What a terrific video. While the Third Avenue el ended in Manhattan in 1955, it continued in the Bronx from 149 Street to Gun Hill Road until 1973. As a child, born in 1953 in NYC, and raised in the Bronx our family rode it in the Bronx. I recall the "mooing" sound the Lo-V cars made as they ran (so-called because of the low voltage controller in the motorman's cab, which obviated high voltage in close proximity to the motorman as in the older cars), and the rattan seats. A nice video trip back in time.
I remember the seats & the fans. We used to go shopping on 149st & 3 Ave. Back when they had real Italian pizza. Hearns, Alexander's, Woolworth, buster brown. Giving away my age here. Our stop was I think 166 or 167th & 3 Ave.
Dam that's bananas,,,I'm from 151 across the street from Alferd E. Smith High. When I was young I remember someone mentioning somthing about a train that went through 3rd ave...but I never believed it....Back in the 70s, 80s and 90sthere was a huge mural on the side of a third ave building, of a family walking underneith the elevated line..now I understand.
Nope, they should have renewed the tracks so that they could 3:14 stand Subway trains, and they didn't have to demolish the 9th Avenue El line completely. They could have made a Subway line with the same stops but making the Polo Grounds elevated line the last stop!
My Dad used to tell me about this extensive line. By the time I came around, the 3rd Avenue El ran only in the Bronx - Fordham Road to 149th Street & Third Avenue. I enjoyed it then. I am so sorry that it is all gone now.
I can see why they tore them up, most of them were replaced with subways along similar routes which are less noisy for locals. I imagine a tunnel lasts better than a metal structure exposed to the air too, so am El might cost more in maintenance. I think it’s a shame how so little of the network is left, especially when it left portions of NYC devoid of good transit when their planned subways were never built, but I can definitely see why subways were chosen as the replacement in most areas.
@@justanotheryoutubechannel The 2nd avenue subway line, replacing the old El line, took decades to even get off of the ground. And only the northern most section has been built so far at a colossal cost. There has never been any replacement for the very popular 3rd avenue El line, which went north right into the Bronx, and which the Bronx neighbourhoods that it once served have never recovered from losing. Yes the old El’s made a racket with their 19th century technology. But look at modern elevated metro’s like the Vancouver skytrain or east London’s Dockland’s light railway, and they don’t make much noise at all.
@@danieleyre8913 They do make noise, though. The currently operating REM branch in Montreal happens to swing quite close to some condo towers in Griffintown. They had to put in noise mitigation measures--dampeners and rail grinding--because the noise was unacceptable. Especially to bougie condo dwellers who were facing a rail system operating 20 hours a day.
@@andrewweitzman4006 Yes but the REM is a mainline standard system. Modern light metros can have their own standards, and they don’t generally make much noise.
A hugely enjoyable film looking in to a now vanished world. So very different from anything we have ever known in England. It made me wish I had been there at that time.
The reason why there are no els in Central London is because Parliament refused to allow any surface railway into the heart of the city. That is why the original Metropolitan Line was built, because underground railways got around that ban.
While I cannot claim any allegiance to Gotham, I am a big fan of of the city, just the same, and I always look forward to another visit. It's really one of the great cities of the world !
I can vaguely recall the El train on Pitkin Ave in the East New York section of Brooklyn. I believe that it was taken down in about 1960 or thereabouts. My mother grew up on Shepherd Ave,just South of Pitkin Ave. My aunt and step uncle had a railroad apartment above a store on Pitkin Ave several years after the El was taken down. I have not been through that area in many years,but I believe that many of the old 19th century buildings are still there. Brings back a lot of old memories for me.Thanks for listening.
@@bmendez3782 Last day of service on the Fulton el shuttle from Rockaway ave to Lefferts Blvd was April 26,1956. Two days later the el was rerouted into the new Grant ave subway station on the A train at 80 st
Yes some of the old buildings are still along pitkin ave route I live on Chestnut St. I have done.a lot of comparison from El train movies like these to what the area looks like now. Euclid Ave when the El train turns off pitkin onto liberty, the fire department building is still there and is captured on the Brooklyn El videos. Just fascinating to see then and now comparisons
There was a sign at a barber shown that said "Black Eyes Made Natural (7:29)." What? Turns out, this was a service to spruce up day workers after a rowdy prior night. Wow...
Thanks for the Time Machine showing one of the old el lines. New York should have done like Chicago and kept at least one line. This would have been a nice line for tourists as well as local as a better way to see the city without being in traffic. The noise could have been minimized with modern sound absorbing track structures. As can be seen the cost to replace any of the els with subway is very expensive and time consuming. Just look at what it cost and time to build the short section of the 2nd street subway.
The Third Avenue Line of the Interborough Rapid Transit is the most iconic elevated railway in New York City by far because it spans the very heart of New York City and runs above the primary streets, which consists of Midtown East, the Financial District, and the Bowery connecting the two, all of which are located in Manhattan below Central Park. It is arguably the most iconic part of New York City, just like the Loop carrying L trains is to Chicago. Given how decrepit from neglected maintenance the elevated railways in Manhattan were in the early 1950s, it was understandable why it needed to be demolished. The sudden collapse of the West Side Highway in the early 1970s showed how catastrophic the comsequences could have been. Losing the 3rd Ave El was almost certainly even more major of a loss to the cultural identity of New York than losing the original 1911 headhouse of Pennsylvania Station. Noise with elevated railways built since the mid-1980s is not a problem at all because they use continuously welded rail to eliminate clacking noises outside of switches and use rubber pads to isolate the track from the structure. Such vibration isolators are known as under-sleeper pads and under-tie pads. So, even an elevated railway that is newly built today but with the architecture of a historic metal structure would still be as quiet as a typical contemporary bone-stock automobile driving by at urban thoroughfare speeds. Even if the Third Avenue Elevated Line was rebuilt entirely with high-grade stainless steel but still painted over with the original colour, it would have still almost certainly been multiple times cheaper than tunneling either the Second Avenue Subway or the East Side Access through several miles of very-hard metamorphic schist rock. So, before year 2101, is there any appreciable chance that New York will build a brand-new 3rd Avenue Elevated Railway with contemporary engineering but with the architectural appearance identical to the original? What do you think the probability is? How about before year 2201? How about the aesthetic West Side Highway?
They should of never taking down the 9 and the 3rd Avenue Elevated lines down in the first place especially the Bronx 3rd Avenue Elevated line down . That definitely should of been left alone. All they had to do is to do a complete over hual inspections on the 9 th Ave Elevated line and the 3rd Avenue Elevated line, so that way the R62AS would definitely fit perfectly on the 8 3rd Avenue Elevated line. They was dum and stupid enough to tair down this 9 and 3rd Avenue Elevated line to go a big waste . They torn down the extra elevated lines down on purpose.
It strange when l was a kid visiting the Bronx ,l was never told or knew that the third avenue el went all the way to Manhattan and that their were els on six,second And Ninth Avenue too
4:00 : 149th Street. Brings back memories of mom taking us to Canton Chinese Restaurant (actually nobody called it a Chinese Restaurant, but rather a non-politically correct word that I won't use here). 4:03 :Had many hot dogs and orange drinks at Nedicks on the corner.
What a terrific video. While the Third Avenue el ended in Manhattan in 1955, it continued in the Bronx from 149 Street to Gun Hill Road until 1973. As a child, born in 1953 in NYC, and raised in the Bronx our family rode it in the Bronx. I recall the "mooing" sound the Lo-V cars made as they ran (so-called because of the low voltage controller in the motorman's cab, which obviated high voltage in close proximity to the motorman as in the older cars), and the rattan seats. A nice video trip back in time.
I remember the seats & the fans. We used to go shopping on 149st & 3 Ave. Back when they had real Italian pizza. Hearns, Alexander's, Woolworth, buster brown. Giving away my age here. Our stop was I think 166 or 167th & 3 Ave.
Awesome . I remember the 3rd Av line to 149 st Bx The Hub before it got torn down in 73
Dam that's bananas,,,I'm from 151 across the street from Alferd E. Smith High. When I was young I remember someone mentioning somthing about a train that went through 3rd ave...but I never believed it....Back in the 70s, 80s and 90sthere was a huge mural on the side of a third ave building, of a family walking underneith the elevated line..now I understand.
Incredible video. It was such a mistake to tear these elevated lines down without replacing them with a different alternative underground.
Nope, they should have renewed the tracks so that they could 3:14 stand Subway trains, and they didn't have to demolish the 9th Avenue El line completely. They could have made a Subway line with the same stops but making the Polo Grounds elevated line the last stop!
My Dad used to tell me about this extensive line. By the time I came around, the 3rd Avenue El ran only in the Bronx - Fordham Road to 149th Street & Third Avenue. I enjoyed it then. I am so sorry that it is all gone now.
You know I like how the voice narrator is talking for the trains as in what if they had a voice.
Thanks so much for the video used to ride the remaining portion in the bronx until it discontinued service after 1973😊
it would have been so cool to ride this. love the old elevateds!
Imagine what could've been had they modernised the New York El's...
Yup I ikr NYC today would've been like Chicago but with more elevated and underground lines.
I can see why they tore them up, most of them were replaced with subways along similar routes which are less noisy for locals. I imagine a tunnel lasts better than a metal structure exposed to the air too, so am El might cost more in maintenance. I think it’s a shame how so little of the network is left, especially when it left portions of NYC devoid of good transit when their planned subways were never built, but I can definitely see why subways were chosen as the replacement in most areas.
@@justanotheryoutubechannel The 2nd avenue subway line, replacing the old El line, took decades to even get off of the ground. And only the northern most section has been built so far at a colossal cost.
There has never been any replacement for the very popular 3rd avenue El line, which went north right into the Bronx, and which the Bronx neighbourhoods that it once served have never recovered from losing.
Yes the old El’s made a racket with their 19th century technology. But look at modern elevated metro’s like the Vancouver skytrain or east London’s Dockland’s light railway, and they don’t make much noise at all.
@@danieleyre8913 They do make noise, though. The currently operating REM branch in Montreal happens to swing quite close to some condo towers in Griffintown. They had to put in noise mitigation measures--dampeners and rail grinding--because the noise was unacceptable. Especially to bougie condo dwellers who were facing a rail system operating 20 hours a day.
@@andrewweitzman4006 Yes but the REM is a mainline standard system.
Modern light metros can have their own standards, and they don’t generally make much noise.
Should have way more views. Well atleast I'm into and thoroughly do appreciate this stuff. So thank you and God Bless!!
A hugely enjoyable film looking in to a now vanished world. So very different from anything we have ever known in England. It made me wish I had been there at that time.
The reason why there are no els in Central London is because Parliament refused to allow any surface railway into the heart of the city. That is why the original Metropolitan Line was built, because underground railways got around that ban.
what a marvel
Good stuff! Interesting glimpse into the past.
While I cannot claim any allegiance to Gotham, I am a big fan of of the city, just the same, and I always look forward to another visit. It's really one of the great cities of the world !
I can vaguely recall the El train on Pitkin Ave in the East New York section of Brooklyn. I believe that it was taken down in about 1960 or thereabouts. My mother grew up on Shepherd Ave,just South of Pitkin Ave. My aunt and step uncle had a railroad apartment above a store on Pitkin Ave several years after the El was taken down. I have not been through that area in many years,but I believe that many of the old 19th century buildings are still there. Brings back a lot of old memories for me.Thanks for listening.
Actually the liberty avenue shuttle was turn down 1958.
@@bmendez3782 Last day of service on the Fulton el shuttle from Rockaway ave to Lefferts Blvd was April 26,1956. Two days later the el was rerouted into the new Grant ave subway station on the A train at 80 st
Yes some of the old buildings are still along pitkin ave route I live on Chestnut St. I have done.a lot of comparison from El train movies like these to what the area looks like now. Euclid Ave when the El train turns off pitkin onto liberty, the fire department building is still there and is captured on the Brooklyn El videos. Just fascinating to see then and now comparisons
There was a sign at a barber shown that said "Black Eyes Made Natural (7:29)." What? Turns out, this was a service to spruce up day workers after a rowdy prior night. Wow...
They should have kept have of the elevated lines. They looked better than the subway.
Thanks for the Time Machine showing one of the old el lines. New York should have done like Chicago and kept at least one line. This would have been a nice line for tourists as well as local as a better way to see the city without being in traffic. The noise could have been minimized with modern sound absorbing track structures. As can be seen the cost to replace any of the els with subway is very expensive and time consuming. Just look at what it cost and time to build the short section of the 2nd street subway.
The NYC subway system has lots of el trackage. Mostly out in Brooklyn and Queens. I think over half of the subway is above ground!
wow no graffiti
Well of course because at the time there was no such thing as spray paint.
The Third Avenue Line of the Interborough Rapid Transit is the most iconic elevated railway in New York City by far because it spans the very heart of New York City and runs above the primary streets, which consists of Midtown East, the Financial District, and the Bowery connecting the two, all of which are located in Manhattan below Central Park. It is arguably the most iconic part of New York City, just like the Loop carrying L trains is to Chicago. Given how decrepit from neglected maintenance the elevated railways in Manhattan were in the early 1950s, it was understandable why it needed to be demolished. The sudden collapse of the West Side Highway in the early 1970s showed how catastrophic the comsequences could have been.
Losing the 3rd Ave El was almost certainly even more major of a loss to the cultural identity of New York than losing the original 1911 headhouse of Pennsylvania Station. Noise with elevated railways built since the mid-1980s is not a problem at all because they use continuously welded rail to eliminate clacking noises outside of switches and use rubber pads to isolate the track from the structure. Such vibration isolators are known as under-sleeper pads and under-tie pads. So, even an elevated railway that is newly built today but with the architecture of a historic metal structure would still be as quiet as a typical contemporary bone-stock automobile driving by at urban thoroughfare speeds. Even if the Third Avenue Elevated Line was rebuilt entirely with high-grade stainless steel but still painted over with the original colour, it would have still almost certainly been multiple times cheaper than tunneling either the Second Avenue Subway or the East Side Access through several miles of very-hard metamorphic schist rock.
So, before year 2101, is there any appreciable chance that New York will build a brand-new 3rd Avenue Elevated Railway with contemporary engineering but with the architectural appearance identical to the original? What do you think the probability is? How about before year 2201? How about the aesthetic West Side Highway?
I think that it is possible and that if it is rebuilt, then they should rebuild it better, but the masses have to demand it!
Ramis Universe for Spider-Man never got rid of the elevated lines
They should of never taking down the 9 and the 3rd Avenue Elevated lines down in the first place especially the Bronx 3rd Avenue Elevated line down . That definitely should of been left alone. All they had to do is to do a complete over hual inspections on the 9 th Ave Elevated line and the 3rd Avenue Elevated line, so that way the R62AS would definitely fit perfectly on the 8 3rd Avenue Elevated line. They was dum and stupid enough to tair down this 9 and 3rd Avenue Elevated line to go a big waste . They torn down the extra elevated lines down on purpose.
Manda mais histórias parabéns
Isn't some of that rail line still used? I'd love to visit New York!
Not in Manhattan. Bronx Queens and Brooklyn have El lines. But everything south of Dyckman in Manhattan is underground ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Except the (1) train 125th street stop in Manhattan.
not anymore. The last of the railline was discontinued in 1973 in the bronx
It strange when l was a kid visiting the Bronx ,l was never told or knew that the third avenue el went all the way to Manhattan and that their were els on six,second And Ninth Avenue too
Amei
4:00 : 149th Street. Brings back memories of mom taking us to Canton Chinese Restaurant (actually nobody called it a Chinese Restaurant, but rather a non-politically correct word that I won't use here).
4:03 :Had many hot dogs and orange drinks at Nedicks on the corner.
Yeah, this Rule's.
What is he talking about? Last of Els.Still Els in the Bronx.
@jaymorgenthal9479 Those are not El's. That is the subway line.
@jaymorgenthal9479 No, it's the subway line. El's never went underground 🚇
Had NYC not torn their el's down it would have look more like Chicago.
Nefarious Lk 8:17
Originally released in 1950.
Great time capsule. Just the thought of jumping into the filthy Harlem River gives me the creeps.