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New York Shitty Day Starter: Mystery Train
Filed under: Crosstown Local, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Manhattan, New York City, Old Photographs of New York City, Subway, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Yesterday I finally met up with a very nice reporter. She is working on article which will hit the stands next year (January 2010). Among the numerous questions she asked me while taking in the marvel that is a very packed junk shop was one regarding what I like to collect. This was a very prescient question given that anyone I’ve ever known who worked at a thrift store is invariably a “collector” of one thing or another. I am no exception— but do try to keep my acquisitions as portable (and cat proof) as possible. I stick to photographs nowadays. I have acquired quite a collection over the years. Many are of a highly “adult” nature and as such are unsuitable to publish here. But some are. Like the following negative that I managed to finesse into a positive last night.
14th Street Local with two proud employees. I’m guessing this is the L train— but who knows? I’ll leave it to you, dear readers, to render a verdict. To this end I will leave with a slide show of my mystery train and mystery men. Enjoy!
You can see the above images in larger format by clicking here.
Miss Heather
P.S.: In my research I stumbled upon this map of featuring the pride of the New York City subway system: the Crosstown Local. If you thought service was limited now, you should see it what it was like in 1939!
Comments
2 Comments on New York Shitty Day Starter: Mystery Train
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janimpala on
Sun, 6th Dec 2009 10:58 pm
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rowan on
Tue, 8th Dec 2009 8:02 pm
Yep, its the 14th St. Canarsie Line. Looks like the pics were taken at the end of the line in Canarsie. Note that the platform is wood planks. Prior to the mid 1980’s, you could still ride an el train in Brooklyn that still had wooden platforms. These are probably pics taken of co-workers taken in the mid 1950’s, the newer train is a clue. The old BMT lines were numbered, not lettered until 1967, and people referred to them by their route instead of the number anyway.
The riveted train is what was called a BMT Standard, designed by their engineering department for the new subway lines being built beginning in 1914. The last ones in regular service were on the L in 1969. There were several hundred built, and about six remain today, although none run right now. There’s a couple in the Coney Island Shops being worked on.
I don’t know if you know this, but the NYCTA is running a train of eight of the old pre-WWII IND subway cars as the Holiday Train from Queens Plaza to 2nd Ave. on Sundays. I missed it today, but yeah, its a really cool treat. People are getting into it and dressing up in 1940’s clothes.
this is great! and thanks to janimpala for all the information, too.
i missed the Holiday Train last year – it was taken out of service due to some track condition but the MTA did not tell anyone at our end (23rd Ely). i’m sard to say that i waited with a friend for almost 40 minutes. that’s how badly i wanted to try the vintage train. 🙁
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