Metro Bits

Mike · Site Admin Joined: 07 Apr 2007 Posts: 57

Some news from the NYC Transit Museum, though lengthy, might be of interest for subway enthusiasts:

New York Transit Museum Tours, Rail Excursions,
and Sept. 2007 Bus Festival
May through August 2007
This season, the New York Transit Museum offers
an expanded selection of tours and excursions.
Along with the three Nostalgia Train excursions,
several tours take New Yorkers onboard the area’s
bridges, Transit maintenance facilities and in
September 2007 the Museum is joining forces with
the Atlantic Antic for its 14th Annual Bus
Festival.
Please note New York Transit Museum tours tend to
sell out quickly…

Saturday, May 26, 2007, at 11 a.m.
PARADE THROUGH ROCKAWAY
A festive parade kicks off the National Park
Service's summer-long 75th Anniversary
celebration of Jacob Riis Park! You'll enjoy
musical entertainment, antique cars, and
performers dressed to impress, who'll share the
spotlight with the Museum's beloved “Jackie
Gleason” bus. Park service sponsored events will
continue into the summer with special concerts,
historic exhibits, and a beachside swim suit
competition for those who dare!
2007 NOSTALGIA TRAIN RIDES
Reservations and advanced payment required:
718-694-1867. $30, Museum members $25, children
3-17 $10 (Become a Museum member when you reserve
and save $5 on your adult ticket!)
This year the Transit Museum's vintage cars will
be rolling again for nostalgic train rides to
favorite destinations throughout the city! Our
program this year focuses on the vintage R1/9 car
fleet and highlights the 75th anniversary of the
opening of the first section of the IND subway on
September 10, 1932.
Sunday, July 22, 2007, from 2 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Summer Celebration at Rockaway Park
Ride our vintage R 1/9 trains to Rockaway Park
for a big band dance party celebrating the 70th
birthday of the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges
Memorial Bridge and the 75th Anniversary of Jacob
Riis Park! When you get there, get your Lindy
hopping to some summertime swing, stay onboard
for bonus rides, enjoy the beach on a
ranger-guided sunset tour, or simply soak up the
surf and picnic by twilight.
Sunday, August 12, 2007, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Coney Island Caper
Spend a summer day enjoying Coney Island's best!
Take a guided tour through Stillwell Avenue
Terminal and learn how solar power lights and
cools the station. Stroll to the beach for a bite
on the boardwalk, or amuse yourself with a
sideshow, street show, or bonus train rides!
Saturday, Sept 8, 2007, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
IND Anniversary September Special: A Day on the A

Highlighting the 75th Anniversary of the opening
of the first section of the IND, vintage R 1/9
trains will travel from mid-town to the Transit
Museum’s very own Court Street station. After a
brief layover we’ll re-board and head out to
enjoy the sun and surf at Rockaway Park. Then,
we'll go the distance along the remainder of the
longest route in the system, closing the day
boroughs away at 207th Street in the Bronx.

Sunday, September 30, 2007, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Fall Preview - SAVE THE DATE!
14th Annual New York Transit Museum Bus Festival
at Atlantic Antic
Boerum Place between State Street and Atlantic
Avenue, Brooklyn
The New York Transit Museum's 14th Annual Bus
Festival will again join Atlantic Antic,
Brooklyn's largest and most famous street fair,
for what promises to be a fantastic Sunday for
the whole family. See you at the fair!
TOURS
Saturday, May 12, 2007, from Noon – 1 p.m. and 2
– 3 p.m.
Saturday, June 16, 2007, from Noon – 1 p.m. and 2
– 3 p.m.
the jewel in the crown: OLD City Hall station --
“Members Only” tours
Special Fundraiser “members only” tours of the
original IRT City Hall Station. Become a member
of the Museum and join the tours. Valid current
membership, reservations, and advanced payment
required. Capacity is limited so book early:
718-694-1867. $20 adults; $10 children.
Travel back in time to the early days of the
subway! The starting point of New York City's new
IRT subway was Heins & LaFarge’s showpiece, with
chandeliers, leaded skylights, a vaulted
Guastavino ceiling, and decorative tile work.
Opened in 1904, the station exemplified the
spirit of the City Beautiful Movement.
Bridge TOURS
These three tours have been organized to
complement the Museum's current exhibition, The
Triborough Bridge: Robert Moses and the
Automobile Age. Reservations and advance payment
required: 718-694-1867. $20; Museum members $15
Wednesday, May 30, 2007, from 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Bridging Long Island City: Sunset IN
Ravenswood/Hunters Point
The waterfront of Long Island City, Queens has
experienced many waves of redevelopment due to
its special transportation advantages. First the
locale of unregulated heavy industry, it later
became the home of large consumer-oriented
manufacturing after LIC was annexed to New York
City. With urban geographer Jack Eichenbaum,
we'll walk where commercial, residential,
industrial and artistic entities now compete for
space, nosh and rest in the new Gantry Park, and
then cross the Pulaski Bridge to Greenpoint,
Brooklyn at sunset.
Sunday, July 8, 2007, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Bridge Walk I: The Randall'S Island Connection
Randall's Island, formerly known as Minnahanonck,
is located in the East River between northern
Manhattan and Queens, and at one time its
distance made it the seemingly ideal spot to
banish some of the poor and the needy. It’s been
host to farmers, soldiers, quarantined folks,
burial grounds, a poorhouse, a House of Refuge
for the young and misguided, asylums, and even
Civil War veterans. New York State moved in to
take over in the 1930s, and so began the island's
transformation. With the opening of the
Triborough Bridge, the public attained easy
access to the wetland, which had been filled and
reshaped to connect the Bronx and Manhattan
portions of the bridge. Robert Moses' Triborough
Bridge and Tunnel Authority was also
headquartered there. Join urban geographer Jack
Eichenbaum for a walking tour and take a look at
the island's unfamiliar perspectives of
Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. The tour will
ramble from East Harlem to Randall’s Island,
exploring the areas beneath the Triborough and
Hell Gate Bridge viaducts and the pedestrian
viaduct to the South Bronx.
Saturday, July 28, 2007, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Bridge Walk II: Bucolic Ward's Island
Shortly after taking office as Parks Commissioner
in 1934, Robert Moses announced his plans for
developing Ward’s Island—and the Triborough
Bridge's construction forever altered its
landscape. Ward's Island, another wetland, was
joined to Randall's Island and supports the
Queens portion of the bridge. Renovation has
restored a part of the channel that once existed
between the two islands, and an East River
shoreline walkway has been constructed. The
island is connected to East Harlem by a
footbridge. We'll journey with urban geographer
Jack Eichenbaum to the southern end of Ward's
Island for fabulous views of the East River
between Queens and Manhattan, strolling under the
Triborough and Hell Gate Bridge viaducts and
returning to Harlem on the Ward's Island bus. A
Metrocard is required for this tour.

SUBWAY ArCHITECTURE TOURS
This series of special tours explores the work of
George Lewis Heins, Christopher Grant LaFarge,
and Squire Vickers, prominent architects who
determined the aesthetics of the New York City
subway.
Saturday, June 2, 2007, from 12:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Heins & LaFarge at the Cathedral of St. John the
Divine
and morningside Heights
Reservations and advance payment required:
718-694-1867. $20; Museum members $15.
Offered in cooperation with the Cathedral of St.
John the Divine, this tour of sections of the
cathedral illustrate the Byzantine-Romanesque
character of Heins & LaFarge designs. A
neighborhood walk to explore several local sites
of architectural interest will follow. Tom
Fedorek of the cathedral and architectural
historian Matthew Postal will lead this program.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007, from 5:00 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Heins & LaFarge at the Zoo: ART & ARCHITECTURE IN
ASTOR COURT
Reservations and advance payment required:
718-694-1867. $20; Museum members $15
Heins & LaFarge designed the original buildings
and layout of the Bronx Zoo. Their design called
for a small complex around what is now known as
Astor Court, set in the center of a sweep of open
ranges for animals. Architectural historian
Matthew Postal and zoo staff will give us a
close-up look at the grand designs depicted in
the cornices, ceilings, and roofs of the various
buildings, and talk about the revitalization of
the historic center campus currently underway.
Don't miss this rare and exceptional opportunity!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
SUBWAY STYLE: THE DESIGNS OF squire Vickers
Reservations and advance payment required:
718-694-1867. $20; Museum members $15
Over three decades, Squire J. Vickers oversaw the
design of hundreds of subway stations in four
boroughs. The graceful brickwork, ornamental
ceramics, and striking metalwork and lighting
fixtures in these stations far surpassed the
practical elements needed to orient and inform
riders. Visiting stations and transit structures
throughout Brooklyn, we'll examine the evolution
of Vickers' architectural style with Transit
Museum Curator.
OTHER TOURS
Sunday, June 10, 2007, from Noon – 4 p.m.
Westside Stories: onwards & upwards
Reservations and advance payment required:
718-694-1867. $20; Museum members $15
Transit historian Joe Cunningham will discuss
some of the people, such as civil engineer
Charles Harvey, who tried 140 years ago to run
cable-powered elevated cars, crossing over areas
that later became part of the Ninth Avenue el
along Greenwich Street, and the neighborhoods
that grew up beside the elevated rail routes. By
1891, elevated service had extended north of
116th Street, changing the shape and nature of
local architecture—buildings bent to mirror track
layouts and there was even a "Suicide Curve" that
turned sharply at 110th Street, 100 feet above
street level. As elevated service climbed
steadily northward, others were on close watch;
St. Luke's Hospital, Columbia University, and the
Cathedral of St. John the Divine were spurred to
coordinate their efforts in serving residents'
"body, mind and spirit."

Saturday, June 30, 2007, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday, August 18, 2007, from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The F to the D: A Brooklyn Digest
Reservations and advance payment required:
718-694-1867. $45; Museum members $40
New York's rapid transit system was created to
get us to the best places to eat, according to
Todd "Grubster" Coleman. These two eating tours
will surely leave you hungry for more. Promising
systematic snacking that's sure to please: we'll
nosh at Macdonald Avenue, a burgeoning
Bangladeshi enclave, on samples of crunchy
singhara and the mysterious keski mas; chomp into
a luscious Italian hot roast beef and mozzarella
sandwich, doused with gravy; weave through
Mexican butcher shops in search of guajillo and
puya chile-laced fresh chorizo sausage; delve
into sweet-and-sour Sicilian caponata; and wander
through the luckiest Chinatown in Brooklyn, among
other stops on his secret succulent subway map.
Wear your most comfortable shoes, and loose
clothing, as there will be a good amount of
walking and eating!
Sunday, August 5, 2007, from Noon - 4 p.m.
Exploring the Brighton & Franklin Lines from Past
to Present
Reservations and advance payment required:
718-694-1867. $20; Museum members $15
We're heading to the beach with subway historian
Joe Cunningham via the former BMT Brighton and
Franklin lines, at one time the most popular line
to Coney Island. Opened as the Brooklyn, Flatbush
and Coney Island Railroad in 1878, the line
delivered farmers and sunbathers right to the
lobby of the Victorian resort hotel at Brighton
Beach. We'll also enjoy a special visit to the
turn-of-the-century Prospect Park substation with
Superintendent Robert Lobenstein, where critical
decisions were made that contributed to the
shocking death toll from the tragic Malbone
Street derailment almost 90 years ago.
Excursions
Saturday, May 19, 2007, from 11 a.m. –2 p.m.
CORONA MAINTENANCE FACILITY
Reservations and advance payment required:
718-694-1867. $25; Museum members $20
Back by popular demand! We'll head east to MTA
New York City Transit’s eco-friendly 135,000
square foot Corona subway maintenance shop. Visit
the remodeled railcar maintenance building where
400+ cars that commute between Queens and midtown
are serviced. Led by Deputy Superintendents
Parmanand Beharry and Ray Delvalle, we’ll learn
about new equipment and procedures in place that
ensure that the facility is capable of servicing
newer trains. Participants are welcome to bring
lunch and eat onsite.
Saturday, July 14, 2007, from 7:45 a.m. – 5:30
p.m.
THE HISTORY & HOME OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Reservations and advance payment required:
718-694-1867. $30; Museum members $25
Restoration is underway at Roosevelt's home-town
train station in Oyster Bay, Long Island, an 1889
building that will one day be the new home of the
Oyster Bay Railroad Museum. Our day begins with
tours of Sagamore Hill and the Theodore Roosevelt
Museum, followed by a lunch break on our own in
scenic Oyster Bay. Railroad historian Dave
Morrison will present a slide show about "Teddy
Roosevelt's Love of Trains" and lead a walking
tour of the new museum's train yard, including
steam locomotive #35, a restored turntable, and
wooden caboose #12. Wear light clothing—this
historic site is not air-conditioned.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Please note: events are subject to change without
notice. In case of a program cancellation, the
Transit Museum will make refunds in the form of a
voucher good for the dollar amount paid. Vouchers
are valid for one year and can be redeemed for
any other Transit Museum scheduled program.
Vouchers cannot be used for Museum admission or
for purchases in the Museum Stores.
For additional tours and special events
information visit: www.mta.info select MTA Home,
click on Transit Museum, then click on Programs.

GENERAL MUSEUM INFORMATION
New York Transit Museum
Corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street,
Brooklyn Heights
Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays and major holidays.
Admission:
Adults $5
Children 3 – 17 and seniors $3
Museum members and children under 3 free
Seniors Free every Wednesday
Information: 718-694-1600
New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex & Store
Grand Central Terminal
42nd Street and Park Avenue. Shuttle Passage.
Adjacent to the Station Master’s Office.
Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed major holidays and for special events
Free admission
212-878-0106
www.mta.info

Roxanne Robertson
Director, Special Projects
New York Transit Museum
130 Livingston Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 694-4915