It's crazy to recognize parts of Washington Street from the elevated. It looks so different now! Such a shame Washington Street never got the promised rail replacement.
At about 15:50, on the left, is Franklin Square House, the building that "played" St. Eligius hospital on the TV series St. Elsewhere. The building is at the intersection of Washington and East Newton Street in the South End.
The 1963 Red Line trains were the last PCC type subway trains built in America. Brooklyn, NYC had the first PCC train in 1938. Boston and Chicago had both PCC subway and El trains.
@@interstellarphred Me and my late mother rode on them on a weekend in Boston in October in the late 1970s and they had a very smooth and breaking slowing down and the seats were soft cushioned and were orange colored if I remember correctly. The L past going south of the Hub looked almost like the 3rd Avenue El on the Bowery in Lower Manhattan back from 1878 til 1916. As a New Yorker I will take your word about the 1100s for a Bostonian!
On the last day it ran, I got on at Oak Grove in Malden and rode it all the way to the end. It was the only line I hadn't gone one-end to the other on and it was the last chance. I think they were still doing 60 cent tokens at the time.
Underneath the tracks along the Orange line were a set of heavy DC cables that powered the third rail, and many of the insulators that supported these cables were made by the New England Glass Manufacturing Company of Boston. A fair number of these were rescued by insulator collectors during the demolition of the elevated section and are sought-after additions to one's insulator collection today. (Insulator collectors have a system for identifying glass insulators, and the two styles were assigned CD 267 and CD 267.5).
I agree. It was far better than the Silver Line they have now. If they wanted they could have had both Washington Street EL and Northwest Corridor Orange Lines. Just make The Washington El Terminate at Egleston Square. That idea would have alleviate the crowded trains they today.
@@redsox1935 That is actually a great idea. It would have been great if they did that with the North side of the Orange Line too, with the Everett train going on the Charlestown Elevated, and the Oak Grove train going on the Haymarket North “Extension” (which in reality was a rerouting, not an extension)
@@mbrproductions160 The only problem is the development they have put where the orange line came out. The best solution I think is to make it a subway where the EL used to go through and end at Nubian Square or maybe have it branch out to Mattapan from there
Essex to Forest Hills brought back many memories as I worked in that area in the fifties and rode home on the L to Forest Hills picking up the trackless trolley Charles River line to Baker Street in West Roxbury.
In the fifties I worked on State Street, rode the elevated to Forest Hills and took the trackless trolley to Maple Street - not that far from you! BTW, I went to the Onley, Robert Gould Shaw and Roslindale schools.
And in that particular section of the L that opened in 1910, it looked like an L structure from Chicago that was built in the late 1910s 1910 to 1918, with steel plates under the tracks.
Oh, man. The Boeing cars came in in the late seventies, with the heater units on the bottom, between the wheels, where they could, and did, freeze solid in the proper winter conditions. Proper conditions occurring about every 2-3 weeks, January into March. The A/C units? I'm glad you asked, they were on the roof, where, baking in the sun all day they would fail. And stay failed. They actually stopped being air-conditioned cars in their third year, most of 'em. These look like post-Boeing stock, and by now the formerly "new" cars on the red line were worn in, so this probably was the best ride on the system at that point. I drove my cab under that "El" more times than you can count. Back when the world was young.
I was a fan in the 70's for the NBC Mystery Theatre on TV. They showed the Banacek series and I wanted to find where that Church was from an elevated rail on any of the lines. They filmed on the ground near the church and a train on the elevated passed by. I wondered why I could never find it!
Before north station became a bi-level station. The green line was still elevated above causeway street/canal street next to the boston garden arena where the celtics play basketball games and served an elevated north station stop. In 2004, the elevated structure was closed/demolished and the green line and orange line both shared a new north station “superstation” underground which opened on June 28, 2004. The full project was completed on November 12, 2005 and green line service resumed to science park and lechmere stations with a new tunnel portal and ramp. The station was only served by the orange line underground in 1987. The forest hills and oak grove bound-platforms were across the way of the riverside and heath street-bound platform with the union square and medford/tufts-bound platform above it, both platform were next to each other.
Its really too bad that all of the old charm and artistry are disappearing and Boston is losing its charm. I have an old insulator from the feeder cable on the catwalk.The wire marks are still in the groove. Very pretty operator with the awesome smile !
20 years ago there was a beautiful dark black bust woman in the token booth of the Rector Street subway station in the Financial District near Wall Street. I was too shy to ask if she was single and available for a date.
At 13:14, there's a section of tunnel that veers to the right. Is that what would become the tracks leading to Tufts Medical Center (formerly New England Medical Center)?
10:11, looks like state street station was undergoing reconstruction. The station received a major renovation between 1985 and 1989. Only orange line portion of the station.
At around the 13:15 mark, on the right you can see the new tunnel that would lead to new england medical center now tufts medical center, back bay and mass ave. The southwest corridor with other new stations at ruggles, roxbury crossing, jackson square, stony brook, green street and new forest hills would open on May 4, 1987, with the last revenue train rumbling down the el from forest hills to oak grove shortly before 1:30 a.m. on May 1, 1987. The tunnel after the cut off would be demolished and the tunnel right after chinatown would connect to the new one.
The last of the hawkers went out for scrapping last month, so none remain. R.I.P 1980-2024. These cars were taken out of service and they were on an elevated orange line 40 years ago and if that doesn’t sit with you enough the first rapid transit line in all of U.S. history. These cars played a critical role in MBTA history as well as them being part of the history books of the Orange Line, one of the four rapid transit heavy rail subway lines run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the Greater downtown Boston area.
@@Altasren Doubtful. There's a billboard for an Ernest movie just before Egleston in the southbound direction, which puts it at mid to late 80s -- for the Orange Line section at least
The orange line is, but not the elevated, It was moved to a depressed ROW in May, 1987 some distance away from Washington Street. The orange line has new trains now, I believe these were retired sometime in the last few years.
The only train is not in service, is the red line 01400 series. The 01400 series was replaced because it couldn’t run a six car train when the platforms were extended. Also, the 01700 series wasn’t in service yet.
David Allen you ain’t never lied, it’s Ray-Ray lol. Zodi was the flyest chick on the line. BTW happy retirement. I got 6 more years to do then I’m retiring from the MBTA as well.
It was built in two stages, first it was the terminus with a loop, then the extension to Forrest hills was built so the station had to be adjusted as well as the fact that the trolley terminal also existed within the station
Great video but I think this guy is really weird and hopefully he’s learned how to film with the camera in hand. Wish he took the zoom off while walking through the train and I also wish he’d gotten some more scenery. But thanks anyway.
Why are the stations so close to each other? They've got to get rid of every other station on this line! How can the train make good progress if it has to stop every several hundred feet?😂🤣
So this is the Boston T. I'm from L.A. Our Red & Purple Line is Entirely Underground, & the Purple Line Extension Is Under Construction & Will Open in 3 Phases in Time Before the 2028 Olympics. &... was Chicago Born & Moved to L.A. in 69, & Rode the CTA El System, & Like the T. The El Goes Through the Hoods of Chicago, on the North, South, & Westside, I Know Boston went Through Changes with the T. But don't know how Major?
It's crazy to recognize parts of Washington Street from the elevated. It looks so different now! Such a shame Washington Street never got the promised rail replacement.
I remember how open and bright it was after the L was gone.
I actually remember when North Station had separate parts for the Green and Orange Lines!
They don't any more? I left Boston in 1987. What mayhem have they been up to?
@@SmilingIbis crumbling
@@SmilingIbis They still have seperate areas for green/orange line at N. Station.
Facts that whole area looks nothing I mean nothing like it used to
At about 15:50, on the left, is Franklin Square House, the building that "played" St. Eligius hospital on the TV series St. Elsewhere. The building is at the intersection of Washington and East Newton Street in the South End.
I wish if I could travel back in time to ride the elevated orange line
The 1963 Red Line trains were the last PCC type subway trains built in America. Brooklyn, NYC had the first PCC train in 1938. Boston and Chicago had both PCC subway and El trains.
The 1400's were noisy and hard riding. The 01100's were the best rolling stock to ever run in the city; simple, quiet and reliable.
@@interstellarphred Me and my late mother rode on them on a weekend in Boston in October in the late 1970s and they had a very smooth and breaking slowing down and the seats were soft cushioned and were orange colored if I remember correctly. The L past going south of the Hub looked almost like the 3rd Avenue El on the Bowery in Lower Manhattan back from 1878 til 1916. As a New Yorker I will take your word about the 1100s for a Bostonian!
This film was in boston few months before closed on Washington Street elevated back in 1987.
On the last day it ran, I got on at Oak Grove in Malden and rode it all the way to the end. It was the only line I hadn't gone one-end to the other on and it was the last chance. I think they were still doing 60 cent tokens at the time.
This must have been quite the production to tear down.
Underneath the tracks along the Orange line were a set of heavy DC cables that powered the third rail, and many of the insulators that supported these cables were made by the New England Glass Manufacturing Company of Boston. A fair number of these were rescued by insulator collectors during the demolition of the elevated section and are sought-after additions to one's insulator collection today. (Insulator collectors have a system for identifying glass insulators, and the two styles were assigned CD 267 and CD 267.5).
They should’ve kept the el.
I agree. It was far better than the Silver Line they have now. If they wanted they could have had both Washington Street EL and Northwest Corridor Orange Lines. Just make The Washington El Terminate at Egleston Square. That idea would have alleviate the crowded trains they today.
@@redsox1935 That is actually a great idea. It would have been great if they did that with the North side of the Orange Line too, with the Everett train going on the Charlestown Elevated, and the Oak Grove train going on the Haymarket North “Extension” (which in reality was a rerouting, not an extension)
@@mbrproductions160 The only problem is the development they have put where the orange line came out. The best solution I think is to make it a subway where the EL used to go through and end at Nubian Square or maybe have it branch out to Mattapan from there
Essex to Forest Hills brought back many memories as I worked in that area in the fifties and rode home on the L to Forest Hills picking up the trackless trolley Charles River line to Baker Street in West Roxbury.
In the fifties I worked on State Street, rode the elevated to Forest Hills and took the trackless trolley to Maple Street - not that far from you! BTW, I went to the Onley, Robert Gould Shaw and Roslindale schools.
And in that particular section of the L that opened in 1910, it looked like an L structure from Chicago that was built in the late 1910s 1910 to 1918, with steel plates under the tracks.
The trackless trolley in West Roxbury…have heard of it…seen a few pics…but not much else about that line…
Never realized how raw Boston was back then
The elevated line was unbelievably ramshackle looking in its final days--sort of like a flat roller coaster track!
This sure was the best ride the MBTA had. Too bad regrettably that I didnt get to ride it since I was still living in the Washington DC Suburbs
Oh, man. The Boeing cars came in in the late seventies, with the heater units on the bottom, between the wheels, where they could, and did, freeze solid in the proper winter conditions. Proper conditions occurring about every 2-3 weeks, January into March. The A/C units? I'm glad you asked, they were on the roof, where, baking in the sun all day they would fail. And stay failed. They actually stopped being air-conditioned cars in their third year, most of 'em.
These look like post-Boeing stock, and by now the formerly "new" cars on the red line were worn in, so this probably was the best ride on the system at that point. I drove my cab under that "El" more times than you can count.
Back when the world was young.
Filmed after 1980 (when Braintree station opened), but before 1982 (when Columbia was rebranded JFK/UMass). What memories.
I was a fan in the 70's for the NBC Mystery Theatre on TV. They showed the Banacek series and I wanted to find where that Church was from an elevated rail on any of the lines. They filmed on the ground near the church and a train on the elevated passed by. I wondered why I could never find it!
Before north station became a bi-level station. The green line was still elevated above causeway street/canal street next to the boston garden arena where the celtics play basketball games and served an elevated north station stop. In 2004, the elevated structure was closed/demolished and the green line and orange line both shared a new north station “superstation” underground which opened on June 28, 2004. The full project was completed on November 12, 2005 and green line service resumed to science park and lechmere stations with a new tunnel portal and ramp. The station was only served by the orange line underground in 1987. The forest hills and oak grove bound-platforms were across the way of the riverside and heath street-bound platform with the union square and medford/tufts-bound platform above it, both platform were next to each other.
Its really too bad that all of the old charm and artistry are disappearing and Boston is losing its charm. I have an old insulator from the feeder cable on the catwalk.The wire marks are still in the groove. Very pretty operator with the awesome smile !
20 years ago there was a beautiful dark black bust woman in the token booth of the Rector Street subway station in the Financial District near Wall Street. I was too shy to ask if she was single and available for a date.
Notice the tunnel to the Tufts New England Medical Center at 13:15, a station that was built in the late 1960s.
The first part is orange line from malden to Sullivan sq.
Built in early 70's.
I was with contractir who built that line and wellington yard.
At 13:14, there's a section of tunnel that veers to the right. Is that what would become the tracks leading to Tufts Medical Center (formerly New England Medical Center)?
Yes it is that's how they connected the new tunnels to get to New England Medical Center to Back Bay Mass Ave ect
Todays orange line
10:11, looks like state street station was undergoing reconstruction. The station received a major renovation between 1985 and 1989. Only orange line portion of the station.
At around the 13:15 mark, on the right you can see the new tunnel that would lead to new england medical center now tufts medical center, back bay and mass ave. The southwest corridor with other new stations at ruggles, roxbury crossing, jackson square, stony brook, green street and new forest hills would open on May 4, 1987, with the last revenue train rumbling down the el from forest hills to oak grove shortly before 1:30 a.m. on May 1, 1987. The tunnel after the cut off would be demolished and the tunnel right after chinatown would connect to the new one.
I tell you one thing the fixed Boston up big time some areas of Roxbury looked like a third world country
The last of the hawkers went out for scrapping last month, so none remain. R.I.P 1980-2024. These cars were taken out of service and they were on an elevated orange line 40 years ago and if that doesn’t sit with you enough the first rapid transit line in all of U.S. history. These cars played a critical role in MBTA history as well as them being part of the history books of the Orange Line, one of the four rapid transit heavy rail subway lines run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the Greater downtown Boston area.
My mom used to ride the orange line elevated
Wow i remember that i was 12yr old at that time 😂😭😭
What do we learn 1st off: the videographer is a transit buff from Chicago and the operator is female. Filmed in 70's or 80's?
lol
Duh!!!
Filmed in early 1987
It's earlier than 1987. It has to be after 1980 (when Braintree station opened), but before 1982 (when Columbia was rebranded JFK/UMass).
@@Altasren Doubtful. There's a billboard for an Ernest movie just before Egleston in the southbound direction, which puts it at mid to late 80s -- for the Orange Line section at least
Great video thanks for sharing
And the trains are still in service today.
The orange line is, but not the elevated, It was moved to a depressed ROW in May, 1987 some distance away from Washington Street. The orange line has new trains now, I believe these were retired sometime in the last few years.
New cars are being phased in starting in 2019. You have roughly a year from then to enjoy the H/S cars purchased in 1981. @@Pdasilva0324
The only train is not in service, is the red line 01400 series. The 01400 series was replaced because it couldn’t run a six car train when the platforms were extended. Also, the 01700 series wasn’t in service yet.
Not anymore
@@Pdasilva0324 no they just got new ones last year and a half
The silver line from Dudley station was just a waste of taxpayer's dollars.
And a joke. You'd think they'd put it underground....But what do I know.
Tony Stark it sucks that this was knocked down man, makes it harder for us to get around now a days ..
@@jall3ri not even fancy
Hence its nickname: The Silver Lie.
@@jimmichaud8487 Ain't that the truth.
Funny how Shaumut Station has not changed and looks xactly the same way today as it did back then.
One time end of the line? Nope. The el always went to Forest HIlls station.
Long before those apartment houses was built.
so as the silverbirds on the Boston red line.
Cesar Gomez the year was January 1987.
I’m currently trying to rebuild this on Minecraft when I’m done it will be on my channel
Boy this has this has be old footage, look at all the freight on the right!
Love you Zodi
David Allen you ain’t never lied, it’s Ray-Ray lol. Zodi was the flyest chick on the line. BTW happy retirement. I got 6 more years to do then I’m retiring from the MBTA as well.
At 33:20 she stopped the train right at my stomping grounds. Academy Homes
Facts
32:30 gorgeous T/O ❤
So at the 18:55 mark, what is the deal with the crazy station layout?
It was built in two stages, first it was the terminus with a loop, then the extension to Forrest hills was built so the station had to be adjusted as well as the fact that the trolley terminal also existed within the station
Interesting…never knew that about the Forest Hills extension…Dudley Station here, I believe…
Great video but I think this guy is really weird and hopefully he’s learned how to film with the camera in hand. Wish he took the zoom off while walking through the train and I also wish he’d gotten some more scenery. But thanks anyway.
SeanDaii NelZ it's a video of a ride thru Boston's L train, how is it weird? Why would you want to record in hand?
Dude this was filmed in 1987............
Why are the stations so close to each other? They've got to get rid of every other station on this line! How can the train make good progress if it has to stop every several hundred feet?😂🤣
Because this isn't a suburban commuter or intracity line. This is urban mass transit.
God Boston was really disgusting back in the day. The big did and moving all the infrastructure underground really cleared things up
So this is the Boston T.
I'm from L.A. Our Red & Purple Line is Entirely Underground, & the Purple Line Extension Is Under Construction & Will Open in 3 Phases in Time Before the 2028 Olympics.
&... was Chicago Born & Moved to L.A. in 69, & Rode the CTA El System, & Like the T. The El Goes Through the Hoods of Chicago, on the North, South, & Westside, I Know Boston went Through Changes with the T. But don't know how Major?
They changed a lot. All elevated rails are torn down and the orange line now adapts to underground.
@@JoshayXdanton They tore down the Orange Line elevated yet they expanded the green line elevated to Medford. This is a head scratcher.
Is this the ashmount
yes many times....
Boy this has this has be old footage, look at all the freight on the right!