Dec 20 2012
An Adventure at the New York Transit Museum
What I enjoyed most about the New York Transit Museum was the history of the subway system. I learned that the first subway system was in place in New York in the late eighteen hundreds. The subway system was mainly built by immigrants, and I found it fascinating how tunneling was used to connect the four boroughs by subway. The museum even had a interactive dynamite device that you could push down, and it would make an explosive noise! In addition to this, I got to move a wheelbarrow that weighted as much as the subway constructors would carry several times on a daily basis. I was surprised at the true strength that these men must have had.
The Museum also an interactive model that allowed you to see how solar power worked. I found this fascinating because in my English class I wrote a research report on solar power so I felt a connection to what I have learned in the class. In addition to this model, you could also generate mechanical energy by spinning a wheel. What was cool about this model was the fact that you could see the electricity move its way up the pole.
Another thing that I found fascinating about the New York Transit Museum is that it had old subway cars ranging from the early nineteenth century all the way up to recent times. What was unique about this subway cars is that some older models had cushioned seats or were more spacious. I liked how old advertisements could be seen in the subway cars. This made me think that I took a time machine back into the past, and I was actually there. I noticed that a lot of the products being advertised in these old subway cars do not exist currently. This can show that trends and products change over time. But what was really cool about this museum was the fact that it had old subway maps inside of the old subway cars. These maps allowed you to see the changes made on the subway system like trains being added or removed. Some stations and trains that used to exist currently do not exist today.
I also like seeing how the subway turnstiles have changed as well. Like in the early nineteenth century a ticket conductor would allow you into the subway, but now we just swipe our MTA card to enter the subway system. The subway turnstile system has been redisgned several times over the course of the subways history.
I have always been fascinated by the subway system and energy. This experience allowed me to strenghten my knowledge and allowed me to have great fun with my best friend. I cannot wait to go to the New York Transit Museum again to indulge in a fun, but educating experience. I loved seeing how things changed over time.
Image Source: http://www.mta.info/mta/museum/images/platform_Court.jpg
