Old New York

During the early 1960s, I rode the Myrtle Avenue El to the end of the line at Jay Street in Brooklyn. I was a student at the New York Community College of Applied Arts & Sciences located at 300 Pearle Street which was a short walk from the Myrtle Avenue El.

What type of El cars would I have taken on the Myrtle Avenue Line from 1960 to 1963? I remember they were very old cars, like no other in the city at the time.

Just around the corner from the station at Jay Street was Rosey's Bar where for less than a buck you could get a pastrami sandwich on homemade rye with mustard, a whole pickle and a beer. Brooklyn Polytech was alongside the Myrtle Avenue El Station.

I was traveling from Floral Park in Queens at the time, and there were several routes to college to choose from. The most common route was the the Q43 Bus along Hillside Avenue to 179th Street in Jamaica, the IND E or F Trains to West 4th Street in Manhattan and then the D Train to Jay Street, Brooklyn.

When I rode the Myrtle Avenue El, I took the BMT from 169th Street in Jamaica. Another alternative was the Long Island Rail Road from Floral Park to Woodside where I changed to the IRT at Roosevelt Avenue.

When I had a long break between classes, I would often walk out onto the Brooklyn Bridge. I saw the last aircraft carrier built in the Brooklyn Navy Yard pass under the bridge on one of my walks.

The cars running on the Myrtle Avenue Elevated in the early 1960s were the BMT Q types. They ran on the EL until the EL was closed in 1969. The Q cars began life in the early 1900s as " Gate Cars " used on the Brooklyn Els at that time. In the late 1930's the BMT rebuilt a group of these cars with closed ends and operating doors. The rebuild was to provide for the BMT service on the Flushing and Astoria Els for the 1939 Worlds Fair. They were in use on these Els until 1948-49 when joint IRT /BMT operation of these Els ceased with the BMT getting the Astoria Line and the IRT getting the Flushing Line. The Q cars then went to work on the Third Ave El in MAnhattan until 1956 or so. In the late 1950s they were spruced up and replaced Gate Cars on the Myrtle Ave El in the late 1950s.

When the Myrtle El was closed in 1969, Q cars were used in work train service. Some of these cars lasted into the early 2000' s . Today there are examples on display at the Transit Museum in Brooklyn. There is a three car set of gate cars which were rebuilt into the open vestibule Gate configuration from Q cars. These cars may have had one of the longest service life's of an El car in history.

LIRR Steamer,

Thanks for the info re the Myrtle Avenue El cars.

Bobby

a few photos of Q's when they were on the Myrtle Ave Line

This one is 1958 when they began the final assignment on the Myrtle Ave El Ben will like the SIRT car on the left serving as a yard office at Fresh pond.

Heres a train of Q's at Wycoff Ave heading north to Metropolitan ave . There is a transfer point here with the BMT L line. We called it Canarsie Line in those days

Heres a set obviously on a fan trip as they are coming off the Canarsie/Fulton street El at Atlantic Ave coming into Eastern Parkway. This was always a great spot to pose a El Train.

The photos of the Head House are interesting to compare. You can see how the Central sort of modernized the facade with the modified awning. The lettering Ferry seems to occupy the area where NYC was in the building facade. In the later photo looks like there are some lights to illuminate the railroad names. 

In the early photo, a ferry looks to have arrived and pedestrians and cars are coming off the boat. Cars from the Third Ave system and the Green Lines are waiting for passengers.

Here is one from the other side of the river for the NYO&W

This is the Wallabout terminal in Brooklyn

This one isn't New York but gets honorable mention  Camden - phillie ferry

Well Ben's post is a little sneaky here. He is referring to the NYO&W  " from the other side of the river" which after having a post of the Weehawken ferry would make us think New Jersey. But this photo of NYO&W is in Brooklyn, Wallabout terminal. This was a Fresh produce market for the New York area operating from some time in the 1800s. Near the later psrt of the 19th century, it was thought to be the largest market of its kind in the country. Carfoating in NY harbor grew rapidly at this time and with an operation such as Wallabout, it becomes clear in regard to the need for a Bridge spanning the east river to connect Manhattan to Brooklyn and this market.Before that bridge was opened, fresh produce moved to Manhattan from here on the water. 

The terminal was served by the PRR, West shore, NYC, NYO&W, LV, B&O, CNJ via station car floats, ie those with the covered platforms in the center of the car float. Erie had a freight station in the Basin and the BEDT had a car float operation and brought cars in and out of the area. The Lackawanna also had a float and trackage just to the north of the market. The following arial photo, shows the piers and different RRs assigned to the piers. The market was eliminated about 1940 when the Brooklyn navy yard expanded into the area for wartime ship building. BEDT continued to serve the Navy yard after wallabout market operations ceased.

I LIKE THIS ONE  161 ST  3RD AVE EL

Not sure of the story with these   This is St George Staten Island early 1960's

The trolley in the 2nd and 3rd photo is the original prototype PCC car BQT 1000. It was built in 1936 by Clark Car company and is unique in that it was the only PCC ever built by Clark. It ran in Brooklyn for 20 years and was removed from service with the fleet of Brooklyn PCCs in 1956. This car today is at the Trolley Museum in Kingston NY.

Bens photos suggest that this car traveled to Kingston via Staten Island . The automobiles in the photos date the photos to the early 1960s, suggesting that the trip from Brooklyn to the trolley museum to a number of years to make.

Here is 1000 on the McDonald ave Loop

Wow Larry   It took a long time for it to get to Kingston  Have a feeling it sat on that siding for awhile.  It was probably floated over from Brooklyn

Check out this slide presentation   It has a then and now of different parts of the city  Its a little long but it is cool

Fantastic video bluelinec4.  It's really well done and worth watching a couple of times.

Incredible pics......thanks, Ben

Peter

This is probably a good place to ask:  does anyone know what color the Bronx EL structures were painted in the 1930s - early 1940s?  I'm soon going to start the El on the layout (hopefully by end of this year) and want it to be correct.  I've seen films made today that take place back then and they depict it as a light to medium gray color.  I know from memory that in the early 70s it was a dark green - and I don't think it got painted very often!  And it's a dark green today, at least in the area I grew up in, north - up by Gun Hill Road. 

When I was a kid and lived in the Bronx  the Jerome line and the Polo Grounds shuttle structures were painted Black. This was in the late 40's. It needed a paint job then, (as they always do). in the early 50's the TA painted the all the els Pea Green. I think that the black color of the IRT elevated structures were all the original paint. 

Goog luck on your project. It is fun building an el structure and watching the trains run on it.

When I was a kid and lived in the Bronx  the Jerome line and the Polo Grounds shuttle structures were painted Black. This was in the late 40's. It needed a paint job then, (as they always do). in the early 50's the TA painted the all the els Pea Green. I think that the black color of the IRT elevated structures were all the original paint. 

Goog luck on your project. It is fun building an el structure and watching the trains run on it.

If you look to the right on the first photo of PCC car 1000 atSt. George Staten Island you can see the Queensboro Bridge Master Unit trolley. The QB car,an Atlantic City Car and Brooklyn Peter Witt 8367 were all in the yard. I and a few guys went down there from the Bronx and worked on the Peter Witt. Everett White along with some other folks saved the four cars for the Trolley Museum of NY. The 1000 an 8367 went to Coney Island yard from there and were being restored. Mike Hanna, Don Harold and others were responsible for that. On day a new boss took over the shop and stopped the work and threw the cars out. They wound up going to Kingston.

One day some years back In went to the Richmondtown restoration site to remove what was left of a single truck Midland Railway trolley. While there we found pieces of the 8367 car and was gives the parts which is now with the car.

Nate

As a kid in the 60's.living in Brooklyn, we used to take a day trip in the Summer that included the Staten Island Ferry, SIRT to Totenville, ferry to Perth Amboy, walk about 6 blocks to a bus to the PA bus terminal and then home. It was less than a buck and killed a day with sightseeing.

Fantastic.

I especially liked the 3 slides of Grand central Station and 1 of Grand Central Terminal!  Didn't know we had 2 places named so similarly <G>.

I also like the Coentis slip slide.  It's now 55 Water Street, where I worked for 33 years.  

Amazing video!  And soothing music from Hans.  Was wondering what he's bee up to since he left this forum. 

Bill I see his name on music in just about every movie released

Great Video Ben. In the opening scene,I believe that is the Cunard Line ship of the line "Aquitania", arriving on a transAtlantic Crossing. She was launched in 1913 and made her maiden voyage on May 30th, 1914. She made more than 450 voyages and went to War twice in her 36 year career at Sea. She was a very popular vessel with passengers being called "ship beautiful" , enjoyed the longest career of a passenger liner prior to the QE 2 which made 40 years. She was the last 4 stacker to cross the Atlantic in regular service, and was withdrawn in 1950. Here are some photos of "Aquitania"

 at Sea

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 arrival in New York

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