9th ave El picture book pt 1

[@annmariepowers6641]

As a lifelong New Yorker, this video is an extraordinary document of Manhattan before WWII. Mayor Laguardia was making a huge effort to rid the City of its streetcar lines and EL lines. We can see the WPA was brought in to remove the trolley tracks with had center electric conduit as the center rail. What is striking (among so many things) is how industrial NYC was then. Back then, the City was all about factories making stuff, wholesaling, warehousing, shipping, etc. ...today it's finance, technology, media, etc. Amazing document....thank you for this great video (and your others).

[@intercityrailpal]

Early GM at work, if rail could be removed in Manhattan it could be rid of anywhere. It will take billions to replace it someday. 50 other cities have or will. But the lobbies keep it out off NY City. Light Rail that is. GM had cost the country billions and billions in bailouts ! It's a dirty company!

[@Interscope100]

Do you think that Mayor Laguardia made a mistake in getting rid of the El trains?

[@jimkelly4214]

​@@Interscope100Hell yes! And the same mistakes were made in Chicago.

[@strtgtr66]

I couldn't believe when I saw St. Paul The Apostle church on 59TH &9th. The EL is long since gone.

[@Larry-qz3es]

Both the 9th Avenue and 2nd Avenue EL (North of 59th Street) was discontinued on the same day, June 11, 1940.

[@intercityrailpal]

Junk sold to Japan and they shot it back at us!

[@edwinromandotcom]

This is nothing short of extraordinary. Thank you for putting this together!

[@flyingspirit3549]

What a wonderful historic record of a city where I once lived, but where what we see here was long gone before I was born! Thanks so much for sharing this with us!!

[@haroldalexis4200]

Very impressed. Now i'm viewing part 2... 👍👌

[@roadtrip2943]

I rode as a kid Jerome, white plains, some 3rd ave , Westchester, myrtle the Manhattan els long gone before my time. Manhattan el riding would have been something , some town then

[@Woodrow3170]

If you Google map some of these areas it is simply amazing what stood there back then and what's there today!

[@christorpher84]

It’s very interesting and amazing! What should be included on the Photo is The Year if possible 😊!!!!!!😮

[@paulwarner5395]

Thanx for the great post. Some of the streetcar tracks being removed look like old cable car tracks as they still have the center cable trough. Great pictures of old New York. Would have loved to have taken a rid on the El but it must have been very noisy but I guess the sections of the subway that still use the old elevated sections must also be noisy these days..

[@warrengibson7898]

NYC streetcars got power from a trough rather than an overhead wire. Same in DC

[@wallcderand6774]

Ran to polio grounds thantorhe Bronx and up to 167 Street when 9th was torn downshuttle continued to Bronx bad move eli.inati g the 9th

[@maxemomaxemo6250]

AMAZING..........................WOW

[@intercityrailpal]

EL needed to be modernized not removed. Be handy in storms like what happens to South Ferry subway today! Subways are not a good idea anymore.

[@andrewweitzman4006]

One of the reasons why the subway was built was the failure of the els during the Great 1888 Blizzard, when the tracks became too iced up to function.

[@kentchin2249]

amazing pictures

[@johnrobinsoniii4028]

A long time before I was born.

[@Interscope100]

Such incredible and amazing transit workmanship that should have never been dismantled 🫤