The last true elevated to be built in NYC was the only one (so far) built in the 21st century, the JFK Airtrain. (I'm counting it as an El because it's mostly elevated and it's not part of the NYCMTA subway but under a different organization, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.)
There are people who love trains. I'm one of them. I don't care where they are, what type, how old or modern, fast or slow, freight or passenger, El or underground. I love them all and the people who work on them.
What an excellent, excellent video and narration! I’ve always loved NYC el’s and subways ever since riding them with my grandmother to Coney Island in the 1950’s!
I'm blown away seeing this great footage, I've lived in 5th avenue and 48th street for 25 years and never knew an elevated train ran on 5th from Flatbush to 36th street, amazing!
I lived on 45th Street between 5th & 6th Ave. from '67 to '73 and remember on certain parts of 5th Ave. you could still see the trolley tracks in the road....I'm sure its all covered up now after all these years....great neighborhood back in those days....every year in October the Columbus Day parade would start begin down our block onto 5th Ave. all the way to 60th St....great memories of days gone by....
@@retrotube3050 close....back then it was known as the place to go if you wanted to be killed....supposedly medical treatment there was subpar during the 60's & 70's....
These EL lines should have never been torn down, especially in Brooklyn. The Fulton Street subway should have been built under Pacific Street, leaving the Fulton Street EL up and running and the 4th Ave subway should have been built under 3rd Ave, leaving the 5th Ave EL up and running today. The Myrtle Ave EL should have been rebuilt, not torn down because Downtown Brooklyn has changed.
Simple economics and modernization. The 6th and 9th avenue elevated lines were rendered obsolete with the building of the 6th and 8th avenue subways in 1939 and 1932 respectively. Subway lines were much more efficient in transporting people with more cars and greater frequency than the elevated lines. After the city bought the IRT and BRT lines that were already in receivership in 1940, plans were already underway to replace all the elevated lines with subway lines. Thus enhancing the property value of those streets along the lines and making them more desirable for development. In addition, the elevated lines were becoming far more expensive to operate and as time went along, ridership declined, which became acute beginning with the deindustrialization and depopulation of areas of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens up until the 70's. By that time rehabilitation of the remaining elevated lines was financially unfeasible and given the fiscal crisis the city found itself in at that time, it was impossible to justify.
I'm from East New York in the day -- Van Siclen Avenue a block from Livonia. I notice in another noticed New Lots Avenue called a street or road in another video. In this one, the Fulton line is being conflated with the Pitkin Avenue el. I very much appreciate that this did solve the mystery of why only part of the Pitkin Avenue line torn down but the last segment to Lefferts Blvd was kept. I also wonder if there is any footage of the Canarsie Line grade crossing at 105th.
The "sharp turn" that the narrator could be referring to is the Coenties Slip St curve. "originally an artificial inlet in the East River for the loading and unloading of ships that was land-filled in 1835, is a historic pedestrian walkway in Lower Manhattan, New York City, in the heart of the Financial District. It is perpendicular to Pearl Street and originally extended east to South Street, a distance of three blocks. New York’s first City Hall once stood at Coenties Alley and Pearl Street, just to the north of Coenties Slip. Although surrounded by skyscrapers, a row of buildings from the 19th century still stand and are in active use by small businesses. The construction of these high rise buildings resulted in the removal of the blocks between Water Street and Front Street, and between Front Streetand South Street. Part of 55 Water Street and part of the New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial are built on land that was once part of Coenties Slip. Both Coenties Slip and Coenties Alley are named after Conraet Ten Eyck and his wife Antje."
Has anyone seen a 1936-38 newsreel which show MR. CHARLES ATLAS pulling the 72 ton OBSERVATION CAR of "THE BROADWAY LIMITED" over 112 FEET at The Sunnyside Yard. Stills of this are available.
Man, if one of those derailed it was over literally and figuratively. Being from CA this confuses the heck out of me. Going from here to there turn into this and becoming that.😂😂😂 Very cool though thank you for sharing this.👍👍
There was a hill or sharp decline between the 9th Ave elevated structure at the 104th St and 9th or Columbus Avenue Station and the turn onto 8th Ave at 110th Street, and on, up 8th Ave, to the Polo Grounds at 155th St, thus the famous “Dead Man’s Curve complement to the other famous curve at Coeties Slip ( ..if I spelled that right?) on the 3rd Ave El.
The Cities of New York, (Then Limited to the Island of Manhattan and later, initially the West Bronx, and in 1898, the rest of the Bronx and the City of Brooklyn and the borough of Queens carved out of Western Long Island) pioneered Steam Elevated Railways, later electrified after Chicago’s example, which (along with Philadelphia and Boston) which followed New York’s example. Indeed, the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) and Brooklyn Rapid Transit, later Brooklyn Manhattan Transit (BMT) built elevated extensions of their Subway lines in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. The Els started as two tracked railways with cars pulled by steam locomotives before electrification around 1903. The IND was the publicly or City owned Subway started in 1925 and completed between 1932 and 1940
Great period footage of this famous transit system . Narration near flawless .
The last true elevated to be built in NYC was the only one (so far) built in the 21st century, the JFK Airtrain. (I'm counting it as an El because it's mostly elevated and it's not part of the NYCMTA subway but under a different organization, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.)
There are people who love trains. I'm one of them. I don't care where they are, what type, how old or modern, fast or slow, freight or passenger, El or underground. I love them all and the people who work on them.
What an excellent, excellent video and narration! I’ve always loved NYC el’s and subways ever since riding them with my grandmother to Coney Island in the 1950’s!
I'm blown away seeing this great footage, I've lived in 5th avenue and 48th street for 25 years and never knew an elevated train ran on 5th from Flatbush to 36th street, amazing!
I lived on 45th Street between 5th & 6th Ave. from '67 to '73 and remember on certain parts of 5th Ave. you could still see the trolley tracks in the road....I'm sure its all covered up now after all these years....great neighborhood back in those days....every year in October the Columbus Day parade would start begin down our block onto 5th Ave. all the way to 60th St....great memories of days gone by....
Wow you lived near Lutheran Hospital
@@retrotube3050 close....back then it was known as the place to go if you wanted to be killed....supposedly medical treatment there was subpar during the 60's & 70's....
@@retrotube3050 Yup, it's changed so much for the better.
These EL lines should have never been torn down, especially in Brooklyn. The Fulton Street subway should have been built under Pacific Street, leaving the Fulton Street EL up and running and the 4th Ave subway should have been built under 3rd Ave, leaving the 5th Ave EL up and running today. The Myrtle Ave EL should have been rebuilt, not torn down because Downtown Brooklyn has changed.
I hate how they the future will improve of transit like honest the past was better and reliable.
The Culver Shuttle seems to have been the most reliable
Whole Facts
Simple economics and modernization. The 6th and 9th avenue elevated lines were rendered obsolete with the building of the 6th and 8th avenue subways in 1939 and 1932 respectively. Subway lines were much more efficient in transporting people with more cars and greater frequency than the elevated lines.
After the city bought the IRT and BRT lines that were already in receivership in 1940, plans were already underway to replace all the elevated lines with subway lines. Thus enhancing the property value of those streets along the lines and making them more desirable for development.
In addition, the elevated lines were becoming far more expensive to operate and as time went along, ridership declined, which became acute beginning with the deindustrialization and depopulation of areas of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens up until the 70's. By that time rehabilitation of the remaining elevated lines was financially unfeasible and given the fiscal crisis the city found itself in at that time, it was impossible to justify.
M0jlm
That was surprisingly fascinating. Thank you for sharing!
Just found these, really great. Thank you
I'm from East New York in the day -- Van Siclen Avenue a block from Livonia. I notice in another noticed New Lots Avenue called a street or road in another video. In this one, the Fulton line is being conflated with the Pitkin Avenue el.
I very much appreciate that this did solve the mystery of why only part of the Pitkin Avenue line torn down but the last segment to Lefferts Blvd was kept. I also wonder if there is any footage of the Canarsie Line grade crossing at 105th.
An't the devil from here or is it Brownsville?
The 8th Avenue tunnels of modern times have the same complicated schemes mimicking the old elevated structures.
They really really liked double deck elevated tracks. I wonder how dark it was on street level
My Dad said it was dark, dirty, and loud. People were still burning tons of coal then, so it'd all get trapped.
The "sharp turn" that the narrator could be referring to is the Coenties Slip St curve. "originally an artificial inlet in the East River for the loading and unloading of ships that was land-filled in 1835, is a historic pedestrian walkway in Lower Manhattan, New York City, in the heart of the Financial District. It is perpendicular to Pearl Street and originally extended east to South Street, a distance of three blocks. New York’s first City Hall once stood at Coenties Alley and Pearl Street, just to the north of Coenties Slip. Although surrounded by skyscrapers, a row of buildings from the 19th century still stand and are in active use by small businesses.
The construction of these high rise buildings resulted in the removal of the blocks between Water Street and Front Street, and between Front Streetand South Street. Part of 55 Water Street and part of the New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial are built on land that was once part of Coenties Slip. Both Coenties Slip and Coenties Alley are named after Conraet Ten Eyck and his wife Antje."
@steelo was Arcana a relative of yours? Just curious.
No graffitti and everything kept neat and clean!
There hasn't been graffiti on trains since the late '80s.
Has anyone seen a 1936-38 newsreel which show MR. CHARLES ATLAS pulling the 72 ton OBSERVATION CAR of "THE BROADWAY LIMITED" over 112 FEET at The Sunnyside Yard.
Stills of this are available.
The station with stairs up to bridge or to street still there
Man, if one of those derailed it was over literally and figuratively. Being from CA this confuses the heck out of me. Going from here to there turn into this and becoming that.😂😂😂 Very cool though thank you for sharing this.👍👍
Is the the any of the stations or bridges left
Maybe the city of Ottawa should take note that there was reliable irt going back over a hundred years. Jim Watson should take note from Roger Arcara!!
At 18:24 I thought it said 'steelo'
Why was the 110th street station so high? 5:16
There was a hill or sharp decline between the 9th Ave elevated structure at the 104th St and 9th or Columbus Avenue Station and the turn onto 8th Ave at 110th Street, and on, up 8th Ave, to the Polo Grounds at 155th St, thus the famous “Dead Man’s Curve complement to the other famous curve at Coeties Slip ( ..if I spelled that right?) on the 3rd Ave El.
Imagine Macy's 34th street being next to a EL today. Real Estate concerns today
Real estate concerns back then too; that's why it was demolished. Typical elitist New York.
The Cities of New York, (Then Limited to the Island of Manhattan and later, initially the West Bronx, and in 1898, the rest of the Bronx and the City of Brooklyn and the borough of Queens carved out of Western Long Island) pioneered Steam Elevated Railways, later electrified after Chicago’s example, which (along with Philadelphia and Boston) which followed New York’s example. Indeed, the Interborough Rapid Transit
(IRT) and Brooklyn Rapid Transit, later Brooklyn Manhattan Transit (BMT) built elevated extensions of their Subway lines in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. The Els started as two tracked railways with cars pulled by steam locomotives before electrification around 1903. The IND was the publicly or City owned Subway started in 1925 and completed between 1932 and 1940
I know that it must have been really sad to see those train lines go 😕
Do something about your mic 🎤
Yeah, go back in time and letting him know!
He's dead, Jim.
Can you repeat that?