The long-awaited post! Well, the post that I’ve been trying to push myself to finish for the last…5 months? Wow.
Several months ago, I went on a field trip with my Macaulay Science & Technology Seminar (3) to the New York Transit Museum. And let me tell you, if you’re a true New Yorker (i.e. you ride the subway), you should definitely visit this museum. I’m not a train aficionado, but I really enjoyed it there. The first level covered a variety of material, including the history of the underground working conditions, the energy used to power the system, paintings of different bridges in New York City, and bus models. The bottom level was filled with different models of the train cars. This was especially amazing because you can walk in almost all of them and sit down, hold the hand rail, or just stand. Very fun and interactive. There was something so magical about sitting in these old cars. It was as if I was transported back in time. Of course, in my head, I probably romanticized the whole thing, especially with the nicer train cars.
During the trip, I took extensive notes based on the tour guide’s information. In this post, I will use them to provide you with little bits of history and fun facts. However, since it’s been months since I took these notes, I probably won’t understand a good portion of them, given that I didn’t write down all the context because I planned to use my memory for the simple facts (in order to save me time while writing the notes). Alas, the downfalls of procrastinating. (I actually started this post the day of the trip, but I procrastinated and procrastinated until now – a whole semester later!)
To the left is an image of the New York Transit Museum entrance. Instead of being housed in a building, this museum is in an actual former subway station. It’s really cool, but at the same time, there are some problems. One being that most people miss the entrance, mistaking it for an actual subway stop. Another being that since it’s underground, the temperature is not optimal and there are rats. But, that’s what Sadie, the museum’s cat, is there for! Isn’t she adorable!?
This old subway station, in Brooklyn Heights, was a stop on the former IND line, connecting here to something like five blocks east. Correct me if I’m wrong! I can’t quite recall the legitimate facts. But I do remember that the tour guide told us that the reason why this stop went out of use was because this specific train only went between these two stops and the distance was completely walkable. So this station was not necessary. The other connecting stop is still in use. It’s an important one in this neighborhood. I think it might be the G train on Fulton St. But, don’t quote me on that! I can’t remember anymore. (I really should have taken notes on this bit!)
The first stop we took was in a temporary exhibition, whose name escapes me now. In this exhibition, we looked at the history of the workers and the making of the first subway line. Here’s a fun fact (well actually, not so fun): During a storm in 1888, 15,000 people were stuck on elevated trains. New York had a lot of surface transportation, but in extreme weather, it was not good. Trash was picked up by the wind and scattered everywhere. Hence, the beginning of the Department of Sanitation. And in 12 years, underground transportation came about. The subway was popular immediately.
The highest point in Manhattan is Washington Heights. The super hard bedrock is known as Manhattan Schist. The deep rock tunnel under Washington Heights is the deepest part of the subway. This allows the whole subway to stay leveled. Miners from all other states and immigrants from many countries came to help out with this project. The debris from the dynamite fills the Battery (lower Manhattan) and was also used to develop Ellis and Governors Island and the New Jersey landfill. In the first four years of the first tunnel line, only 50 people total died in the process.
Here’s another fun fact: The original sandhogs were men, under water tunneler, who literally dug sand to create the tunnel. This was the most dangerous job in 1896. One time, a man was sucked through the blowout, but he managed to survive. And incredibly rare feat. They would have to sit in airlock, a.k.a. “man lock,” for about 17 minutes, during which the air pressure would slowly increase to match the conditions of the level they were being lowered down to. It was incredibly hot, so workers would only work for 2-3 hour shifts. To get to the lowest level, a sandhog would have to sit for approximately 30 minutes.
The steel beams of the tunnels are made of poured concrete. The tour guide described it as, “putting a skyscraper on its side.”
7,700 men aided in the construction of the first subway lines. Nowadays, due to machines and regulation/red tape, the number of workers is much smaller. Unskilled workers then were paid $1.50. The first line, which was 9 miles long with 28 stations, was finished in four years. Today, it takes about four years to finish one station! Six years to renovate South Ferry.
African Americans were excluded by the Mining Trade Association. However, according to the guide, they were probably paid the same as white men. There were about 500 African Americans working on the subway. They ended up forming their own trades union. Public transportation was segregated. However, the subways were never segregated.
The first station, City Hall, was designed to be the “crown jewel” of the IRT. “The Cathedral in the Ground.” The architects 
who designed this station also designed St. John the Divine, in Morningside Heights. Chandeliers and expensive wood decked this underground wonder. Today though, this station is sadly no longer used. However, there are ways to still see it. One is to be a member of the Transit Museum. They take trips to this station periodically. Another way involves the 6 train and the last stop. But that’s all I’m going to say about it… You can search the rest. ;)
By 1903, all the subway lines were electrified. The trains, however, needed its own power line to run. This leads us to the next exhibition, based on the types of energy used to power the lines. Some of the power plants include: coal burning, nuclear, hydropower, wind power, and solar power (though this last one is not used as much in the subway. It is also an effort to green the facilities.). The oldest motor to move the subway was created in 1882 and the infamous third rail was created in 1892. (And in this museum, the third rail is still live!)
The subway can be classified into two categories, the A and B division. The A division comprises of the number lines, the original IRT. The B division, BRT, are, therefore, the letter lines. The BRT wanted distinct and different trains from the IRT.
Some random bits of info: At one point, the handrails were painted with mixed porcelain to make them easier to clean. Smoking was never allowed on the subway or the elevated trains. Some of the old subway seats were made of rattan, this lovely material, with springs underneath to give the seats a bounce. Unfortunately, this material was not optimal for cleaning nor was it for women wearing stockings. There also used to be ceiling fans! There have been many changes in the train mediums over time, and while the older ones look cooler, it might just be because I’m romanticizing the past. In all honesty though, I do prefer today’s seats, handrails/poles, and the air-conditioning. One thing that I’m not too big of a fan though is the color design and layout of the newer trains. I just think it looks too sterile.
I have a lot more notes from the tour, but I feel as if this post is getting very informational and not so fun. I don’t even know what I’m saying half of the time. I’ll occasionally add more bits of info later, if I feel like it. But for now, this is it!
Here are some photos of the exhibitions on the top level, including one about one one paintings of New York bridges, one dedicated to buses, and one showcasing past turnstiles. At the bus exhibition, I got to actually sit inside the bus and pretend to drive it. There were walk signals and traffic lights that worked. Quite fun!
[Stay tuned for Part 2 of my trip to the New York Transit Museum. This post is getting loaded with photos, yet I still have about 20 left. So I’ve decided to divide this post into two. The second post will focus on the trains and whatnot in the lower level because they certainly deserve their own post! Sorry to keep you waiting for so long.]
