Old New York

For many years, a feature of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine was the "Collector Consist" column authored by Mr. Keith Wills. I always looked forward to his column as he discussed many different items in a variety of scales, some of which were quite unique and rare. One article in particular sticks in my mind. It told the story of the trip made by him and his Dad to sample the city's numerous railroading delights at Christmas time. It was published in the December 1983 issue. Evidently, it was a popular piece as RMC has seen fit to post it on its website to be enjoyed again. Here's the link:

 

http://rrmodelcraftsman.com/ex...cm_extra_dec1983.php

 

"For the Love of Trains".....I can't think of a more appropriate title for that article.

 

Enjoy,

Bob  

Bob,

 Nice article. Never saw that one before. Thanks for sharing it.

 

Tom

Bob.....thank you....that was a great article!

 

Peter

Thanks, Bob.

 

I remember that article when it was published. It pretty much described my annual Christmas trips with my father, too, with the exception that we traveled from the Bronx instead of LI.

 

I always looked forward to Keith's collector articles in RMC.

 

Jim

I, too, really enjoyed the article.  I lived in Queens Village for 36 years, not far from "Belleaire" station on the LIRR.

 

Richie

They had a 1:24 Slot car track on the upper floor that I used with my friends back in the 60's. I don't think there was a charge, bring your own cars and run them. Since they were so diverse, there wasn't a whole lot of O gauge stuff. Madison Hardware, 9 blocks south was the place to go for trains.

I don't know any of the area these pics are from. BUT, they are great.   I love the pics of the old trams, trolleys etc.  Keep them coming.

This is slightly amusing to me, because I "grew up" on 161st & Broadway and my buddy lived down the block on Ft. Washington Avenue.  We walked to many Giants and Mets games at the Polo Grounds without ever being hassled.  Walked across the bridge to Yankee Stadium too, lots of times, no problem.  To this day we still "discuss" the relative merits of Mantle vs. Mays, and Gilbert vs. Lionel. 

 

Pete

Pete,

 

I don't know what it was about Manhattan, but my parents gave me pretty much free rein to go where I wanted in the Bronx. But, I couldn't cross that river!!!

 

I'm sure Washington Heights and the Coogan's Bluff area were much friendlier places than some of the south Bronx neighborhoods I wandered through on a regular basis!

 

Jim

 

Jim,
As a kid we would ride our bikes from 167th St. Near Jerome Ave. Up the Edward L Grant Highway ( Boscobel Ave.) Across the (Martha) Washington Bridge to the George Washington Bridge to Rt 9 in Jersey. Then up to where you could ride down the Palisades on a winding road without pedaling at all to the bottom at the waters edge. Then cross the Hudson River on the Yonkers Ferry to Yonkers. The go South back to the Bronx and home. That took up most of the day.Life was good!
Nate

Sent from my iPad

> On Feb 12, 2015, at 12:06 PM, O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum <alerts@hoop.la> wrote:
>

Nate......that sounds like a real blast!

 

Peter

Nate,

 

Those were great days!

 

I should have crossed the river(s) more often!

 

Jim

Nate - You're freakin' me out here!  One of my favorite rides after I got my Peugeot ten speed (in my twenties during a temporary bounce back to the parents') was to cross the GW bridge and go down those switchbacks to Palisades Interstate Park, it was called, along the Hudson.  A great spot to watch the trains on the Hudson line across the river.  The Yonkers ferry was long gone by then but I'd keep pedaling North, making my way up the North end switchbacks to Route 9W, and from there go visit pals in Tappan and gals in Piermont.  Return trip usually was through Jersey on the West side of the Palisades.

 

Jim - The only place in New Yawk City that ever gave me pause about being there was East New York, in Brooklyn, at the New Lots Avenue station.  Had a guitar player lived out there and boy were my nerves wracked when we walked from the train to his dad's apartment in the projects.  Interestingly, Bernard is a waaaay better musician than I and does a lot of recording production and playing on records of various rap artists.  He tells me some of those guys ain't so easy to collect from.

 

Pete

These pictures are from Broad channel when the Long Island Railroad operated the line   This is now the A train to Far Rock and Rock park.

 

The most rewarding flavor in this man's world, for people who are having fun...

 

 

 

 

This is one of my all time favorite pics  Combines railroading and Ballantine beer.  That's the Jersey Central mainline in Newark ( Sounds something like New York)

 

Ben:

 

You probably know this already but the CNJ operated a fleet of cars in service for Ballantine. Pictured below is an HO model.

 

Bob 

 

Hi Bob

Yes I did know that Atlas did that car in their early O scale stuff in the 1980's

 

This is the Third ave car barn and on the opposite side it was the power house with the second ave el in front.

 

 

I love this thread! The architecture, and the use of steel and cast iron was amazing. I am always awe struck when visiting New York. The simplest things such as support beams in most buildings were so artfully embellished. If the construction industry was the same today as it was even thirty years ago, I would have considered staying in the masonry field. Simplistic styles and heavy and ugly building materials caused me to lose interest and physical ability to continue.

Don

Anthony.  Is that Cranford junction

Yes Ben Cranford Jct with the SIRT making his drop offs and pick ups. Here are a few more shots I came across. 

Does anyone know what the building is on the top left of the photo?  Looks like the sign says N.D.C.O

Judging by the cars and gas pumps, looks like it is part of a gas station. There is another sign. "Sunoco," to the extremely left. I think you have NOCO and the other letters are missing!

 Tom

Sunoco gas station. New drop lane. 

Thanks, didn't realize that S and U were missing from the SUNOCO sign.

M.D.,

  Still it is a nice picture. You have what looks like a crossing shanty/ gate house (see the nice stop sign). There is a signal on the pole. In the distance there is some sort of coaling facility.

 

Tom

Bob, 

   Looks like the studio for radio station WINS is upstairs in one of your photos. WINS still exists today. My father listened to it all the time.

 

Tom

1010 WINS RADIO...

 

 

 

 

 

Great History lesson - I have lived in NJ for over 50 year and learned more about the Tri-State Breweries reading these posts. So much for the Micro Brewery. Where is Rolling Rock? I know that is PA but............

Rolling Rock is brewed in Newark NJ now .....  Anheuser-Busch 

So much for brewed using the clear,rolling waters of latrobe,pa...
On Feb 15, 2015 7:52 PM, "O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum" <alerts@hoop.la>
wrote:

WINS Radio You tugged a string in my heart!

 

Ahh yes,

Now that we did all the beer commercial songs and sayings lets go to the Radio. Who can ever forget WINS Radio. Rock & Roll, teenage girls, Allan Freed, Jack Lacy, Murray the K. The Brooklyn Fox Theater, street corner singing, candy stores, juke boxes, 45 rpm records, portable radios and reel to reel tape recorders. How about guys singing in the subway trying to get the echo. The there was station number 2. WMGM with the curly headed kid in the 3rd row. WINS top competition. The whole thing is a blast from the past. Happy times indeed.

 

Listen to Lacy the man with the style.

The next time you won't have to guess.

Just set your dial to 1010 a while. To W- I- N -S

 

WMCA GOOD GUYS too...

 

 

So lets take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry before the WTC and the Verrazano Bridge. The ferry trip cost a nickel then. Its a better bargain today as it is free of charge. In this film, the boats carried aitomobiles . Only road routes wjere the three New Jersey Bridges. From Brooklyn and Manhattan it was by boat. Lots of Harbor traffic in this video . Also a couple of Ocean Liners including the SS France.

 

The Boat we are on is of the Mary Murray Class, There were three, Mary Murray, Gold Star Mother and Miss New Tork , Also in operation on the run where some twin stackers, perhaps Tompkinsville, Dongan Hills or Father Knickerbocker. Enjoy the ride.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja_KeCi9BPI

very cool video! As a young lad, my family and I would drive to long Island each summer for our vacation at our grandparents' home in Long Beach. We watched the progress of the Verrazano bridge. I don't remember how long it took, I just remember marveling at its massiveness. At the time, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.

Don

Only to find out later that some of it was just dumped like garbage in the Meadowlands.