Inbound Boston Orange Line on El

Taken on a charter trip for NMRA in 1986, this video shows the Boston el in its last year of operation.

[@rpop414]

My friends and I rode the Orange Line back in the 60's as kids. We lived in Everett and we would ride from Everett Station to Forest Hills and cross over and ride back to Everett Station over and over again sometimes stopping at Sullivan station to get something to eat at the diner there. Great memories. Thanks for the video.

[@Clavichordist]

I got a ride in 1969 up in the motorman's cab. I was 8 at the time and still remember the trip to Forrest Hills then up to Sullivan Square back to North Station where my dad and I took the train home from.

[@brhoroal7166]

OMG, getting a warm feeling in my pit. We didn't know how good we had it. From one side of the city to the other in minutes. No traffic headaches. Rail screeching. Wonder if that contributed to my hearing loss. But like beautiful music now. You would think I would have noticed as sun began to hit places it never had before, when the rails were coming down, but missed it. These videos are great. Watched the Trolley ride from 1903. If only BPS made history so interesting. BTW we just called these trains- "take the train from and to". The whole system, w/ buses was called the "T"

[@colonial6452]

My grandfather had a barber shop on Washington St. As a child , I rode the Elevated and got off at Dover St. Station. Only five cents in the late 50’s. I did not realize that the Dover St. area was considered seedy. No problems in those days.

[@derricklowe2823]

I remember riding this Orange Line Train 🚉 quite often when I first came to Boston from my native home in Los Angeles and I had never rode on a subway train before that. I use to ride it from North Station and sometimes Haymarket Station to Dudley Station. I was a little saddening when I found out that it is no longer up there anymore.

[@geraldfahey2681]

I remember the sub shop "ugi's",in Dudley Square

[@rodeliot]

@Mz2Classy4U88 In 1987 the line was relocated to share right of way with the northeast corridor(Amtrak) and the elevated structure was torn down supposedly in the interest of revitalizing Washington st. which is a major thoroughfare in Boston and the original U.S. route 1. Having been born in Boston and revisited several times a year, I can say revitalization has been slow to come. This line was the Americas 1st elevated to subway line and the 1st hi platform subway. c.1901

[@sa13mztrackstar1626]

Those were the great days in boston

[@markjwil]

I LOVED the EL. Thanks for the memories. Used to take the #29 bus from Mattapan to Egleston, and ride the Orange Line from Egleston to Washington station.

[@RaisedLetter]

Not going to say I wish I knew what it was like to ride on the Boston El but it's a big step forward to get this line underground.

[@viewmaster617]

I remember my Mother and I riding the train all the way to Chinatown so I can play at the arcades ahh memories

[@SAMUELHOWARDBROWN]

LOL I was 4 years old! Don't have too many memories of the El but it's cool to see as a young Bostonian. Looks Dangerous though!

[@grt021965]

Miss the old Orange linebut you'll be happy to know I ride the same trains on the relocated Orange LineThese trains are 30 + years old Time for an upgrade MBTA

[@jackielawson9914]

and I never want to different trains but I want on the MBTA Orange Line all the time

[@mistabigmike]

Man i remember the days

[@at90percent]

9:22 crossing the Mass Turnpike. That was definately a 1980's quality color video camera. Notice the sky keeps changing colors constantly. ; )

[@anthonywilliams7110]

If the mbta was smart, they would have kept this. I miss the old El system

[@seanwil545]

Great video, I use to get off at the Dover stop when I missed the bus to the Quincy School. That's building on the left with the yellow trim 9min in. As an adult I worked in the Teradyne building on the right, also 9min in. I spend hardly any time in that area Boston these day, but was certainly sad to see the "L" go as a kid. I have to say looking back it it now, it was a total eye-sore, the area looks so much nicer and far less decrepit today. The "L" dripped rusty water on rainy days.

[@jackielawson9914]

and by Washington Street the the Train the fuking train is still over there

[@msibnsf]

This was a charter trip. A ticket holder was late and could not make it in time for the departure at the end terminal. He is on the platform at this station. The operator stopped but was afraid that all doors would be opened by the conductor so she wanted to pull up to the normal berthing mark. The passengers thought the man was being left so they hollered...."Hold it." David

[@jackielawson9914]

and a little girl got killed in his in the train door she got crushed after she got it's crushed her arm was crushed off and her head was off in her head full right off on the train tracks

[@rail64]

@rodeliot Chicago has KEPT and expanded its L system and continues to thrive. The expanded L's seem to be good for the city. Look at the Midway Line. Who could ever imagine what would happen if the Loop were taken down?

[@Boston_123]

At 7:26 that is a piece by old school boston graffiti writer WISDOM. it was there up until 2004

[@kendufresne]

Is there a picture or video of the OL at North Station? I remember riding the GL to the old stop above ground, I just can't seem to place the OL at North Station.

[@anthonycothran352]

Chicago still has elevated train to this day.

[@nkeemahdarrah8782]

boston still has elevated trains we had more than one this one is just gone now

[@CJaguar265]

can you tell me how to get to St. Eligius i have a 12:00pm appointment with dr. craig

[@msibnsf]

I looked at 7:26 and didn't see anyone on a roof top. We do pick up a ticketed passenger a half minute later. David Harrison

[@CynthiaStAmand-bq9nd]

WHY didn't they show the buildings just after Northhampton!!! Just before/at the cemetary on the right... :( The Chatham is where I grew up!!!!

[@jimamia77]

Just like NYC!

[@RobertPaniagua]

Too bad the train couldn't do 40 MPH, that would have been cool, since the EL was out of ATO Territory, the EL was on block signals without timers thus enabling the trains to do a bit faster that this one. Great footage BTW, and nice shots out front, I also got to see the engineer and the controls

[@pilsudski36]

If you watched the cab speedometers, these trains regularly did well over forty on the El.

[@rich-qk7dc]

I tell younger people about this and they don't believe my

[@Pacmannion]

What's with the "Hold it!" at 7:52?

[@HelloooThere]

used to be called the Flannagan

[@reydesign1]

I wonder who that was on that roof top at 7:26

[@reydesign1]

Now that I watch it again I can only make out the (S) but that's about it!

[@jackielawson9914]

and it was on breaking news that little that little girl that got crushed and she was so cute when she got on the train and he's here she sticks her the little girl was so so cute but she got crushed know it was on breaking news and her head got crushed and after head got crushed her arm and leg the police found the a little girl dead on the train tracks and then they saw the driver and then the boss fired the driver

[@reydesign1]

sorry I should have made it more clear...not an actual person, but someones graffiti name on the rooftop! It might not be anything but I'm always on the look out for classic graff.

[@jackielawson9914]

and I can't believe that she got crushed cuz her damn mother was wasn't even watching her because she was sitting over there talking to her friend in the little girl. So now she's at the cemetery

[@at90percent]

Sorry, Mass Pike at 9:20.

[@marcoperez6952]

Looks allot like Chicago's L.

[@punman5392]

Those tracks look decrepit. The ride is way too bumpy to look at all safe.

[@railstoruin]

Mindless Self Indulgence Burlington Northern Santa Fe?

[@JO-so1dk]

There is no way any of the footage claiming to be real 1980s footage is real. How many people were toting around movie cameras on the T in the 1980s, or any time period prior to cell phones with cameras built in? Virtually all old footage of streets, buses, trains is fake. Old movie cameras were extremely bulky and most were not even mobile! They had to be set up in one spot. Highly unlikely anyone would set up a movie camera on a moving train back in the old days just to film the scenery outside the window.

[@msibnsf]

You are a fool. I MADE THE VIDEO.

[@JO-so1dk]

msibnsf ok it's possible some of the old footage is real, in which case I apologise if yours is in fact real. What I should have said is that quite a lot of "vintage footage" on the internet is very fake which I'm sure you would agree since you have experience with film. I appreciate the real ones but I am very disappointed by the fake lies out there.

[@msibnsf]

I have videoed since 1977. That was bxw, on 1/4 in. tape. I moved up to VHS, then through the miniDV and Digital 8. I videoed the Blue and the Orange line in Boston. I accept your apology.

[@martintyler4962]

This is by absolutely no means a fake video, as I have ridden that EL for many years, in fact, I may have even been literally on this very train, as there was a great deal of recording in those final days of EL service.

[@pilsudski36]

If you were present in the eighties, you would know that light and compact movie and video cameras were widely used.