nyc subway history do you know your history?

[3rd Avenue El]

okay ill begin the nyc subway first started on october 4 1904 with the irt running from city hall to 145th street harlem. the subway's first stop was city hall loop the now abandoned station and the most famous. the irt line then ran up lexington avenue using 4 tracks 2 express and 2 local. first of its kind in the world. then the lexington line took a sharp turn onto 42nd street using the present day grand central shuttle tracks. after passing through times sq the tracks line up with broadway still using the 4 track config. ran up all along broadway till 103 street were the line split off into 2 lines one line kept going to harlem while the other line kept going to 137th street to be used as a storage yard and a stepping stone for future expansion. the line that went to harlem went right under central park till lenox avenue there the line turned north and headed north on lenox avenue while at 135th street 2 tracks split off northeast to the bronx for further expansion. the harlem line kept going until lenox terminal in harlem. the slogan at the time was:

 

city hall to harlem in 15 minutes. the cars used at that time were gibbs all steel cars. in this thread we will discuss the history of the subway including the rolling stock used along the way. right now we are focusing on the irt i will post the notification when we move onto the bmt and ind thank you. :cool:

[3rd Avenue El]

okay the link to the irt map is below

[3rd Avenue El]

 

http://nycsubway.org/perl/show?17506 okay theres the link to nycsubway.org for the irt map sorry for posting it twice just got confused.

[Kamen Rider]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Bus Guy]

are you implying we're stupid..?

 

Hey oh chill man, a little history lesson never hurt anyone.

[3rd Avenue El]

no this thread is like a quiz. you say what you know and keep going. why would i say you guys are stupid? :cry::cry::cry: i just want to do an interactive thread which everybody can participate in. i'm a big subway fan but i don't now everything thats why i did this thread so everybody could learn from everybodys knowledge. but now i think i might just shut down this thread because of that comment. just nobody assume im saying yall stupid:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

[Roadcruiser1]

You are kinda stupid. I think the thread to this exist as the Rapid Transit Trivia. We do history questions there too if you weren't to lazy to shove your as* around and look.

http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4731&page=65

[Broadway Local]

This is what pops in to my head:

 

:lock::lock::lock:

[EE Broadway Local]

Hi 3rd Ave El. Welcome to our community! Nice thread. I believe the I.R.T. subway actually opened on Thursday October 27, 1904.

The reason I remember the date is because sixty-eight years later, on October 27, 1972, Mayor Lindsay and Governor Rockerfeller broke ground at East 103d Street and Second Avenue for the Second Avenue Subway.

[3rd Avenue El]

thank you ee broadway local i thought the subway opened october 4 1904 i guess i got the date wrong.

[EE Broadway Local]

Adding to 3rd Ave. El's post:

The first extension to the new subway line opened on November 12, 1904. This extended the line to 157th Street.

An I.R.T. map in The New York Subway Interborough Rapid Transit shows the line was to extend to Bailey Avenue in The Bronx with further stations at 168th Street, 181st Street, Dyckman Street, 207th Street, 215th Street, Muscoota Street and Bailey Avenue. The terminal would be near the New York And Putnam Railroad Station.

A change in plans was made and the line instead was extended on Broadway to West 242d Street. 191st Street was also added as a station, opening in 1911.

[3rd Avenue El]

omg EE broadway local i did not know that wow how much more do you know?!! your bigger subway fan then i am. :eek::eek::eek:

[EE Broadway Local]

Before the Gibbs Steel Cars, which were Hi-V's (High Voltage). There was something called a Composite.

What was a Composite? Simply, it was a wood car with protection. The sides were of copper offering protection to a car that was made of wood.

Inside was a mahogony handrail that had 38 leather straps per side for standees. These were attached to the car by brass sockets at each end and supported by brass fixtures.

The Composites, like the Gibbs that would shortly follow had a door only at each end - two doors per car. In this way, they resembled a railroad passenger car.

[traildriver]

okay ill begin the nyc subway first started on october 4 1904 with the irt running from city hall to 145th street harlem. the subway's first stop was city hall loop the now abandoned station and the most famous. the irt line then ran up lexington avenue using 4 tracks 2 express and 2 local. first of its kind in the world. then the lexington line took a sharp turn onto 42nd street using the present day grand central shuttle tracks. after passing through times sq the tracks line up with broadway still using the 4 track config. ran up all along broadway till 103 street were the line split off into 2 lines one line kept going to harlem while the other line kept going to 137th street to be used as a storage yard and a stepping stone for future expansion. the line that went to harlem went right under central park till lenox avenue there the line turned north and headed north on lenox avenue while at 135th street 2 tracks split off northeast to the bronx for further expansion. the harlem line kept going until lenox terminal in harlem. the slogan at the time was:

 

city hall to harlem in 15 minutes. the cars used at that time were gibbs all steel cars. in this thread we will discuss the history of the subway including the rolling stock used along the way. right now we are focusing on the irt i will post the notification when we move onto the bmt and ind thank you. :cool:

One point....didn't the route south of 42nd street go under 4th avenue now called Park Avenue?

I don't think there was service under Lexington Avenue until the new east side line was built later....it makes a diagonal turn under GCT to reach Lex.

[MikeGerald]

On November 23, 1904 - service on the Lenox Avenue branch of the original IRT subway opened up to 145th Street. The 148th Street-Lenox Yard was the major train yard for the original IRT subway. Of course further extensions of the IRT subway in the west and central Bronx, as well as connections with the IRT elevated lines did occur later on.

 

Mike