Nice article about the original LA Subway
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
At it's peak, the Pacific Electric Railway system had approximately 1500 miles of track including some 4500 cars of mixed varieties on its equipment roster. This included the famous Subway, built in 1925. The portal in the Glendale district connected to the double-track line on Glendale Blvd. Immediately next to that tunnel portal was PE's Toluca Yard. It stored extra cars until they were needed at rush hour. When the Bunker Hill properties were developed, some engineer (who didn't have a clue) insisted that the Subway tunnel be destroyed and filled in immediately below Bunker Hill as a "safety measure". I have personally seen the demolition photos! They had to dig and dig and dig, through the dirt, and finally reach the top of the concrete tunnel shell--then they bashed the heck out of it until it gave way and fell in. Sad !! Then they covered everything all up again for the Bunker Hill project. I will categorically state, that there is NO WAY that tunnel would have ever collapsed had they just kept their fingers off it and left everything as it was, because of the way it was originally constructed. This way, they could have used it again as part of their system today !
Cheers to all.
Ken Shattock (KRK)
Member, Bay Area Electric RR Assn.
NRHS
OGR
Originally Posted by keyrouteken:
Had they just kept their fingers off it and left everything as it was, because of the way it was originally constructed. This way, they could have used it again as part of their system today !
Ken,
Just goes to prove that there are times when the engineers ideas should be over-ruled.
The Pacific Electric Subway Terminal with Hollywood Cars in operation from the movie "While the City Sleeps" from 1956. The first 30 seconds is in a studio, then the action moves to the stub-end subway terminal and the tunnel.
I don't know much about it or its history, but somebody on here might? I have heard
that Cincinnati, Ohio started a subway system that was never finished. As you drove
through the city on I-75 I had read, and I could see what looked like tunnel portals
up on the east side of the road. I have not seen them lately, but the Interstate,
like those in most cities, is constantly under reconstruction.
Hey Colorado Hirailer-- What you thought might have been a dream, regarding the Cincinnati, OH subway system is TRUE.. Read here and see for yourself ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_Subway
KRK
I don't know much about it or its history, but somebody on here might? I have heard
that Cincinnati, Ohio started a subway system that was never finished. As you drove
through the city on I-75 I had read, and I could see what looked like tunnel portals
up on the east side of the road. I have not seen them lately, but the Interstate,
like those in most cities, is constantly under reconstruction.
There are at least a couple of other abandoned subways from the great era of traction.
Rochester, NY
From 1927 until 1956 Rochester, NY had an approximately 7 mile subway built in the old Erie Canal bed. This DVD sales pitch gives operating and abandoned scenes:
The Rochester subway was featured in the March 26, 1929 issue of Electric Railway Journal.
Newark, NJ Cedar Street Subway
The City Subway continues to run in Newark, NJ, but there was also another short subway into the multi level Public Service Terminal in downtown Newark. It operated from about 1914 to 1938 and there is an article and photos.
Here is an Electric Railway Journal article on signaling in the Newark Terminal that shows track diagrams.
This map shows the relationship between the City Subway and the Cedar Street subway.
