Kaufman Act facts for kids
The Kaufman Electrification Act of 1923, also known as the Kaufman Act, was a law passed in New York State. It said that all railroads in New York City had to switch to electric power by January 1, 1926. The law was proposed by Assemblyman Victor R. Kaufman and signed by Governor Al Smith on June 2, 1923.
This law was meant for all train lines and freight yards in every part of New York City, even the separate train system on Staten Island. The Act led to many diesel locomotives being used in New York City. It also helped speed up the change from steam to diesel engines across American railroads. However, the railroad companies didn't like the law. They sued and managed to get the Act declared unconstitutional.
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Why the Act Was Needed
For over 70 years, steam trains ran directly on major streets in New York City. This was allowed since 1846, when the Hudson River Railroad Company built tracks on streets like Eighth Avenue.
In 1902, a serious train accident happened in the Park Avenue Tunnel. Fifteen people died when one train crashed into another. The accident was blamed on thick smoke from the steam engines. The smoke made it hard for engineers to see traffic signals. This event caused a big public outcry. People demanded that the train lines be electrified.
By 1903, a new law banned steam locomotives from Manhattan after June 30, 1908. The New York Central Railroad (NYCRR) had to electrify its lines. They started using electric trains in late 1906. Other major train lines were mostly electric by 1923. However, trains that moved cargo and switched tracks (called "switchers") still used coal-burning steam engines. These engines caused a lot of air pollution and led to accidents on the roads.
The worst problems were in the West Side freight yards. Coal-burning switchers pulled cargo trains along 11th Avenue, which people called "Death Avenue" because of the dangers. The Kaufman Act aimed to completely stop the use of steam trains.
Politics Behind the Act
The Kaufman Act was passed during a big public discussion about New York City's subway system. The subway companies were having financial trouble after World War I. They wanted to raise the five-cent ticket price, but Mayor John Francis Hylan strongly opposed this. He promised to keep fares cheap and wanted the city to control the subway.
Mayor Hylan's plans for the subway led to arguments with the state's Transit Commission. Governor Al Smith, elected in 1922, agreed with Hylan on the subway issue. However, he couldn't get rid of the Commission because Republicans in the State Assembly disagreed.
Victor R. Kaufman was a Republican Assemblyman elected from Manhattan's West Side. He was one of the few Republicans who voted against Mayor Hylan's popular subway bill. In April 1923, Kaufman even debated Hylan publicly. They talked about subway crowding and other city issues.
Passing the Law and What Happened Next
The debate about the Kaufman Act didn't get much public attention at first. It was seen as a small local rule for freight yards. Mayor Hylan didn't get involved in the electrification debate. So, the bill passed the Assembly easily. Governor Al Smith signed it into law on June 2, 1923.
The Act said that by January 1, 1926, all trains in New York City, Mount Vernon, and Yonkers had to use electric power. This included all types of train lines and even the small switcher engines in freight yards. The train system on Staten Island also had to follow the rule. If a railroad didn't follow the law, it would be fined $5,000 every day for each violation.
Before the Governor signed the bill, railroad companies tried to stop it. They met with Governor Smith, saying that changing to electric power would cost too much money. For example, the Long Island Rail Road said it would cost them $30 million. They also argued that electrifying city train lines could be dangerous. But Kaufman brought his own group of supporters, and Governor Smith signed the bill.
The Act didn't try to change the train tracks or reduce traffic on streets. Kaufman tried to deal with these issues in his 1924 "Death Avenue Bill," which aimed to regulate the NYCRR's West Side network. However, that bill did not pass.
The Shift to Diesel Power
Instead of fully electrifying all their lines, some railroads started using diesel locomotives. These engines didn't produce smoke like steam trains.
Outer-Borough Railroads
In March 1924, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad began electrifying its Staten Island lines. This cost about $13 to $15 million. The change to electric power on Staten Island was mostly done by the end of 1925. However, electrifying the B&O's freight yards was too expensive. So, the company ordered its first diesel locomotive instead.
In 1925, B&O started using its first commercial diesel switcher. The Central Railroad of New Jersey also began using a similar diesel switcher in the the Bronx that same year. These were some of the first American diesel locomotives used regularly. They worked well and lasted for many years. Other railroads, like the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and the Erie Railroad, also bought diesel switchers.
Because diesel engines worked so well, the 1923 law was changed in 1926. This amendment allowed diesel locomotives to be used in the city. The deadline for changing from steam was also moved twice, in 1924 and 1926. This meant steam locomotives continued to run in Brooklyn and Queens for a while. The Kaufman Act helped create the first market for diesel locomotives in the United States.
New York Central Railroad's Response
The NYCRR had made a lot of money in 1923. They planned to electrify their West Side Line. However, they said it was not practical to electrify their freight network. The NYCRR argued that they would only electrify if all dangerous street-level crossings on the West Side were removed.
In November 1925, the NYCRR announced a plan to spend $30 million on electrifying its West Side Line. But this plan depended on the city closing the street-level crossings. Discussions about this and similar ideas went on for another year.
On December 31, 1925, eight railroad companies, including the NYCRR, got a temporary court order. This order stopped the city from fining them for not following the Act. The railroads said that the $5,000-a-day fine would stop deliveries of food, mail, and other important supplies.
In March 1926, the railroads sued to make the temporary order permanent. They argued that the huge fines (which could be $600,000 a day for NYCRR alone) were unconstitutional. They said it was like taking their property without a fair legal process, which is against the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This allowed them to take the case to a federal court.
Judge Learned Hand ruled that the Kaufman Act was unconstitutional. He said it interfered with the federal government's power to regulate trade between states (the Commerce Clause). He extended the order against the fines. The State Assembly then changed the Act to address these concerns. They also extended the penalty deadline for another five years and officially allowed the use of diesel locomotives.
In July 1926, Mayor James Walker met with city and railroad leaders. They agreed to remove the surface tracks from the West Side completely. This led to a new, elevated structure called the High Line, which opened in 1934. It was 13 miles (21 km) long, cost $150 million, and was powered by a third rail system. This new line was separated from street traffic. Some warehouses even had train tracks inside them. These tracks were not electrified and were served by special "tri-power" switchers. These engines could run on diesel, third rail, or battery power. The long-distance trains on the West Side Line were moved into an underground trench and tunnel west of 10th Avenue.
The city of Baltimore passed a similar law in June 1929.
