#nytmcollection

[mtaartsdesign]

"Poetry in Motion at 25" is #NowOnView at The New York Transit Museum Grand Central Terminal Gallery! Presented by the Poetry Society of America, MTA Arts & Design, and the New York Transit Museum, #PoetryinMotion25 celebrates the beloved program that has delighted subway and bus riders with its selection of short, stimulating verses from a variety of published poets since 1992 when it first displayed an excerpt from Walt Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.”

Photos by Karen Smul

[nytransitmuseum]

Happy birthday, #BrooklynBridge! When the Brooklyn Bridge opened on May 24, 1883, it was known as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, as well as the East River Bridge. It was the first link between Manhattan and Brooklyn, and over the past 135 years over 180 million pedestrians, 5 billion cars, and 120 million bicyclists have crossed over the East River via the bridge. Designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service and a New York City Landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the Brooklyn Bridge is an engineering marvel, offering both safe and scenic passage through its magnificent limestone and granite towers.

While the Brooklyn Bridge is no longer served by mass transit, some #NewYorkers may remember BMT elevated trains running via the Brooklyn Bridge from Sands Street in Brooklyn to Park Row in Lower Manhattan until 1944, as well as streetcars running across the bridge until 1950.

[nytransitmuseum]

#TodayInHistory: #OnThisDay in 1918, the IRT West Side line was officially opened south of Times Square. Prior to August 1, multiple shuttle services ran on the south half of the line. When Fulton St station opened on July 1, 1918 a shuttle service was implemented between Chambers and Wall Street to serve the station. A month later, the north side of the IRT West Side line (part of #NYC’s original subway) was officially joined with the new stations south of Times Square. This new system, under the Dual Contracts, was known as the “H” system and resulted in the IRT East Side line being extended north of 42nd Street and the IRT West Side line being extended south of 42nd Street.

The photo below from the #NYTMCollection was taken at Park Place station in 1965. Do you visit this station on your daily commute?

[nytransitmuseum]

#TodayinHistory: #OnThisDay in 1953, subway and bus fares rose to 15 cents. Because subway turnstiles could not accept more than one coin, the iconic #NYCsubway token was introduced. The original subway token has been dubbed the “small Y” token and was used in the system from 1953 – 1970. In 1966, the fare was raised to 20 cents. During the token’s 50 years in circulation, many variations were introduced including the “Bullseye”, “Five Boroughs”, and “Diamond Jubilee” tokens. Learn more about transit fare collection in our exhibit, Ticket to Ride, #NowonView at the #Museum in Downtown Brooklyn.

Do you have any original tokens in your collection?

[nytransitmuseum]

#TodayinHistory: #OnThisDay in 1965, the last BMT D-Type Triplex cars ran via West End local during the morning rush hour.

The BMT first introduced D-Type cars to the #NYC subway system in 1925 as part of an effort to transition from wooden cars to steel-bodied cars, a safer alternative. The official arrival of the D-Type fleet in 1927 allowed many A/B Standards (aka BRT Standards) to be transferred to the East New York division, thus replacing the wooden elevated cars. The D-Types originally ran via the BMT Fourth Avenue local in Brooklyn, terminating at Queensboro Plaza. Eventually, they were transferred to the Sea Beach express line.

Have you ever taken a trip on the Museum’s #vintage D-Type Triplexes?

[nytransitmuseum]

The New York Central Rail Road was formed in 1853 by an amalgamation of various smaller railroads in upstate New York. Over the next decade, the company acquired additional independent railroad lines, but a major point of growth for the New York Central was in 1869 during the “Vanderbilt Years.” The New York Central merged with the Hudson River Railroad on November 1, 1869, connecting the whole system to #Albany to #NewYorkCity along the Hudson River.

The 1876 #map below, courtesy of the New York Transit Museum Archives, shows the extensive New York Central and Hudson River Railroad System.

[nytransitmuseum]

#OnThisDay in 2005 full service was restored on the N line between 86th Street and Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue. The restoration project first began in late 2001 on the BMT Sea Beach Line platform, which was served by the N line at all times. In late 2002, construction continued onto the BMT Brighton and IND Culver lines. One platform for the D train remained open at all times so that the station would not have to cease operation fully. During construction, the station’s façade was fully restored and solar panels were installed on the new roof.

Today, the station is served at all times by the D, F, N, and Q trains, but on Sunday, July 8th, you can take a special ride out to Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue on our vintage BMT B-Type Standards and BMT D-Type Triplex cars! Learn more at www.nytransitmuseum.org/nostalgiarides.

[nytransitmuseum]

#DidYouKnow that Queensboro Plaza was once double the size that it is today?

The current upper and lower level platforms were once both served by the IRT line via the Queensboro Bridge and the Steinway Tunnel. The BMT had a similar track configuration north of the IRT tracks with two tracks on the upper level and two on the lower level.

The southern tracks on the IRT platform were served by trains from the Steinway Tunnel to Flushing and back to Manhattan on the lower level; there was a double crossover in place allowing trains to switch lines upon entering or leaving the station. The northern tracks on the IRT platform were served by Second Avenue El trains via the Queensboro Bridge. On the BMT tracks, trains arrived via the 60th Street Tunnel from the BMT Broadway line on the upper level and returned to Manhattan via the lower level.

Until 1949, both the Astoria and Flushing lines were served by the BMT and IRT. The platforms were too narrow for most BMT cars, so the company used their elevated cars for the shuttle service. In order to avoid free transfers between the two lines, each company had their own entrances to the platforms. In 1949, the BMT began serving the two northern tracks that were once used by the IRT. In 1964, the original BMT platforms on the northern end of Queensboro Plaza were demolished. Today, the station is served by the N and 7 trains at all times and the W train on weekdays.