Old New York

Never knew Ma Webster, but there was a whole other thread that mentioned Ma Webster's store recently:

https://ogrforum.com/t...ed-caboose-nyc-on-tv

Tom

Nate,

That shop is where I got my first HO train set...a Penn Line Midget diesel switcher and a few cars.

There was also The Bronx Hobby Center on the east side of Jerome almost directly across from the bus depot. They had mostly HO as well as the usual hobby shop supplies. I began scratchbuilding in the early 1960s as a teenager and they were my source of supplies.

I too began heading down to Webster's Model RR Equipment Corp. very frequently as soon as I could ride the subways by myself.

Since those were my HO years, I can imagine what neat Lionel items I missed out on. I didn't return to 3-rail until the early 1980s. 

Another shop I've never heard much about was located on Fordham Rd just east of 3rd Avenue across the street from Fordham University. I credit them (or is it blame them ) for getting me to switch from Lionel to HO. They had an in-store layout, and there was something about those shiny brass rails and neat little trains that drew me in.

Jim

When my wife and I went down to the Grand Concourse get our marriage license in 1985, we stumbled upon a variety store which had an extensive train department. Much of the stock was very expensive European equipment. The store was right on the Concourse and, for the life of me, I can't remember the name of it. I was shocked to find a store with such an extensive selection of equipment in that neighborhood by that late date. I meant to go back but never did.

Bob

If you mean White Plains and Allerton under the 2 train, it is mostly bodegas, spanish restaurants and a couple of dollar store like things, the only good news is very few empty stores, but most of them are typical inner city kinds of stores with a bank or two. 

The only other hobby store I remember was a place over on Broadway in Riverdale, Brown's Hobby or Brown's hardware (I don't recall)....

I think the place you're talking about was a block or two north of the 242nd Street terminal. When I started dating my wife in '83, she lived on 238th Street. There was still an advertisement for the hobby store on the side of the building but it was long gone by that time.

Bob   

Brown's Hobby Center is the name I recall, a block or two North of the 242nd St. IRT station.  I got a lot of model plane stuff there in the fifties.  Dad and I used to take the Broadway Local (now the 1 train) from 157th street (four blocks from where we lived) but don't remember seeing much of model trains there.  A lot of model plane guys flew in the huge meadow at Van Cortlandt park across the street from Brown's.

Pete

Honig's had 2 locations.....the other was on Webster Ave.....

Peter

Speaking of the NYW&B.....in the South Bronx the line parallels the New Haven. Here are some pics of the Westchester Avenue station. Both the NH and the NYW&B shared this station (the NH ran passenger service on the river line until the early 30s).

This station can be seen from the Sheridan Expy and from Amtrak.....but you have to look quick. It is in danger of disintegration if something isn't done for it soon.

Peter

That's also the number 6 train pulling in or out of the Whitlock Avenue station.

Peter

Jim,

There  was a great pickle store on the east side of Jerome Ave. south of  170th  St. Do you remember it?

I would sit by my bedroom window and work on my trains On the sill. While doing that I would watch the trains go by. I could see the el from Yankee Stadium up till the south end of 167th St. station with the exception of the Polo Grounds Shuttle there wer LO-V's running 24 hours a day. Occasionally a work train came by. In 1957 when the ramp opened into Concourse yard all that changed. Everything went by. My window then. I was able to tell the type of cars by sound while laying in bed. On fond memory was in January or February when it was real cold they would send a full train of cars with flat wheels to Concourse barn to the wheel trying machine. This was usually done about 3:00 AM. The noise was so loud as the steel was so cold that the glass in the windows would rattle. It woke up everyone in the apartment houses.  Then the shuttle would make it up the ramp and find the signal Red because the tower man was asleep and the switch was set for Jerome trains. Then the Motorman started blowing his whistle. He would wake up everyone in that area except the  Towerman. If I needed supplies I would go downstairs get on the train, go down  to 42nd St. Walk up to 45 th St. Get my stuff and get back home and be sitting back at my window in about 25 Minutes. I used my school train pass so the trips were free

That all ended when I left for the Air Force in 1959. When I returned nothing was ever the same again.

Also some of the guy have mentioned Hoenigs. (Hope I spelled it correctly)I recall that there was a company with that name that supplied delivery bikes to stores all over the Bronx. The were tricycles with a large basket in front. I worked for a fruit store on River Ave. & McClellan St. It was horrible trying to get up the hills with a load. The worst was delivering an order on Shakespere Ave. Hoenigs main building was located on Park Ave on the bridge over the Railroad on the west side around 170th St. If I am not mistaken.

Hope I did not bore you guys,

Nate

Nate,

I'm not sure about that pickle store, but we did practically all our shopping in the 170th St area. We lived on College Ave between 169th and 170th. The deli just below Elsmere Hall had a great pickle vat too!

Even though we were closer to the Concourse D train, we'd take the Jerome El just to ride the Lo-Vs with their neat vestibules. I wished I lived closer to the El, but had a friend who lived on 3rd Ave at Claremont Parkway. I'd watch and listen to the 3rd Ave El all night when I stayed over.

Played ball in the fields just below the Polo Grounds shuttle, walked to Yankee Stadium, and had the New Haven and NYC electrics to watch along Park Ave and at Mott Haven.

It was a great area of the Bronx to grow up in.

Jim

Nate,

  Good story about the Towerman sleeping! Don't think that would last too long if that happened in the present day.

Jim,

  Was it easy back then to walk from the Polo Grounds to Yankee Stadium and vice versa?

  Tom

Thanks to all who contributed to this posting....   I just bumped into it....  Brought back an awful lot of memories.   My dad who passed away last summer, always used to tell me about the Polo Grounds and the center field that never ended...  I never got to actually see it, I was born the year it was being torn down.  His parent's last apartment was up o the Concourse about 3 to 4 blocks from the old Yankee Stadium.  Needless to say my dad was an unbelievable baseball guy who took me in to the Bronx every weekend to play ball up at Van Cortland Park and he started taking me to Yankee stadium probably around 1962, 1963...   Anyway, it was great to read through this posting and see all great old photos.    I love the forum, thanks to all for sharing.   

Tom,

It was very easy to walk to and fro between the two ballparks. When  the stadium was crowded and the parking lots were full at the Yankee stadium you would be able to park at the Polo Grounds parking lot and walk over to Yankee Stadium. If you wanted to you could take the Polo Grounds shuttle to 167th St. Go downstairs to the downtown side and take a Jerome line to 161st. St. Then on your way out pick up a free transfer to the IND subway and when the game was over use the transfer to go to 155th St. Station and get off at the parking lot at the Polo Grounds and get your car.

Nate

As kids we had a lot of freedom, but we were discouraged from walking into that part of Manhattan on our own to get to a ball game.  Plus, it was a chance to ride the shuttle or the subway to the Polo Grounds.

Toward the end, the shuttle became a little confusing as they went to one train operation, and it would sometimes pick up on the northbound side at 167th instead of the southbound platform as before. Even the guy in the token booth had no idea sometimes. Some days we'd give up and take the IRT the one stop to 161st and transfer to the D to get to 155th.

We were a National League family so my father always preferred a trip to the Polo Grounds over one to the Stadium. OK, I'll admit - we were Dodger fans despite living about 10 blocks from the Stadium....made for a tough childhood in many ways (except for that one day in 1955!!!).

But, I did get to see some Giant - Dodger games in the Polo Grounds during the mid 1950s....an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. It was an amazing rivalry with some incredible fans on both sides.

It was only after they deserted the city in '58 that we became regulars at the Stadium by default.

But, speaking of hobby shops, once I became "mobile on my own" by way of subways, it wasn't worth walking or taking buses around the Bronx for train supplies when a 30 min. subway ride would get me down to the Model RR Equipment Corp. on W 45th where they had it all.

Jim

Peter found this great picture of the CNJ Freight House. I was wondering about that Ruppert sign in the left of the picture, which I then figured out had to do with Ruppert Beer, another beer once manufactured here which has since disappeared from the New York City. I found this on Wikipedia:

 Haffen Brewery, later J&M Haffen Brewing Company, and incorporaterd as Haffen Brewing Company in 1900,^[1] operated in Bronx, New York from 1856 until 1917. Owned by Matthias Haffen, (1814 - 1891),^[1] who came to the United States From Bavaria in 1831, it was a "landmark" on old Melrose Avenue between 151st Street and 152nd Street.^[2][3] The Haffen Building, a seven-story Beaux-Arts architecture style office building by architect Michael J. Garvin was built for him in 1901 to 1902.

The brewery business was sold to Jacob Ruppert, Sr. (1842–1915) in 1914 for $700,000. Ruppert died soon after and left the business to Jacob Ruppert, Jr. The plan was to close the brewery down and develop the property; it was in a rapidly growing area known as The Hub, Bronx.

There is another picture that shows a slightly different angle of the freight house and brewery.

Then as a  bonus, if you are interested in some other breweries I found this: http://munchies.vice.com/artic...-new-yorks-breweries

Tom

Breweries are one of my other hobbies  I have a ton of memorabilia from closed New York and New Jersey breweries

My father should have been appointed an honorary stockholder in Schaefer.

   Tom

Rheingold, is the, one beer to have, when you're having , more than, one!

I believe that was Schaefer is the one beer to have when your having more than one !

Schaefer flavor doesn't fade after your thirst is won ?