Old New York

http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrMP15.htm  LIRR MP15 roster #150-172 Built 03-1977

http://www.trainsarefun.com/li...stone/whitestone.htm  Whitestone Branch
Main tracks electrified: 10/22/1912Freight sidings electrified: 1927-28
Entire branch abandoned from just west of Flushing Creek drawbridge to Whitestone Landing: 2/19/1932 

I'd date the picture as c. 03/1977+

This site reports delivery in 11/76

http://www.thedieselshop.us/LIRR.HTML

This info is incorrect as delivery in 11/76 not possible as EMD indicates:

LIRR #150-172 Class: E-15, Builder: GM EMD Order #766043 23 units, Serial Numbers: #766043-1 to 23, Model: MP15-AC,  HP: 1,500, Trucks:  2-2  Effort:  65,750  Weight: 263,000  Date: 03/04/1977  30 years in service.

I came across a pair of interesting photos from Art Huneke's site  . They show the crossing of the Montauk Branch at Flushing ave. The photos are taken from Mount Olivet tower about 1948 .  The crossing is at grade and the BQT Flushing Ave Trolley tracks can be seen The trolleys were still in operation with service to Park Row over the Brooklyn Bridge,so it was an active rail crossing as well. The industrial Building is one of several used by Welbilt for the manufactre of stoves and ovens and other appliances. Just to the right but not seen in the photo was Flushing ave crossing of the Bushwick Branch tracks. They went through the building . In the 1950s, the grade crossings were eliminated when Flushing ave was depressed in this area.

The steam engine and caboose are heading West towards Maspeth and LongIsland City. It is one of LIRRs H10s consolidations. The Hack actually is a PRR N6b cabin so yes you can run your MTH PRR N6b with your LIRR H10s.The markings on the cabin are very minimal. Interesting find.

The LIRR has a yard next to the Flatbush ave terminal in Brooklyn. It was known as the Carlton Ave Yard and used for train layup. Today its under the Barclay Center arena.

A friend posted a photo of the yard back in the early 1950s. LIRR equipment was being repainted into the TICHY colors of grey and light grey. There are a few tuscan red straglers in the yard , TICHY was a trustee of the then bankrupt LIRR after the PRR had put the railroad into Bankruptcy. A new image was being created for the LIRR in those days. I road these as a youngster to the Rockaways over the Jamaica Bay trestle before the line was closed and sold to the Transit Authority. The MP-54s would go one to serve the LIRR to about 1972 -73 last operating to the Flatbush Ave. line because the platforms and tracl curvature would not allow the longer P72s and New M-1s to negotiate the terminal. The non powered equivalent , the P-54s lasted even longer into the mid 70s . I rode these on the Port Jefferson line. During the winter, one would buy a cup of coffee and the New York Times at the station before train time. When the train with P-54s rolled in and you got on the train , you put the Times on the floor so your feet would not freeze and you held the coffee in your hands to keep warm for the ride to Jamaica, Changing to M-1s at Jamaica was like another world. The floors in the M-1s had red carpets and these cars were nice and warm. I didnt miss the P-54s.

In the photo which follows notice the El structure with the Meat Reefers on it. At this time, this track was being used to serve meat packers in the downtown Brooklyn area. The El however was the original LIRR connection to the 5th ave m Elevated which allowed LIRR trains to travel to the Sands Street depot at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. Passengers could then transfer to Brooklyn El trains going over the Brooklyn Bridge to Park Row in Manhattan.

Here's another shot immediate to the east:

For more info it's on a page devoted to this topic: http://www.trainsarefun.com/li...latbush/flatbush.htm

Until the changes of 1904 - 1906 Brooklyn was served by the Carlton Avenue
freight yard which was situated between Carlton avenue and Sixth Avenue.

Carlton Avenue yard was extended east to Vanderbilt Avenue and west nearly to Fifth Avenue.   At Vanderbilt Avenue a new connection was made with the tracks in the tunnel at "VD" interlocking.   The yard became known as " VD Yard" or "Vanderbilt Avenue Yard". From Art Huneke's website: http://www.arrts-arrchives.com/vdyd.html

Tichy info: http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/tichy/tichy.htm

Thanks for all these interesting posts. Neat project, yes? Model an entire railroad's rolling stock - all 4 items! I assume the spark arrestor was to protect the more spark-sensitive military items?

This is a real history lesson  amazing

Old Grand Central

Before the flat iron building   My favorite railroads ticket office

Cooper square

Columbus Circle construction

Polo Grounds

And some New York Central

What a great way to start the week.  This is my all time favorite thread.  Thank you, Ben.

Richie

Nothing can beat old photos like these. I was on the West Side Hwy. yesterday looking up at the G.W.B., big difference.   

Very cool photos - building NYC

Paul

Look at this pic again   That's the GW bridge being built in the background

Love the new pics, Ben!

Peter

Great photos.

Hey Ben, I see the G.W.B. in the background under const. My wife's Grandfather was working on the bridge at the time of this photo.

Just got this pic   How cool is this  Coney Island Yard   Nope its really called Culver Yard

Ben,

I think you need to develop a history book of NYC Rail roading - subway, freight and trolley's

Blue Bird to City HAll

from somewhere in Middle Village

Ok Here is what I think. The Middle Village car is at the Queens end of the line which I believe was at Metropolitan Ave. near 69th street near the hotel and restaurant Neidersteins. The Restaurant is now gone as well as the trolley.It looks like the folks are in front of the trolley depot.

Next the Bluebird. In this photo, it looks like this is the first day this train set is out on the road.Perhaps it was the inaugural run. I believe it is on the Fulton street El Trackage on the lower level of the Atlantic Avenue Broadway Junction complex. It will be turning out from under onto Fulton Street and heading west towards downtown Brooklyn at Sands Street and over the Brooklyn Bridge to Park Row,

Finally Coney Island Yard. Thinking this photo was made just after WW2 in the 1940s. This area I think was used to store equip,emt heading for the scrappers . The trolleys were all older than the Peter Witts, the 600s and the PCC cars still serving Brooklyn at the time. I remember the deck cars running on the Wilson Ave Line from Bridge Plaza.

Next to the trolleys are surplus El rolling stock from the Brooklyn Els that were closed and services eliminated in the 1940s. This include the Fulton street line to Rockaway Ave and the Fifth EL services including Culver and West End services which went to Park Row before the Brooklyn Bridge line was eliminated in 1944. some of those cars in the photo are in real sad shape.

Great Photos guys

Vintage New York City subway and elevated cars in scale

?

Great to see the old pictures

Hello Richard !!

Yes, heh, I agree with your reply posted question-comment shown as    "  ?  "

However, the BELOW  Vintage New York City Subway and Elevated Cars ARE IN SCALE -- O-Scale, heh !!

Amazing! Now that is realistic modeling! Excellent work!

This thread just keeps getting better!

Peter

Hello Peter ! (Putnam Div.)

You of course KNOW well for a long time of my modeling work - from other threads of my own posted on this forum.   For those here on this thread who do NOT, here are my two major layout photos websites, if interested;

My MAIN WEBSITE link BELOW:

http://www.wtv-zone.com/NYCity...m/NYCityModelTransit 

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and my FLICKR PHOTOS WEBSITE link BELOW:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/44268069@N00/

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and my FLICKR PHOTO ALBUM SETS Website link below

https://www.flickr.com/photos/44268069@N00/sets

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Regards - Joe F

This can't get much better. I send these links to my 88 year old Dad. He loves this stuff and remembers some of these. He is a NYC / Hoboken boy.

your modeling is some of the best I have ever seen. I grew up in Greenpoint Brooklyn and it brings back memories of the Broadway El and the Steinway El. What an attention to detail. Really, thanks for sharing, you should be proud, deservedly so.

Joe,

Hope you are well. Great stuff, as always. It reminds me of my days travelling to and from 238th St/White Plains Road going to high school at Mt. St. Michael in the Bronx.

  Tom 

Hello Guys (PSU, Big Chet and TOM)

Thanks guys for your comments -- glad you enjoy this "modeling" side from me -  compared to all the great long ago vintage prototype photos, scenes and stuff on this LONG thread !

TOM - you and are are fellow "Mounties" --- I was there from Sept. 1955 to June 1958  - I remember them building the brick walkway bridge overpass over the driveway between the Main House and the Gym -- in 1957 ! 

I use to hang out with fellow Mountie BOB Mayer, the son of owner of Mayer's Parkway Restaurant -- and ate there with him and his mom a number of times (for free, of course !)  What great times the Bronx was back then.... beautiful, semi-suburban and safe neighborhoods up there !

I also rode the White Plains Rd EL Line to that school - and I remember one winter "blizzard" in very early 1956 and the Low-V's groaned and struggled (and arc'd and hissed and bucked) with bright flashes fom the 3rd rail shoes...it was that bad.  And that long still dark early morning walk with my dad from the 238St Station east along 238th St to where it changed to the turn into Nereid Ave, and then out Nereid to Murdock Ave in 13 to 15 inches of heavy cold wet SNOW ! But those Low-V's had GREAT HEAT inside ! Wish I could go back again to those time for a short while, heh !

Here are a few photos from my collection for you - of our EL Line - back in the 1950's to 1960 era that I was quite around in and well remember these type scenes !

regards - Joe F

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BELOW -- Northbound IRT White Plains Rd Low-V Consist Express passes E.174th St EL Station - 1960

BELOW - Blizzard of early 1956 - IRT Deck Roof Hi-V and IRT R-21 Car at south end of E.180th St IRT Yards along SB Local track at station

BELOW - south from SB platform, Intervale Ave, IRT White Plains Rds EL, to NB Local of Low-V cars in a snow storm - 1959

BELOW -- South on NB Platform, Freeman St EL station, White Plains Rd EL, as a SB local of IRT R-17 and 21 cars departs in a heavy snow storm - 1957

Joe, Thanks for the EL pictures, especially the snow which makes everything look nicer! I think we exchanged emails before about the Mount and Mayer's. Pretty sure my Yonkers little league (DYA) had an end of the season dinner there in 1971 and I was awarded the Most Improved Player award, handed to me by Yankee Jim Bouton. Still have the trophy! I might email you off the list, too. 

  Tom 

Hello again Tom !

Well, you were likely a student at "The Mount" about 12 or 14 or so years after I left it -- but it was basically the same in the 1970's -- except for quite much newer (heh) automobiles on the grounds from when I was a student there in grammar school ! !

I remember Mayers' Restaurant had a huge fire in either 1965 or 1966 --- and was rebuilt and extended over the next two years.  But I heard it finally closed down for good around 1980 or around the very early 80's...not sure.. Is that a fact?  If so, I wonder what is located there NOW ! Of course, I could do Google Street View to check that out.

I also heard that Mayer's SON,  my back then pal Robert Jr, whom I went to the Mount with, opened a bar in the very late 1960's called Geordies, on 3rd Ave (Manhattan) between 82nd & 83rd Streets -- in my old "hood" area ! I didn't know about it back then.  Its been long closed now !

Yes, we spoke before, a while ago, off forum by emails, about our various times and days at "The Mount".

That baseball MVB award trophy is to be treasured -- likely a collector item of sorts today !  Good catch !

Yes, we can continue off list,  by emails !

regards - Joe F

So back over to the Central's West Side Freight line for a bit. This group of photos is from the 1930s taken at various points on the line north of the 60th street yard. It appears that at the time these photos were taken, there was a naval review underway on the Hudson. Appears the vessels sailed up to the George Washington Bridge and turned to come downstream.

The forst photo is probably just north of the 60th street yard. There is  group of MDT woodside reefers in the photo in the white sides with red and blue stripes. These look like 40 foot cars.

moving a further bit north, it appears that this wa the location of a reviewing stand area. A good view of the naval vessel lineup. Check out thegrade crossing and the line up . You can see the third rail here also.

This view has the naval vesssels back down stream. Some sort of pier and pavilion here. Thinking maybe 125th street and maybe excursion boats stopped here.

a string of gonfolas with construction removal perhaps. Thinking the ship nearest might be similar to the Arizona.

The last photo  is interesting. There is so,e sort of a vessel tied up . Looks like an ark. Think there might be a small river steamer behind it and the naval parade is still underway. A lot of folks dressed up so maybe a Sunday or holiday that this event took place.

All the photos are clearly marked as to their location(W.72nd, W.79th, etc.).  The Naval vessel in the last photo, might be an aircraft carrier.  Earlier ones were not nearly as huge as the current fleet.  Thank you for posting these magnificent photos.

Richie

Beautiful pictures.

Related to the West Side Freight Line..in May 1967, there was a head-on collision between 2 freight trains on the same track. I believe 6 or 7 crew members died from the 2 trains. I've seen pictures of the wreck and I remember a bunch of demolished ALCO FA units. I have the report of the accident investigation (not handy) and I remember one of the contributing factors was that there were unauthorized railroad employees in one of the towers (don't recall if it was DV offhand) which distracted the tower operator. One of the outcomes was that a Conductor Loyal "Buddy" Reynolds (worked for many years on the Hudson Division on Budd cars)became involved with safety training of Central train crews. I know this because after my book came out his widow reached out to be to see if I wanted any of his paper railroadiana. 

 Tom

So further north on the West Side line, there was a grade crossing at Dyckman street. I think at the time the High line was being built, the Central eliminated the grade crossing bridging across Dyckman street with construction similar to the High Line. So in this photo, we see the crossing at grade, two tracks and 4 gates for vehicles and pedestrians. There was a ferry here to New Jersey and on the left, the building looks as if it was a station on the Central.Very rural looking. Check out those yellow cabs.

Ground level view and little activity , just the pup in the foreground

Here it looks like the construction is getting underway for the new crossing

All done now . See how it looks just like the high line downtown. Times seem better as there is more vehicle traffic on Dyckman street

Here is the crossing with overpasses done and the Henry Hudson Parkway next to the RR. The Parkway was the continuation of the West Side Highway. I think its interesting that this grade crossing existed in New York City into the1930's .

LirrSteamer.  I recall the ark as being named Prairie State and it being tied up near 125th St ferry.

It was built on the hull of the USS Illinois and used for training midshipmen.  Wikipedia has some references.scrapped in 1956.

Good stuff!  We finally got to walk the old High Line this Summer.  My wife swears I was making "funny noises" the whole way.  Don't know what she is talking about.