Old New York

Not sure if you have seen any of these as this is the first I have seen this post and its on page 11 but here is just a few of the ones I have I have over 800 pics of real trains a lot are NYC but not all at https://rtssite.shutterfly.com/ any way here is a few 

Jims Photos are interesting. Note that in the second Photo with the Sedgewick Ave station under construction, The Tracks from the Putnam line lead onto to the Harlem River Bridge . These trains were still operating into Manhattan at this time into the Ninth Ave El station I guess. 

Rtraincollector has an interesting sequence of photos at Chatam Square on the third ave el. Photos three and four are in the steam days. No signs of any electrification and neither the tracks of the second ave El. The last Photo is from the very early 1950s. WE can see that the South Ferry Branch has been cutback to Chatham Square with Third Ave trains terminating on the upper level. Lower level tracks once used by the second ave El and Third ave locals have been removed. The City Hall Branch is visible as well. Third Ave Trains still in service to City Hall on the lowere level of the station. The trackways for the second ave El are still in place . Looks like the rail was picked up. Second ave trains went to City Hall on the Upper Level here. The photo is almost a decade after Second Ave Service was eliminated. 

Thanks, guys, for the added info on the shuttle area photos.

From my days in the mid 1950s playing ball in the area, I've always been fascinated by the sight of trains seeming to disappear "into the buildings" above them.

I did a little exploring in the area on the Anderson Ave side in the early 1960s after it closed down. I was never brave enough to venture into the tunnel though.

The entire Highbridge area was great for train watching with the two New York Central divisions as well as the shuttle. It was never more than a few minutes between trains passing through.

It was matched only by our favorite spot off Morris Ave on the access road to the commissary on the east side of the Mott Haven Coach yard. That area had yard switching with S motors as well as the New York Central and New Haven lines headed to and from Grand Central.

Jim

A few more Brooklyn shots

Great photos Ben. Very interesting historical perspective. 

Thinking the first Photo is where the 5th ave El joined the Myrtle ave El on its way to Saqnd street and Park Row in Manhattan. 

The second Photo shows the former station at Atlantic on the Fifth ave El. The LIRR Flatbush Ave. Terminal is to the right. Its after 1940 and the Fifth Ave El is being removed including this station. The LIRR station in the photo is now gone, replaced by a new Building and a shopping Mall. WE are standing about where the Barclays center is , Home of the Brooklyn Nets. 

The Third Photo is on the SeaBeach line. Its an early construction photo. and is where the seabeack crosses over the LIRR Bay Ridge Branch. I love that construction equipment in the photo, Steam Powered of course .

The Fourth Photo brings us back to the Fifth Ave El at a point where it leaves Flatbush Ave to Run South on Fifth Ave. I think the street feeding into Flatbush Ave which forms the triangle that the building sits on is Dean Street. This photo looks like its from Near the turn of the century.

The Last Photo is the Culver Terminal in Coney Island. This is where oen arrived to spend a day at the shore in Coney Island Hey day when it was New York's Resort by the sea. 

Here's the pic again:

Tom.....I have volume III of the Schiavone books....I am open to pages 6&7.

I see the engine shed.....it's right where you said.....and the small structure between the shed and the river is High Bridge signal tower B on the Hudson Division.....

What a great picture!

For those of you who have any interest in the Putnam Division....I highly recommend the Schiavone books!

Peter

on yahoo this afternoon they had this 

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/h...421962140-slideshow/

How related it was 

Peter,

  I know I mentioned this elsewhere, probably not on this thread, but the first Schiavone book, The Old Put, came with a DVD entitled, Walk the Put. On the DVD, Joe did a great job explaining/visiting the station stops and giving some history of them from Van Cortland north to Put Junction. Brian Vangor did the great video work involved. Our friend Skip Natoli appears, too. If you don't already have it, I think you would enjoy it-- if you can find it. I appear in a few of the Yonkers station areas talking about their history...in spite of my appearing, you might still enjoy it!

  Tom

155 st

Putnam division

This is the NY Westchester and Boston at Allerton Ave

Wow, my family built a house that I lived in the late 80's not far from where this was shot and it is amazing to see how unbuilt up the area was (I presume this was the 20's). There is a big public school to the right of the tracks on the other side of Allerton Ave (this was shot likely on Throop Ave), and there are all houses and such where this is. 

Ben,

  Regarding the last picture of the four you posted that you labelled ,"Putnam division," is that Sedgwick Ave.?

 Tom

Yes it is Sedgewick Ave. Tom

Ben..........when the New York Westchester & Boston crossed Allerton Avenue  it was already buried in the ground.....west of Gun Hill Rd.....at the Esplanade.

I believe this this is east of Baychester Avenue and the RR goes over the Boston Post Rd. The overpass is still in use today by the Dyre Ave subway.

Peter

Ben.....I STAND CORRECTED!!!!  I just found my NYO&W books......

I believe I'm mixing up the area between Gun Hill Rd and Baychester Avenue with the area between Gun Hill Rd and Pelham Pkwy.....

 I am going to need to do a road trip back to the Bronx! 

Peter

Hi Peter,

   Where does the O&W come in? Guessing you meant the NY, Westchester & Boston!?

  Tom 

@putnam-

Yep, that is what you are mixing up (doesn't help Gun Hill Road makes kind of a wide curve on its route, and ends up crossing the route at least twice (up near Dyre Ave, and I believe further down it does as well).

The old NYWB (now the #5 Dyre Avenue line) is above ground from 180th street, then after Morris Park, goes underground at Esplanade (which is where Pelham Parkway meets Laconia Ave). After the Esplanade stop it comes out of the ground pretty quickly to being elevated and crosses Allerton Ave elevated where Allerton and Throop Ave cross. 

I lived in that area for a while in the late 80's-early 90's, and I commuted on the 5 train from the Esplanade stop, so I know it pretty well (not to mention I was working nights the first couple of years, so was coming home at 2am

Tom........you are so right....NYW&B!

big kid......that's what I did........I need to go back and ride the route again.......and drive down Allerton from Gun Hill Rd to White Plains Rd......and get the feel for the topography again.....

While I'm at White Plains Rd, I will take a peek under the EL....and see who is occupying the storefront where Honig's Pkwy, the train store I used to frequent as a kid, was.

Peter

Hi Peter,

   Never heard of Honig's but I did find this article online:

http://tcaetrain.org/articles/...s/madison/index.html

Tom

Very interesting info regarding Madison hardware. I went there as a young boy and looked up at the Lionel Madison set on display above. All I could do I stare at it. No $. One day I found a Lionel Hell Gate Bridge in the garbage room. I took it to my apartment. When my mother came home and saw it and I told her where I got it  she told me to get rid of it and told me not to take people's trash. If only she was alive today and could check out EBay. Well I took it on the subway downtown to Madison Hardware. I explained my situation to one of the two old men.  and asked if they would trade me for anything. They asked me what I wanted and I looked up at the Madison cars. After the good laugh he offered me an RM PCC kit which was defective. As I could not take the bridge home I accepted it. I got screwed. Why would a Bronx boy get excited over a PCC anyway?

Another hobby shop I remember was my first. It was called the Friendy Shop. It was located on 167th Street just south of River Avenue at the foot of the Northwest staircase to the Jerme line (4 line today). They did not have many trains but all kinds of neat things including scratch building material. On day they moved to Jerome Ave south of 170th Street. It was next door to Aragoni's bus depot which later evolved into New York Bus Service. After a while the hobby shop went out of business. 

As I got older I found Ma Webster's Model Railroad Supply Co. On 45th  street in Manhattan, but that is another interesting story. I am sure there are many people out there that remember  Ma Webster.