City - New York, NY - Broadway cable railroad 1891 Canvas Print

Hand colored photo from 1891, Sept 16
Original title: Construction of the cable road on Broadway
Photographer: Langill, C. C.
Location: Broadway & East 14th St, NY

The Broadway Cable Railroad, established in 1891, introduced a unique streetcar system that operated for about a decade. Differing from conventional tracks, it relied on a continuously moving long cable. The train's gripper would securely attach to the cable, allowing for a respectable speed of 30mph. However, a notable drawback was the absence of brakes, except for releasing the cable, which occasionally resulted in passengers being jolted during sharp turns, leading to a notorious section known as "dead man's turn."

This cable system spanned from Bowling Green, situated at the southern tip of Manhattan, and extended uptown to 36th Street. Its installation required street excavation and, in some cases, the repositioning of pipes. The records available mainly document the excavation process, captu...

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