Els in the Bronx

[FJ and G]

As some of you know, I spent much of my childhood in The Bronx, riding the 3rd Ave El low Vs in the early 60s. Mayor Lindsay had the el torn down, unfortunately, but it still exists in models by my friend, Joseph Frank, who rode them and photographed the els in the 50s and 60s.

He designed an eerily realistic O scale (2 rail) el system. Here's one of his web pages:

http://www.transitgallery.com/showalbum.php?aid=282&uuid=85

Dave Vergun

[Anonymous]

Dave:

I used to live near the Third Ave El when I was a kid in the Bronx. I lived near the 183rd Street station. What part of the Bronx were you from?

Tony

[FJ and G]

Tony,

Small world indeed! I lived several blocks from the Tremont station near Propect Ave. About 2 blocks further down Tremont from the 3rd Ave El you could look down off the Tremont street bridge and watch the 4-track New Haven passenger trains go zooming thru and the semaphores changing. Those old electrics were really cool and I'd sit on that bridge for hours just watching the trains. i rarely if ever saw a freight, though.

dav

[Anonymous]

For a while my grandparents lived on Vyse Ave., and I vaguely remember walking a few blocks down from their apartment to go to bakery that was under or near the El.
Bill
www.modeltrainjournal.com

[FJ and G]

Bill,

When I was a kid, we were very poor and although my dad refused welfare, we did eat that gov't surplus food that came in gray boxes--lard, cheese, and stuff.

The only treat I ever remember having (we never went out to eat or to movies or anything), was going to the bakery on Prospect st and picking up a cheese cake with cherry topping. It was so good and no place here in Virginia knows how to make a real NY cheesecake.

The other thing we sometimes got was a pizza, the kind they throw up in the air to make; way up in the air. You don't find too many good places that have those either.

Dave

[Anonymous]

David:

Ahhh, yes, Tremont Ave. I used to teach at St. Raymond's High School when I first got out of college. And I had relatives in the Parkchester area. My wife's from Parkchester, though they lived close to the Cross Bronx Expressway.

My dad worked for the City, in the Bureau of Highways. He used to fix potholes & repave streets with a gang that was based on Connor Street, near Co-Op City, at least, that's where I used to drop him off in the mornings on my way to college, before he retired. I remember going with him to Bronx City Hall near Yankee Stadium to get his pay check a couple of times when I was a little kid.

We used to take the El to get just about everywhere; downtown Manhattan, my cousins who lived on Burke Ave, then Edinwald ave & Gunther Ave, and even to get to the Port Authority Bus Terminal (for Jersey) or Penn Station (for the LIRR) to visit other relatives.

Tony

[FJ and G]

Tony,

I remember when they built the Cross Bronx Expressway. As soon as they built it, traffic backed way up! I had a lot of good times there but I don't think I'd want to live there anymore. We took the El too, to visit my uncle in Putman County, we'd take the 3rd ave el as far as it could go to White Plains. Or, down toward Manhattan & get subway to Rockaway Beach or anywhere else. We never owned or needed a car. How many kids in the USA can say they grew up riding trains and never in a car? Not that many! Sort of like a throwback to the 19th century. For distance trips we'd take the Pennsy or Central.

Dave

[Anonymous]

It was either in 1949 or 1950 when my dad and uncle Johnny took me to visit the NY Auto Show that was held in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. I clearly remember the Master of Ceremony was Frank Gallup, the anouncer with the deep voice. Anyway, we made the trip from the Bronx to mid-town via.
the subway. On the way home we stopped at one of the original brick oven pizza parlors in the Bronx. It was heaven for this six-year old!
Bill
www.modeltrainjournal.com