (R. C. Hunt, Superintendent), Sub-sections 13 and 14, 133d Street to Hillside Avenue.
• McMullen & McBean, Subsection 9A, 135th Street and Lenox Avenue to Gerard Avenue and 149th Street.
• Naughton & Company (Naughton Company), Subsection 5B, 47th Street to 60th Street.
• Roberts, E. P., Sub-sections 10, 12 and 15,Foundations (Viaducts), Brook Avenue to Bronx Park, 125th Street to 133d Street, and Hillside Avenue to Bailey Avenue.
• Rodgers, John C., Sub-section 9B, Gerard Avenue to Brook Avenue.
• Shaler, Ira A. (Estate of Ira A. Shaler), Sub-section 4, 33d Street to 41st Street.
• Shields, John, Sub-section 11, 104th Street to 125th Street.
• Terry & Tench Construction Company (Terry & Tench Company), Sub-sections 1O, 12, and 15, Steel Erection (Viaducts), Brook Avenue to Bronx Park, 125th Street to 133d Street, and Hillside Avenue to Bailey Avenue.

Brooklyn Extension

• Cranford & MeNamee, Sub-section 3, Clinton Street to Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues, Brooklyn.
• Degnon-McLean Contracting Company (Degnon Contracting Company), Sub-section 1, Park Row to Bridge Street, Manhattan.
• Onderdonk, Andrew (New York Tunnel Company), Sub-sections 2 and 2A, Bridge Street, Manhattan, to Clinton and Joralemon Streets, Brooklyn.

Track and Track Material

• American Iron & Steel Manufacturing Company, Track Bolts.
• Baxter & Company, G. S., Ties.
• Connecticut Trap Rock Quarries, Ballast.
• Dilworth, Porter & Company, Spikes.
• Holbrook, Cabot & Rollins (Holbrook, Cabot & Rollins Corporation), Track Laying, City Hall to Broadway and 42d Street.
• Long Clove Trap Rock Company, Ballast. Malleable Iron Fittings Company, Cup Washers.
• Naughton Company, Track Laying, Underground Portion of Road north of 42d Street and Broadway.
• Pennsylvania Steel Company, Running Rails, Angle Bars, Tie Plates and Guard Rails.
• Ramapo Tron Works, Frogs and Switches, Filler Blocks and Washers.
• Sizer & Company, Robert R., Ties.
• Terry & Tench Construction Company (Terry & Tench Company), Timber Decks for Viaduct Portions, and Laying and Surfacing Track on Viaduct Portions.
• Weber Railway Joint Manufacturing Company, Weber Rail Joints.

Station Finish

• American Mason Safety Tread Company, Safety Treads.
• Atlantic Terra Cotta Company, Terra Cotta.
• Boote Company, Alfred, Glazed Tile and Art Ceramic Tile.
• Byrne & Murphy, Plumbing, 86th Street Station.
• Dowd & Maslen, Brick Work for City Hall and other Stations and Superstructures for 72d Street, 103d Street and Columbia University Stations.
• Empire City Marble Company, Marble.
• Grueby Faience Company, Faience.
• Guastavino Company, Guastavino Arch, City Hall Station.
• Hecla Iron Works, Kiosks and Eight Stations on Elevated Structure.
• Herring-Hall-Marvin Safe Company, Safes.
• Holbrook, Cabot & Rollins Corporation, Painting Stations.
• Howden Tile Company, Glazed Tile and Art Ceramic Tile.
• Laheny Company, J. E., Painting Kiosks.
• Manhattan Glass Tile Company, Glass Tile, and Art Ceramic Tile.
• Parry, John H., Glass Tile and Art Ceramic Tile.
• Pulsifer & Larson Company, Illuminated Station Signs.
• Rookwood Pottery Company, Faience
• Russell & Irwin Manufacturing Company, Hardware
• Simmons Company, John, Railings and Gates.
• Tracy Plumbing Company, Plumbing.
• Tucker & Vinton, Strap Anchors for Kiosks.
• Turner Construction Company, Stairways, Platforms, and Platform Overhangs.
• Vulcanite Paving Company, Granolithic Floors.

Miscellaneous

• American Bridge Company, Structural Steel.
• American Vitrified Conduit Company, Ducts.
• Blanchite Process Paint Company, Plaster Work and Blanchite Enamel Finish on Tunnel Side Walls.
• Brown Hoisting Machinery Company, Signal Houses at Four Stations.
• Camp Company, H. B., Ducts.
• Cunningham & Kearns, Sewer Construction, Mulberry Street, East 10th Street, and East 22d Street Sewers.
• Fox & Company, John, Cast Iron.
• McRoy Clay Works, Ducts.
• Norton & Dalton, Sewer Construction, 142d Street Sewer.
• Onondaga Vitrified Brick Company, Ducts.
• Pilkington, James, Sewer Construction, Canal Street and Bleecker Street Sewers.
• Simmons Company, John, Iron Railings, Viaduct Sections.
• Sicilian Asphalt Paving Company, Waterproofing.
• Tucker & Vinton, Vault Lights.
• United Building Material Company, Cement.

Electrical Department

L. B. STILLWELL Electrical Director

Electric plant for generation, transmission, conversion, and distribution of power, third rail construction, electrical car equipment, lighting system, fire and emergency alarm systems.

• Amencan Steel & Wire Company, Cable.
• Bajohr, Carl, Lightning Rods.
• Broderick & Company, Contact Shoes.
• Cambria Steel Company, Contact Rail.
• Columbia Machine Works & Malleable Iron Company, Contact Shoes.
• Consolidated Car Heating Company, Car Heaters.
• D & W. Fuse Company, Fuse Boxes and Fuses.
• Electric Storage Battery Company, Storage Battery Plant.
• Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph Company, Fire and Emergency Alarm Systems.
• General Electric Company, Motors, Power House and Sub-station Switchboards, Control Apparatus, Cable.
• General Incandescent Arc Light Company, Passenger Station Switchboards.
• India Rubber & Gutta Percha Insulating Company, Cables.
• Keasby & Mattison Company, Asbestos.
• Malleable Iron Fittings Company, Third Rail and other Castings.
• Mayer & Englund Company, Rail Bonds.
• Mitchell Vance Company, Passenger Station Electric Light Fixtures.
• National Conduit & Cable Company, Cables.
• National Electric Company, Air Compressors.
• Nernst Lamp Company, Power Station Lighting.
• Okonite Company, Cables.
• Prometheus Electric Company, Passenger Station Heaters.
• Roebling's Sons Company, J. A., Cables.
• Reconstructed Granite Company, Third Rail Insulators.
• Standard Underground Cable Company, Cables.
• Tucker Electrical Construction Company, Wiring for Tunnel and Passenger Station Lights.
• Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, Alternators, Exciters, Transformers, Motors, Converters, Blower Outfits.
• Westinghouse Machine Company, Turbo Alternators.

Mechanical and Architectural Department

JOHN VAN VLECK Mechanical and Construction Engineer.

Power house and sub-station, steam plant, repair shop, tunnel drainage, elevators.

Power House

• Alberger Condenser Company, Condensing Equipment.
• Allis-Chalmers Company, Nine 8,000-11,000 H. P. Engines.
• Alphons Custodis Chimney Construction Company, Chimneys.
• American Bridge Company, Structural Steel.
• Babcock & Wilcox Company, Fifty-two tioo H. P. Boilers and Six Superheaters.
• Burhorn, Edwin, Castings.
• Gibson Iron Works, Thirty-six Hand-tired Grates.
• Manning, Maxwell & Moore, Electric Traveling Cranes and Machine Tools.
• Milliken Brothers, Ornamental Chimney Caps.
• Otis Elevator Company, Freight Elevator.
• Peirce, John, Power House Superstructure.
• Power Specialty Company, Four Superheaters.
• Ryan & Parker, Foundation Work and Condensing Water Tunnels, etc.
• Robins Conveying Belt Company, Coal and Ash Handling Apparatus.
• Reese, Jr., Company, Thomas, Coal Downtake Apparatus, Oil Tanks, etc.
• Riter-Conley Manufacturing Company, Smoke Flue System.
• Sturtevant Company, B. F., Blower Sets
• Tucker & Vinton, Concrete Hot Wells.
• Treadwell & Company, M. H., Furnace Castings, etc.
• Walworth Manufacturing Company, Steam, Water, and Drip Piping.
• Westinghouse, Church, Kerr & Company, Three Turbo Generator Sets and Two Exciter Engines.
• Westinghouse Machine Company, Stokers.
• Wheeler Condenser Company, Feed Water Heaters.
• Worthington, Henry R., Boiler Feed Pumps.

Sub-Stations

• American Bridge Company, Structural Steel.
• Carlin & Company, P. J., Foundation and Superstructure, Sub-station No. 15 (143d Street).
• Cleveland Crane & Car Company, Hand Power Traveling Cranes.
• Crow, W. L., Foundation and Superstructure Sub-stations Nos. 17 and 18 (Fox Street, Hillside Avenue).
• Parker Company, John H., Foundation and Super-structure Sub-stations Nos. 11, 12, 13, 14, and 16 (City Hall Place, E. 19th Street, W. 53d Street, W. 96th Street, W. 132d Street).

Inspection Shed

• American Bridge Company, Structural Steel.
• Beggs & Company, James, Heating Boilers.
• Elektron Manufacturing Company, Freight Elevator.
• Farrell, E. J., Drainage System.
• Hiscox & Company, W. T., Steam Heating System.
• Leary & Curtis, Transformer House.
• Milliken Brothers, Structural Steel and Iron for Storehouse.
• Northern Engineering Works, Electric Telpherage System.
• O'Rourke, John F., Foundation Work.
• Tucker & Vinton, Superstructure of Reinforced Concrete.
• Tracy Plumbing Company, Plumbing.
• Weber, Hugh L., Superstructure of Storehouse, etc.

Signal Towers

• Tucker & Vinton, Reinforced Concrete Walls for Eight Signal Towers.

Passenger Elevators

• Otis Elevator Company, Electric Passenger Elevators for 167th Street, 181St Street, and Mott Avenue Stations, and Escalator for Manhattan Street Station.

Rolling Stock and Signal Department

GEORGE GIBBS Consulting Engineer

Cars, Automatic Signal System

• American Car & Foundry Company, Steel Car Bodies and Trailer Trucks.
• Buffalo Forge Company, Blacksmith Shop Equipment.
• Burnham, Williams & Company (Baldwin Locomotive Works), Motor Trucks.
• Cambria Steel Company, Trailer Truck Axles.
• Christensen Engineering Company, Compressors, Governors, and Pump Cages on Cars.
• Curtain Supply Company, Car Window and Door Curtains.
• Dressel Railway Lamp Works, Signal Lamps.
• Hale & Kilburn Manufacturing Company, Car Seats and Backs.
• Jewett Car Company, Wooden Car Bodies.
• Manning, Maxwell & Moore, Machinery and Machine Tools for Inspection Shed.
• Metal Plated Car & Lumber Company, Copper Sheathing for Cars.
• Pitt Car Gate Company, Vestibule Door Operating Device for Cars.
• Pneumatic Signal Company, Three Mechanical Interlocking Plants.
• Standard Steel Works, Axles and Driving Wheels for Motor and Trailer Trucks
• St. Louis Car Company, Wooden Car Bodies and Trailer Trucks.
• Stephenson Company, John, Wooden Car Bodies.
• Taylor Iron & Steel Company, Trailer Truck Wheels.
• Union Switch & Signal Company, Block Signal System and Interlocking Switch and Signal Plants.
• Van Dorn Company, W. T., Car Couplings.
• Wason Manufacturing Company, Wooden Car Bodies and Trailer Trucks.
• Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Air Brakes.
• Westinghouse Traction Brake Company, Air Brakes.

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