Engineer Charles T. Harvey demonstrating his experimental elevated line for investors, 1867. The West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway was incorporated in 1866, and the test section ran for several blocks along Greenwich Street. The car was pulled along the single track by a cable that ran between the tracks and was returned underground, powered by stationary engines. The initial ride was successful, and the elevated track was extended from Cortlandt Street to 30th Street, with stations at Dey Street and 29th Street. However, the company faced legal difficulties and financial constraints, and the mechanical equipment broke down. The franchise to operate the line was bought in 1870, and the tracks were eventually incorporated into what became the 9th Avenue el.
From Transit in old-time New York by Alexander J. Wall, 1919.