3 cars for cable operation of West Side & Yonkers Patent Elevated Railway, used 2/14/1870 thru 4/20/1871, then used as coaches behind WS&Y steam "dummies". Replaced by newer coaches 1876 or 1877 and disposed of. Possibly numbered 1-3 before retirement.

Shadbelly cars were procured by the New York Elevated Railroad for early Ninth Ave. el service. All were steam coaches, and were replaced by more conventional coaches which arrived in 1876-77.

Experimental body configuration with center doors and no end platforms. Returned to builder in 1878.

Used on all lines by NYERR (9th and 3rd Aves.). Inherited by Manhattan Railway Co. in 1879.

Used on early 6th Avenue service. Inherited by Manhattan Railway Co. in 1879 and renumbered 501-520, 521-580.

Orderd by Metropolitan Elevated Railway, delivered and put in service by Manhattan Railway Co. as coaches 581-675 in 1879.

Used on all lines, replaced by newer coaches ca. 1884-85.

All of the above were used on the Second, Third, Sixth and Ninth Ave. elevateds from 1879, when the Manhattan Railway took over the Metropolitan and the NYERR, through 1886.

These coaches were used in early Third Ave.-Bronx service from 1886 to 1891, when they were acquired by Manhattan Rwy. along with the Suburban Rapid Transit property, and renumbered 1095-1098 and 1099-1120.

These were found to be unsuitable for electric service, and were replaced by new cars in 1902-03.

The above groups were used in Second, Third, Sixth and Ninth Ave. elevated service from 1886 to 1901, at which time they were equipped for electric service.

The above groups were obtained with the Suburban Rapid Transit property by the Manhattan Rwy. in 1891, and then used on all lines through their electrification in 1901-03.

The above cars were the last steam coaches obtained by the Manhattan Rwy. Co., being used on all routes (Second, Third, Sixth and Ninth Aves.) through their electrification in 1901-03.

(Above groups in NYERR sequence). The above were closed, open-vestibule motor cars (built as electric cars), used with former steam coaches converted to electric coaches (listed below), to inaugurate electric service, beginning with the Second Ave. line in December, 1901. Beginning in 1902, they began being trained with former steam coaches converted to electric motor cars.

The above were dubbed "Open-Air Cars", being similar in function to the open streetcars of the era. They were hauled behind regular open-vestibule motors, used in Summer only, and advertised as a ride on "The Open Air Line".

Phase-out of IRT Gate Cars in general began in 1938 with the abandonment of the 6th Ave. Elevated. Most of the converted steam trailers were removed from service after the abandonment of 2nd Ave.-Queens service in June, 1942. Former steam coaches converted to motor cars were still in service until 1950.

The Open-air Trailers were hauled behind open-vestible motor cars each summer through 1918, after which they were withdrawn and scrapped.

The IRT Gate Cars, ex-NYERR, ex-Metropolitan and ex-Manhattan Rwy. Gate Cars were intermixed in trains on the Second, Third, Sixth and Ninth Ave. lines from 1903 through 1923. In that year, the IRT began re-fitting 470 Gate Cars as "M.U.D.C." units. Remaining Gate Cars were operated, usually in rush hours, through December, 1950, when they were removed from the Third Ave. Thru-Express route, but for 21 cars used on the Dyre Ave. Shuttle route of the Subway Division until 1954.

Originally built for the Subway Division as Hi-V Motors and Trailers, these wood-steel cars were rebuilt in entirety as Low-Voltage motors (incompatible with the IRT's Gate Cars), and transferred to the Elevated Division beginning in 1915. They entered service on rush hour center-track express routes in January, 1916, and remained in this role until their retirement in April, 1950. Due to their weight, these cars had to return light on the local tracks after completing express runs or when pulling out for service. The cars' original trucks were replaced with new ones of a design common to the Manhattan El, and were then used under new steel subway cars.

In 1923 and 1924, the IRT retro-fitted the above 470 cars with enclosed vestibules and air doors. As such, only one conductor was required to operate a train instead of one conductor for each pair as the Gate Cars required. The savings in labor to the IRT were obvious. The cars first appeared in 1923, becoming regulars on the 2nd and 6th Ave. Locals, and by the time all entered service in 1924, they were assigned to various express routes and to Queens service. Retirements of the Hi-V MUDC cars began in December, 1950, and were completed in 1955 with the abandonment of 3rd Ave. service to Manhattan. The Lo-V MUDC's plied on what remained of the line in The Bronx until January of 1957, when they were withdrawn and scrapped.

Built from older BMT Gate Cars for service via the Flushing line to the 1939 World's Fair, the "Q" (for Queens) cars arrived on the Third Ave. line in April, 1950, after the cessation of joint IRT/BMT service on the Flushing and Astoria lines in 1949 had made them surplus. The cars were placed on trucks taken from scrapped Composites, which then made them too tall for some Third Ave. line clearances. As a result, the cars' roofs then had to be "shaved" by about four inches. Until the discontinuance of Third Ave. service from Chatham Square to 149 St. in May, 1955, the Q's were used only on center track expresses, returning "light" to their point of origin, because of excess weight. The cars continued in service on the truncated Third Ave. Local, from 149 St. to Gun Hill Rd., until replaced, along with the MUDC's, in January, 1957. Two years later, they were to reappear on their native BMT.

Several cars from these two groups of Lo-V's were transferred from the 7th AVE-BRONX EXPRESS, LEXINGTON-JEROME EXPRESS and LEXINGTON-WHITE PLAINS RD. EXPRESS routes to the THIRD AVE. LOCAL, beginning service on December 15, 1956. By the end of January, 1957 they had completely replaced the MUDC and Q-car trains on the route since May, 1955. It is possible that the Lo-V's replaced the older equipment more or less immaliately, but information is lacking.

*-Cars 4215-4222 rebuilt from Hi-V Trailers by IRT in 1929.
#-Cars 4555-4576 rebuilt from Lo-V Trailers by IRT in 1929.

By 1961, cars from the above groups had joined cars of the two series used on the THIRD AVE. LOCAL since December, 1956, being used at random from the 7th AVE-BRONX EXPRESS route.

These cars, usually in complete train sets (5 cars) began service on the THIRD AVE. LOCAL on February 4, 1962, being transferred in from the 7th AVE-BRONX EXPRESS and the 42 ST. SHUTTLE. Various mixed Steinway Lo-V's continued to operate on the Third Ave. line. By October, 1963, cars of series 4025-4036, 4215-4222 and 4555-4576 were no longer used on the THIRD AVE. LOCAL, all service being provided by Steinway Lo-V's of 4700-4770 and 5628-5652 series, Lo-V Trailers of series 4811-4965, 5303-5377 and 5378-5402 and World's Fair Steinways 5653-5702. On December 23, 1963, all Steinway Lo-V's remaining in service were assigned to THIRD AVE. LOCAL service, and as of February 21, 1964 all remaining Lo-V's were removed from 7th AVE-BRONX and 7th AVE-LENOX EXPRESS service.

As of July, 1964 some of these conventional Lo-V Motors had begun THIRD AVE. LOCAL service. As a result, all remaining Trailers from the 4811-4899 group, and most cars from the 5378-5402 series were retired. In addition, all remaining 4700-4770 series cars were withdrawn.

As of May 31, 1965 the following cars were assigned to the THIRD AVE. LOCAL: Lo-V Trailers: 4902, 4913, 4934, 4942, 4946, 4950 (Pullman, 1916-17); 5303, 5312, 5323, 5330, 5335, 5337, 5340, 5353, 5354, 5356 (with Compressors, Pullman, 1922); 5390 (Pullman, 1922) Steinway Lo-V Motors: 5628, 5631, 5633, 5636, 5638, 5641, 5647, 5649, 5650, 5651 (ACF, 1925) World's Fair Steinway Lo-V Motors: 5653-5659, 5661-5688, 5690-5702 (St. Louis, 1938)

For the most part, these cars remained in THIRD AVE. LOCAL service until replaced by R-12's, beginning in August, 1969 and ending in early November, 1969.

Cars 5753-5802 began THIRD AVE. LOCAL service on August 30, 1969 following their transfer in off the #2, #4 and #5 lines and assumed all Third Ave. line runs as of November 3, 1969. As of April 29, 1971 GE R-14's 5803-5806 were also transferred from the #2, #4 and #5 lines to the THIRD AVE. LOCAL (#8) and all remained until final abandonment on April 29, 1973. The R-12's (5753-5802) were then put in Work Service or retired, while R-14's 5803-5806 were returned to the #2, #4 and #5 lines, where they remained until October, 1976.