The Harlem Superstructure of the Ninth Avenue El

The Ninth Avenue El holds the title of New York City’s first elevated railway, opening in 1868. It was also the first to reach the Harlem border and beyond by 1879, connecting riders to landmarks like the original Polo Grounds. As the line pushed north to 155th Street, it had to cross challenging, hilly terrain — leading to today’s focus: the Harlem Superstructure.

In this video, we’ll dive into why the superstructure was necessary, examine the stations along this stretch, explore the unique Phoenix column construction, and break down track grades and how designs evolved from the steam-powered to electric eras.
Join us as we explore the engineering and history of the Ninth Avenue El — and a few other parts of the NYCT network along the way!

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📌 Jump to the sections that interest you:
00:00 — Introduction to the Harlem Section.
01:31 — Why Was It Built So High?
02:19 — Station Overviews.
04:14 — Phoenix Column Setup.
04:58 — Phoenix Columns and the East Side Elevateds.
05:48 — Fast Track Segment.
06:20 — The Ninth Avenue Line Under the IRT.
07:54 — Track Grades: Steam vs. Electric Eras.
09:26 — The End of the Ninth Avenue Line.

#NinthAvenueEl #NYCTransitHistory #HarlemSuperstructure #UrbanEngineering #nycsubway