The last Remant of the Manhattan 2nd Avenue Elevated Line - From 1904
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- Located at Division st and Allen st in lower Manhattan, we see the last remnant of the 2nd avenue El. The el used to run from south ferry to queens via the queensboro bridge and to the Bronx. The 2nd avenue subway was planned to be built and this el was seen as redundant. Unfortunately almost a century later, the 2nd avenue subway has not been built south of 63 street.
This is former substation no 5 of the Manhattan Elevated Company. It was constructed to provide 3rd rail power to the 2nd and 3rd Avenue elevated lines in 1904 when the Els were transitioning from Steam powered trains to Electrified Gate cars.
Recorded July 2022.
Demolishing the 2nd Avenue Elevated before the SAS was completed was likely one of the city's biggest mistakes
I agree. They got scrap happy and even tore down the 3rd Avenue el.
@@MrRailfan with the Fulton Street Elevated, they actually played it smart by demolishing it in phases as the subway opened
@@yuuycockdemnations69420 To be fair, the Fulton Elevated was useless after 1948
@@MrRailfan One of your videos in Volume 1 Announcement playlist was made private by UA-cam. What was that reroute?
I can't agree with that. The elevated lines were destined to be scrapped before 1940 when the city bought out the bankrupt IRT and BMT from receivership. Once the city under the IND built their subway lines beginning with the 8th Avenue line in 1932, elevateds were on borrowed time.
*_"New York hoped that the profits from the remaining formerly privately operated routes would support the expensive and deficit-ridden IND lines and simultaneously be able to repay the systems' debts, without having to increase the original fare of five cents. But during World War II, which gave a reprieve to the closure of most rail transit in the U.S., some closures continued, including the remainder of the IRT Second Avenue Line in Manhattan (1942) and the surviving BMT elevated services over the Brooklyn Bridge (1944). The Second World War also caused renewed inflation, which finally caused a fare increase to ten cents in 1947 and six years later to 15 cents."_*-Wikipedia "History of The NYC Subway"
One could blame the motives of LaGuardia and Moses to favor automobiles and the real estate interests for wanting the elevateds torn down, but to be honest, they were already obsolete and due to the financial distress the original holding companies experienced over decades, the lines were already suffering from poor maintenance and neglect in many areas.
New and heavier cars that were coming online would not have been able to be supported by the old elevateds without substantial financial investment. And since the city had already suffered during the Great Depression (Which basically put the BRT and IRT underwater) that wouldn't have been cost effective. As a matter of fact, the newly installed commissioner of transit at the time, called the lines "junk" and questioned the wisdom of the purchase.
The Second World War put a temporary halt to the building of the 2nd Ave Subway. Restarting and completion cost estimates indicated unsustainable increases which would have meant additional tax and fare increases. With deindustrialization and "white flight" out of the city and to the outer suburbs, municipal financing wasn't an option. Add to that, the state and city's financial crises and the 2nd Avenue Subway was a dead deal for the next 40 or so years.
*_"After 1949, ridership on public transit slumped nationwide, as people increasingly used automobiles as their means of transportation. Ridership fell even in street-clogged, transit-friendly New York City, although not as dramatically as elsewhere. In 1951 New York voters approved a $500-million bond issue to build a four-track subway under Second Avenue. The authorities, however, diverted the money to other transit projects, and the Second Avenue line went unbuilt."_* -www.gothamcenter.org/blog/the-rise-and-decline-of-new-york-citys-third-avenue-elevated-train-line#:~:text=Changing%20economics%20and%20evolving%20public,doomed%20the%20Manhattan%20Elevated%20system.
As much as we are nostalgic about the late lamented elevated lines, like all railroads, there are economic factors and forces that affect the building and maintenance of those lines and lines now.
Your video is terrific seeing remnants of the NYC elevated system. If you look at the buildings in the earlier photographs will notice no graffiti, no vandalism. Sadly today people have NO respect for others or their property😢. Decivilization on display.
very interesting. .will have go by there and check it , thanks
Wow. That's so cool. I was upset that I missed out on the Lexington Avenue El remnants but I have passed by this so many times and have never realized it was anything of significance. I thought that it was simply old infrastructure in decay in Downtown Manhattan.
The "Lexington avenue EL"?! That ONLY existed in BROOKLYN!
#MrRailfan: If you're interested in seeing another defunct substation within the island of Manhattan, here's a fun one for you. Head on over to the southwest corner of 3rd Avenue and East 99th Street. There to greet you will be a 3 story red masonry brick building. This imposing figure is actually a former substation for the Manhattan 3rd Avenue El! Not too sure if it's still functional or being used to provide any electricity for the Lexington Avenue Subway one block west. Have a look and see. Enjoy!
Can you give the address?
The 8 Thrid Avenue Elevated line used to run between Gun hill road and south Ferry back in the 1800s until 1955. IN 1955 they had cut off the Manhattan bound 8 trains between south Ferry and 149 street because it was a low ridership. The 8 had still also ran between Gun hill road and 149 street and 3rd Avenue until 1973 1974 and that's when they torn down the whole entire Thrid Avenue Elevated line down on purpose. That was a big waste of money. it's easy to rebuild the Third Ave Elevated line back you just have to Google it and asked for the old 8 Third Ave Elevated map. The engineers could definitely do that.
It's an old fire station.
@@therockstandard3068"What color is a blue book?!"....
It is (at least as of a few years ago) still used by MTA, but it is the "Fire Extinguisher Shop" - basically just a warehouse, all the power equipment is long gone. Address is 1782 3 AVE if you zoom in on Google you can see the sign on the door. There's another one at 110 E 19 ST near Union Square as well, assuming it was a substation for the Lexington Ave line, but now it's a cable warehouse. The building on 19th street is a twin to the now-demolished former substation at 266 W 96 ST (RIP)
Pretty awesome. Ive passed through that area before and never noticed!
Oooh. The 2nd Avenue El. Interesting.
I always used to wonder why Division Street is so much wider than surrounding streets. The past presence of the Second Avenue El explains it
Great work
Nice one Railfan.
When Allen Street was widened, it was widened eastward. You are correct as all of the buildings/structures that lined the eastern portion of Allen Street were demolished. Similar to how Houston Street was widened to/from 6th Avenue to the FDR Drive.
The big giveaway to the old elevated lines geographically were the width of the streets below.There are 2 perfect examples: The Myrtle Ave El & Pitkin Ave El lines both served the Brooklyn residents at the time.
Fulton street in Brooklyn....
However, Flatbush avenue and Eastern Parkway are both wide, yet never had any elevated rail above them. 5th avenue in Manhattan NEVER had any rail at all, yet is also very wide.
It amazes me that the graffiti artists can get that high up on the outside of those buildings to tag them and nobody saw a thing and did nothing to stop them!
I always wondered about that as well.
Great show! I'm not much of an Urban explorer, I do most of my filming and documenting in Rural scenes...BUT!! I really enjoyed this video and especially smiled as I viewed the old lettering and iron works and holes for the lines through the wall of the old Station! Those are exactly the kinds of things I enjoy finding!
Well, last remnant in Manhattan anyway. There's also the remaining steel trestles on the Queensboro Bridge as it enters the Queensboro Plaza station.
very cool
Wow, VERY interesting!!!
Nice awesome
Great find!
Queensboro plaza train station the elevated station is also remnants of the second Avenue l because when the train traveled over the 59th Street bridge it stopped at queensboro plaza elevated station
In fact, QBP was twice the size it is now.
It was also much better looking with all the stained glass when it was clean and nice the people that stand on that station today don't even know what it was
My grandfather used to tell me about the second Avenue El it was way before my time used to ride home from work and he would get off at 65 and 2nd Avenue and walk down the block I can only remember the trolley that was on the 59th Street bridge
@@user-qe1yg7hv2eYou can still see the cute trolley hut when you go into the 59th Street Bridge from Manhattan (on the left at the very beginning).
The original IRT power house still stands as well along 11th Ave. between 58th and 59th on the west side of Manhattan. It no longer provides electrical power but serves as a steam generation plant for Con Edison. When the city took over the IRT and BMT in 1940 it sold off all the power plants to Con Ed. The IND always got its power from Con Ed.
I appreciate seeing remaining signage and buildings. There is a large sign at the top: "INTERBOROUGH RAPID TRANSIT COMPANY". Wow, turn of the century Renaissance Revival by none other than Stanford White, of McKim, Mead & White !
The transit power generating stations were sold to ConEd in 1959.
Wonder how it would be if we kept the old el’s
They torn down the second Ave Elevated and the Thrid Avenue Elevated line down on purpose. Maybe the 8 Thrid Avenue Elevated line could definitely replacing the second Ave Elevated line and the future to 96 street to connect to the Q T trains.
This is cool! I hope it can actually be restored.
it's definitely gonna be restored and probably the 8 or the 10 trains could run over there. I'm glad that you got the 2nd Avenue Elevated line piece where you found it at. Let me know if you go to white plains road Gun hill road Third Ave Elevated line. You will see some track frames trestle half of it. The south Bronx is definitely starting to developing again between Gun hill road Clearmount Avenue Webster Ave Bronx.
Another thing I'd enjoy seeing restored is OWNERSHIP OF TRANSIT POWER PLANTS BY THE MTA ONCE AGAIN!!
If you go to the Queensborough Bridge and into Queens Borough Station, you will see the railing of the 2nd Avenue EL that operated to Flushing and Astoria.
Where exactly?
@@vze21gwa it’s on the Manhattan side of the bridge and you will also a remnant of a trolley system that ran there
@@darkgalaxyi_o_l_o_i7831 That's too vague a description. If you can take a picture or video and upload it here that would be great.
@@vze21gwa
Video Name: Secrets of the New York City Subway - Part 4
Time stamp: 3:47
@@darkgalaxyi_o_l_o_i7831 That's the trolley, not the EL.
Second Avenue 'L' could've been part of the SAS, it's a shame how they tore down this beautiful piece of history.
This is awe inspiring.
Looks like hell that’s a shame. Should get some type of historical landmark designation and be protected and restored to original condition
That's what they probably doing right now is planning.
Interesting
this is soooo cool & awesome...i didnt even know that...i wish i could find a way to get inside
Interesting. Cause theres also remaints of the sedgwick line or whatever it was called including jerome andersons avenue in the city
It was the remnant of the Ninth Avenue line that became the Polo Grounds Shuttle after the line was demolished from South Ferry to 155th street in 1940. The Shuttle ran from 167th street to the Polo Grounds until 1958 after the Giants moved to San Francisco. ua-cam.com/video/-Ok--4gJFiI/v-deo.html
Here's a tour of the remnants of the Sedgewick Avenue station and the Jerome-Anderson Avenue Station: ua-cam.com/video/u-HbIpqnNoA/v-deo.html
The building is currently being used as a warehouse.
So the underside of the Manhattan Bridge would be best part of 30 ft above 2av roadway at this point \m/
Somehow I don't believe the street existed at that time....
Can you check Myrtle Ave "remnant"
I noticed part of sidewalk near CVS is unusually wide and I suspect it was a station (MJ Navy Street)
110 street and Columbus Ave station still almost same
dang this is crazy
Could it be the second phase of the Second Avenue Subway soon?
Stupid business owners and landlords, city leaders who hated mass transit and the false promise of an underground replacement led to the demise of this very useful el. If it was still here, I could see the 42nd Street station from my bedroom window
They torn down this 2 3rd Avenue Elevated line down on purpose. You know why they torn down the extra elevated lines because Robert mosses could not stand no extra elevated lines. if it was a mistake why did they tair down the extra elevated lines for? if they would of followed the holly spirit this both lines would of definitely be used today and the ninth Ave Elevated line also
all they had to do is do a complete over hual inspections on the 3rd 2nd 9th Avenue Elevated line and this would not be any confusion no issues no foolishness.
That was a terrible thing to do to tair down both lines the Thrid Avenue Elevated line and the ninth Ave Elevated line down and the Second Ave Elevated line down. You know that was a big crime to tair down all the extra elevated lines. Especially the South Bronx Clearmount Thrid Avenue Elevated line that really helped out the 2 5 4 6 lines and the bus operators. That's the reason why they are suffering the conciquints. God 🙏 sits high and look low when they do people wrong and dirty business God will bring it to pass.
@@leecornwell5632*Tear.
I beleive there some leftover of the 3rd/9th Ave el under the Major Deegan Expwy right around 161st st exit. The abadoned Jermone Ave/ Anderson Ave station. There should be some old track structure behind the New Yankee Stadium.
Exactly 💯% right. All they have to do is to clean up all the dirt and replace all the old Thrid rails and track rails so the 3 trains could could go around the parking lot where the new Yankee stadium is at because it's only two tracks. The engineers will definitely find away for the 3 line could definitely meet up with the Jerome Ave 4 line. The 8 Thrid Avenue Elevated line could definitely run between Gun hill road and Clearmount Avenue Webster and Manhattan 125 street.
They could rebuild the 3rd 9th 2nd Avenue Elevated line s back up and they could have the 8 and the 10 trains run over there and the 3 trains could run on the 9th Avenue Elevated line connecting to the Jerome Ave 4 line. All they have to do is to replace all the old third rails and track rails and fix up the stations.
They are filling it in near the expressway
@@soullessprincess6473I definitely heard that they are definitely gonna fix up the mayjer Cross Bronx Express Highway roads being rebuilt wright where the 8 Thrid Avenue Elevated used to cross the cross Bronx Express Highway.
Wait is that your voice?
Yea
Thats so obvious it is lol.
One last look...Sad to see the dirt and decay which has always been typical of the Chinatown slums but is now average all over Manhattan.