NEW YORK (WCBS 880) -- New Yorkers who want to take a trip down memory lane can do so in a subway car or a dozen of them at one Brooklyn museum.
In today's Sweet Spot, Mike Sugerman takes us on a very special tour of the New York Transit Museum.
"The New York City subway system is over 100 years old, it was a miracle of modern technology," said Todd Glickman, WCBS 880's meteorologist and transit expert who is one of the charter members of the museum. "I've always had an interest in the New York City subway system as a little kid growing up in the Bronx."
As part of the annual Hungerthon auction on WCBS 880, Glickman donates this tour to the highest bidder every year.
Another popular part of the tour comes from another familiar voice, Bloomberg business reporter Charlie Pellet. And If asked, and he was, he's kind enough to share the seven words he utters as the voice of the city's subway system -- "Stand clear of the closing doors please!"
Check out the video above to see some of the many treasures at the museum.
Thant was fun David, thanks a lot!
Everyone else, click on "Sweet Spot" and scroll down, you'll enjoy it!
Very Interesting!
We traveled to New York in 1950? CPR/NJRY/D&H/NYC and stayed in a hotel downtown.
Visited all the sites incl. The Empire State Building, the Automat, using the Subways.
Fascinating.
Thank You Very Much. Sir!
A question- The transit museum is in a former station, Schermerhorn street, right? So how do regular subway trains divert around it?
That is awesome! Thanks for the video.
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The NY Transit Museum occupies the former IND Court Street station that is the end of a spur; it is located two blocks west from the A/C/G lines at Hoyt-Schermerhorn station. Court Street was deactivated many years ago and subsequently became an exhibit space for vintage subway cars about the time of the 1964/65 World's Fair at Flushing Meadows; this then-temporary exhibition space became the now-permanent transit museum.
You can reach the station/museum entrance only at the corner of Court and Schermerhorn Streets as there is no service to it from the rest of the subway system. Its website is <www.nytransitmuseum.org> for details, hours, and admission costs.
“Things of quality have no fear of time.”
Thanks Warren- I will check it out the next time I'm in New York.
54light15 A question- The transit museum is in a former station, Schermerhorn street, right? So how do regular subway trains divert around it?
You might find this track map of interest. It is from the web site nycsubway.org and is of the area including the museum.
https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/caption.pl?/img/trackmap/detail-hoytberg.png
The spur was designed to be part of an additional under-East-River tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan, possibly connecting to the 2nd Avenue Subway. During its years of passenger service, it was served by one four-car R-1 - R-9 train marked HH Shuttle, Court Street, Jay-Schermerhorn, usually on the north track. Court Street, the Museum site, is a typical two-track, single-center-platform station with bumper blocks on the west end. Jay-Schermerhorn has six tracks, the outer ones coming from Court Street going to the Fulton Street local tracks; next are the tracks coming from Fulton Street,Manhattan, used by the A and C, going to the Fulton Street express tracks, with the C using crossovers to and from the local tracks, and the innermost pair used by the G. The two inner island platforms are used, the outer pair closed, but the northern one was used as long as the HH ran.
Thanks Electroliner- on the map at the top left it says, money train platforms. Wasn't there a movie about a money train? I mean, is that for real?
The NYCTA does have some R-95 Revenue Collection cars in service that serve to collect excess cash from various station agents
54light15 ...on the map at the top left it says, money train platforms. Wasn't there a movie about a money train? I mean, is that for real?
Remember that in the days before Metrocards and the like, the subway used tokens. Lots and lots and lots of tokens, that had to be collected from the turnstiles at all the stations, or be brought back to the booths for sale to passengers, along with what had to be quite a bit of small change for each morning in the days of fractional-dollar fares. This in addition to the all-cash-at-the-time revenue from sale of tokens.
The original 'small' token I remember from my childhood was increased in size (and weight) over the years, too.
Still as delightful as it was when I first saw one, this commemorative:
I was in NYC about 4 years ago and asked for tokens at a station at 23rd street. The lady said they hadn't used tokens in over 10 years. I've been gone a long time. We still use them in Toronto but they are going away in favour of the Presto card which is our half-a$$ed version of London's Oyster card which is state-of-the-art.
Tokens, which were never common in Chicago, have been replaced on the CTA by the Ventra card and app. The card is the equivalent of a weekly or monthly ticket on Metra and is good for unlimited rides in the appropriate timeframe.
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