Our Subway In The 1970's

[EE Broadway Local]

Times were not the best to be sure but we still had fun. Subway maps looked like a rainbow. There were double letters. Platforms had vending machines and many stations had shops. My hope for this thread is to share some memories, what it was like and show we had good times in spite of the bad.

[Brighton Local]

Dont forget

 

Hijacking of the Lexington Av Local...

[Pablo M 201]

Dont forget

 

Hijacking of the Lexington Av Local...

"1:23 PM, a crowded subway train starts its run from Pelham station in the Bronx. 1:45 PM, 4 desperate heavily armed men seize control of the train...."

[Brighton Local]

Love that open caption:D

[R1Toasty]

If only I was alive then... oh well, Pelham One Two Three is still a great movie.

[Amtrak]

I used to ride the subways to work in the early 1970's with the straw seats. it was cheap and fun.

[Brighton Local]

Viewing older pictures of the system through out the 70's , one can clearly view that mixed consists were an everyday thing. Not like today mixing an R40M with an R42, but combining R-21's with R-17's with R-12's; man everyday was a museum SMEE Fan trip..

[Pablo M 201]

Viewing older pictures of the system through out the 70's , one can clearly view that mixed consists were an everyday thing. Not like today mixing an R40M with an R42, but combining R-21's with R-17's with R-12's; man everyday was a museum SMEE Fan trip..

Hehe. Ya. And then you had a fun consist one day that had R32s, R40 Slants, R40Ms, and R42s. The R27/30s were rarely mixed with anything else from the pictures that I've seen over time from that period of time.

[EE Broadway Local]

R1-9s and R10s also were never mixed. Eighth Avenue was fun. During rush hours the (AA) turned into the ( and the ran in its' place. The ran to Coney Island via Brighton Local weekdays 6am to 8pm. The ran rush hours but was infrequently seen.

[Brighton Local]

I guess, those were the days, huh... lol

[Harry]

I have a few pictures as a kid in the subway during the late 70s and people looked happier then. Almost everyone had smiles.

 

Lets ask ourselves why:

 

Better service then?

Cheaper fares then?

Just happier times then?

[sebbieprops]

I have a few pictures as a kid in the subway during the late 70s and people looked happier then. Almost everyone had smiles.

 

Lets see why:

 

Better service then?

Cheaper fares then?

Just happier times then?

 

Most likely, one of the first two. I doubt they were happier times, since New York saw a significant decadance in the 1970's, both politically and economically.

 

I was born in 1987, so I have no first-hand knowledge of what it was like, but I've heard from family, friends and neighbors that my neighborhood looked like a warzone in the 1970's. Abandoned buildings and burned out storefronts, block after block; the only thing standing was the 41st Precinct NYPD station house.

[Harry]

Most likely, one of the first two. I doubt they were happier times, since New York saw a significant decadance in the 1970's, both politically and economically.

 

I was born in 1987, so I have no first-hand knowledge of what it was like, but I've heard from family, friends and neighbors that my neighborhood looked like a warzone in the 1970's. Abandoned buildings and burned out storefronts, block after block; the only thing standing was the 41st Precinct NYPD station house.

 

I grew up in a pretty nice section of Brooklyn in a beautiful Brownstone house with tree lined streets. I can tell you that it looked nothing like a war zone. It almost looks exactly the same now. Its just the Brownstones are now worth almost $1,000,000.

 

I met my mom earlier today at a family function and I asked her about the 70s. She did tell me that times were a little happier then. The subways looked like crap though. Then she asked me why did I ask and I told her never mind.

[Tracknut]

Most likely, one of the first two. I doubt they were happier times, since New York saw a significant decadance in the 1970's, both politically and economically.

 

I was born in 1987, so I have no first-hand knowledge of what it was like, but I've heard from family, friends and neighbors that my neighborhood looked like a warzone in the 1970's. Abandoned buildings and burned out storefronts, block after block; the only thing standing was the 41st Precinct NYPD station house.

 

If you grew up in the Bronx I understand why things were like they were up there. I also grew up in Brooklyn. A very nice part of Brooklyn.

[sebbieprops]

If you grew up in the Bronx I understand why things were like they were up there.

 

I grew up in the Bronx, but it was after the area became developed. I was born in Washington Heights, and I lived there until the summer of 1992 (David Dinkins was mayor then, of course). My family came to the Bronx before I was even five years old, so I have very few memories of living in Washington Heights, and thus I consider myself a native Bronxite (although technically, I'm not).

 

The time that they say this area of the Bronx (where I live now, Morrisania/Hunts Point) was all burnt, was around 1971 through 1981, long before I was even born.

 

I wonder why the economic decline affected the south Bronx so much more harshly than any other areas of New York City.

[Eastman346]

I just spoke to my uncle and I asked him about the subways in the 70s. he goes on to mention the vendors, heavy smoking (Cigarettes, Pot), heavy drinking, filthy stations and no police. sounds like the 70s to me:D.

[BMT4Life]

I just spoke to my uncle and I asked him about the subways in the 70s. he goes on to mention the vendors, heavy smoking (Cigarettes, Pot), heavy drinking, filthy stations and no police. sounds like the 70s to me:D.

 

That's sound about right. I remember people lighting up between cars as soon as the train left Pacific street. The police, very little preseance in those times if not at all. I remember taking the subway in the 70's for a movie in Time Square. People were happier then. People were more carefree then. It was a different attitude than what it is now. Ah those were the days.

[Dedos]

Does anyone have any photos of old maps or old trains of that era? Some visual representation would be great!

[Tracknut]

Does anyone have any photos of old maps or old trains of that era? Some visual representation would be great!

 

Besides the usual subway resource (nycsubway.org) that you may already know about I don't think anyone here has any. The site banners have a few 70's subway on them.

[Brighton Local]

Does anyone have any photos of old maps or old trains of that era? Some visual representation would be great!

 

Hey Dedos, you can check out the new Sticky thread I started; the 1979 NYC Subway Map.

 

Click here:

 

http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1265

[EE Broadway Local]

One item I'd like to touch on is our subway became smaller. The Myrtle Avenue El closed on October 4, 1969; The Third Avenue El on April 29, 1973; The Culver Shuttle on May 18, 1975. In 1977 the Jamaica El began being shortened toward 121st Street. Altogether we lost approximately seventeen miles and thirty stations (including South Ferry Inner Loop.).

[Brighton Local]

One item I'd like to touch on is our subway became smaller. The Myrtle Avenue El closed on October 4, 1969; The Third Avenue El on April 29, 1973; The Culver Shuttle on May 18, 1975. In 1977 the Jamaica El began being shortened toward 121st Street. Altogether we lost approximately seventeen miles and thirty stations (including South Ferry Inner Loop.).

 

 

 

Wow. I guess we really didnt know how much we lost until it was gone :eek:

[Queens Surface]

The 1970s The Afro times