BMT Jamaica EL

Are we ANTI- J/Z Train people here? lol

Hust need some classic Jamaica El

 

 

 

Some BMT standards. Now we are talking

The three standards that are housed at the Coney Island Shops have not run in about

15 years. I started riding the old cars in 2001 during the special outings and they were not operating then. When I lived in Brooklyn I rode them and also the 6000 series D types from the late 40s until they were retired in the 60s.

those are some of my favorite lines,i used to ride the j line before the jamica center stop.

To continue from my posting on July 11th, I  rode both the BMT Standards and the Tri-Plexes (6000 series D types) on the former Brighton Line until both types were replaced first by the R-27s and R30s in 1960-1961 replacing the Standards on the Brighton local and the R-32s in 1964-1965 replacing the Tri-Plexes on the Brighton expresss. In the case of the R-32s I had the good timing to ride the first revenue run of the them one morning in September, 1964 from the Sheepshead Bay Road Station to the last stop at 57th St. and 7th Av. When we arrived at the 57th Station there was a dark red carpet on the platform, a musical band was on the platform playing railroad songs and we were given postcards showing the first set of R32s at the New York Central passenger car yard at Mott Haven as we left the train. Between 2001 and 2004 I  rode the Tri-Plexes several times when Bill Wall and company run them as a fund raising event for organizations his department supported. I don't believe they have operated since June, 2004.

I commuted from 260th Street in Floral Park to Brooklyn Borough Hall by taking the Surface Lines bus (Q43 I think) along Hillside Avenue to 179th Street or 169th Street in Jamaica while going to college. To breakup the boredom, I would often take a different train route. So from1960 to 1963 I rode:

> IND E or F Trains to West 4th Street & the IND D Train to Borough Hall;

> BMT Jamaica Avenue El from 169th Street & the Myrtle Ave El to Borough Hall;

> Long Island Rail Road from Floral Park to Woodside, the IRT El to Manhattan and then the IND D Train to Borough Hall;

> Long Island Rail Road Port Washington Branch to Flushing, the IRT to Manhattan and the IND D Train to Borough Hall.

 

I knew the El and subway trains were different, but I didn't give any thought to the various model types of trains. I do remember red cars and two-tone gray cars on the IRT El. I also remember riding between the cars on the IND E & F Trains on hot summer days. The BMT cars were the first to have fluorescent lighting.

 

My favorite ride was the antique cars on the Myrtle Avenue El. The line ended at Jay Street by Brooklyn Poly Tech. Rosie's Bar & Grille just around the corner from the end of the line was a favorite place to eat. A knockwurst on fresh rye bread with sauerkraut, mustard and a whole pickle from the barrel cost 35 cents.

 

I also remember construction of the IND extension to 179th Street and the end-of line yard beyond. It was done by excavating a trench, building the tunnel and filling-in the trench.

The sandwich sounds great !

 

My favorite ride was the antique cars on the Myrtle Avenue El. The line ended at Jay Street by Brooklyn Poly Tech. Rosie's Bar & Grille just around the corner from the end of the line was a favorite place to eat. A knockwurst on fresh rye bread with sauerkraut, mustard and a whole pickle from the barrel cost 35 cents.

 

The cars that ran on the Myrtle Ave Line in the 1960s were the BMT Q's . These were in service earlier in their career on the BMT service on what is now the Flushing no.y and the BMT Astoria line. They also worked on the third ave el. These cars dated to the early 1900s and were rebuilt in the late 1930's When the Myrtle ave El closed, some of them were retained for work service and there were a few awaiting disposition in the South Brooklyn railways 39th st yard in the early 2000's.

Those gated open-platform Myrtle Avenue cars bring back a lot of memories from my Brooklyn Tech HS days! 

Fellow Technite!  Who wudda thunk

Nice stuff Zach.. Thanks for sharing Fat Jack "... Get in, sit down, shut up and hold on!..."