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Queensboro Bridge Railway cars

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  • Member since
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  • From: Toronto, Canada
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Posted by 54light15 on Saturday, August 12, 2017 9:34 AM

RME- I was born on Long Island in 1955, but I sure don't remember any steam boats growing up except for the Hudson River Day Line boat, the Alexander Hamilton which was advertised on TV. I wonder where that one is now. Likely scrapped, I guess. 

Firelock, I got very sick of the song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" back in the day. WABC played it to death. Thank you Cousin Brucie! 

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Posted by Firelock76 on Saturday, August 12, 2017 8:46 AM

54light15

The sidewheeler "Priscilla"- A beautiful ship. I wonder what is it's story? Not to sidetrack the thread. But I do recall the Simon and Garfunkel song, "Feeling Groovy" also subtitiled, "The 59th Street Bridge song." I still wonder why. 

 

Yeah, I've wondered about that for years myself, why "Feelin' Groovy" is also called the "59th Street Bridge Song."  The bridge isn't mentioned in the song at all.   Maybe they were inspired to write the song after a stroll through the neighborhood, or over the bridge?

If I ever run into Paul Simon or Art Garfunkle I'll have to ask 'em.

Anyway, the bridge is now callled the "Ed Koch-Queensboro Bridge," the "Koch" added in memory of the late mayor.

I caught Paul Simon doing "Bridge Over Troubled Water" at the Democratic convention last year.  Sad to watch, he doesn't have "it" anymore. 

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Posted by Miningman on Friday, August 11, 2017 9:44 PM

Nice.

I get the willies just watching the clip. 

RME
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Posted by RME on Friday, August 11, 2017 8:48 PM

54light15
The sidewheeler "Priscilla"- A beautiful ship. I wonder what is its story?

You must not be from the East Coast.

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  • From: Toronto, Canada
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Posted by 54light15 on Friday, August 11, 2017 7:47 PM

The sidewheeler "Priscilla"- A beautiful ship. I wonder what is it's story? Not to sidetrack the thread. But I do recall the Simon and Garfunkel song, "Feeling Groovy" also subtitiled, "The 59th Street Bridge song." I still wonder why. 

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Toronto, Canada
  • 2,560 posts
Posted by 54light15 on Friday, August 11, 2017 9:56 AM

I remember the tracks on either side of the bridge in the 1960s. I think they just went back and forth and were the last streetcars to run in New York until the Buffalo system opened. 

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Posted by MidlandMike on Thursday, August 10, 2017 7:43 PM

Did the trolleys just run back and forth on the bridge, or did they continue farther?

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, August 10, 2017 8:25 AM

And I beleive this is at the other end of the Bridge, coming off into the Queeensboro Plaza area:

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, August 10, 2017 8:22 AM

A few minutes later:

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Queensboro Bridge Railway cars
Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, August 10, 2017 8:21 AM

Here is a view at the 59th Street entrance to the eastbound vehicular roadway of the Bridge.  The car is one of those built for the Manhattan Bridge Three Cent line for the opening of that bridge, sold to Stienway Lines or NY & Queens Couny Transit when the 3-cent line closed because of subway competition, and then overhauled in the Third Avenue's 65th and 3rd shops for service on the single remaining line of the Queens' streetcar systems when the last Steinway line closed in 1939.  These cars were replaced by Osgood Bradley "Automotive" cars, very similar to Brill Masterunits, from New Bedford, in November 1947, with the former connecting track to the 59th St. Crosstown, seen in the picture, used for unloading the cars from flatbed trailers.

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