Subway Roulette

Balloonhedz: 22nd Oct 2005 - 17:56 GMT

only the locomotive is at Stillwell. The R9 Work Motor is at Bway/Myrtle.

Peter: 24th Oct 2005 - 18:36 GMT

oh wow, these rule. gotta love the work trains. it never fails... a late night, coming home after something, sitting in the station forever waiting for a train to come... then you hear the rumble, from far away... as it approaches, the yellow work train appears in the station, going slowly, filling the whole platform with diesel fumes ;)

and wow! the old stillwell station! i gotta dig up some photos of that. sure is different now, eh?

Balloonhedz: 24th Oct 2005 - 20:29 GMT

yup..you usually smell it before you see it. Even after the exhaust has been run through the water filter. Theyre not supposed to run diesels underground. The LIRR used to have diesel hauled freight into Flatbush Ave Terminal. The south half of the tracks were for electric passenger trains. The upper half were referred to as Express (as in railway express aka freight) Tracks. There was access to a meat packing plant down there etc. The old terminal was a fascinating place when you knew what you were looking at. If you know where to look in their Vanderbilt Ave Yard you should still be able to see the ramp from the below street level yard up onto the short elevated structure over the south sidewalk of Atlantic Ave. Im kicking myself for never having gotten pix of the structure.

Balloonhedz: 24th Oct 2005 - 20:31 GMT

Oh...and I liked the old Stillwell Ave better. My first Coney hot dog was NOT at Nathans...but rather at the TA employee luncheonette on the overpass. I used to ride with a Motorman. He never let me anywhere NEAR the street and wouldnt take me to Nathans cuz of the area. Jesus almost 30 years ago.

Peter: 24th Oct 2005 - 20:34 GMT

wow, i live right near the atlantic yards... is that what you mean by the vanderbilt ave yard?

Balloonhedz: 24th Oct 2005 - 21:09 GMT

Yup. the FIRST of two portals (south side of the tunnel) comes out into daylight and the yard at Vanderbilt Ave. There were two yard designations years ago..VD Upper and VD Lower. The structure might still be there too...but I doubt its active anymore...used to be Vanderbilt Car Shops under the overhanging sidewalk.

Peter: 25th Oct 2005 - 13:47 GMT

sweet! i know exactly where youre talking about. i think its a bus layup now. the other side is a layup for metro north trains.

Peter: 26th Oct 2005 - 17:32 GMT

oh, duh... i knew that, of course, just commenting faster than i could think ;)

Balloonhedz: 27th Oct 2005 - 14:59 GMT

dont worry til you have entire weeks like that ;-)

jack: 27th Oct 2005 - 15:34 GMT

coney was a mysterious place for kids. there were many interesting places you could visit for excitement. the fortune tellers were the gypsies of new york city who would come down to coney for the summer to make a quick buck. they would flirt with you and you could grab their asses for a cheap boyhood thrill. there were pickpockets and con men. side shows of freeks and dancing girls that would give you a thrill. my buddy's father owned the old 'stauches baths' which was on the boardwalk up from nathans. now remember its not called the broadwalk but rather the boardwalk. the hookers came out after dark and thats how it got the nickname broadwalk. remember when the trains had cane seats. no plastic but cane and when it would turn at high speeds you could slide on the seat. that area from gravesend to coney to sheepshead to bensonhurst was mostly italian and irish. you could get a glass of beer for a nickel.

Balloonhedz: 27th Oct 2005 - 22:05 GMT

YAAAY CONEY!~
Hey Jack...have you (or are you already) considered posting on the Coney Island USA Message Boards?