Tag Archives: Queens

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Queens, New York April 1979—Seeking GG1s.

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We were fascinated by the antique streamlined electrics.

Remarkably, in 1979 many of the steam-era former Pennsylvania Railroad behemoths were still in traffic.

Amtrak and New Jersey Department of Transportation both had GG1s on their active roster.

Sunnyside Yard was a great place to see these once magnificent machines.

Sunnyside Yard, Queens, NY April 1979.

Amtrak GG1 927 was dressed in platinum mist with a red stripe. Very 1970s.

Most fascinating was motor 4876, which on January 15, 1953 had led the Federal Express into Washington Union Station—a famously spectacular runaway that sent the GG1 crashing through the station; sinking through the concourse floor and into the basement of the station. The accident was pictured in newspapers across the nation. And in 1979, the old beast was awaiting assignment.

Here’s an adjusted scan from my original 35mm black & white negatives. Old 4876 was in a prominent position for photography.

I enlarged this scan to bring in the famous Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.

Working with my Leica, I exposed a variety of photos around Sunnyside yard on a visit with my family. Never mind Disney, I though Sunnyside Yard was the coolest place to be.

While I’ve run one or two of these photos previously, those images were taken from prints. I’ve recently located more the negatives from that day, nearly 41 years ago, and scanned them.

Notice the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers to the left of 4876. Kind of a cool juxtaposition.

Here’s another enlarged view that shows a Long Island Rail Road local switching. There’s a lot to digest in this view. Exciting stuff for a 13 year old obsessed by locomotives, epic urban city scapes, and post industrial settings.

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Jay Tower at Sunset.

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I was working with two Nikons that day, one loaded with Fujichrome the other with Ektachrome. If I were to guess, I’d say based on the color balance and saturation of this slide that it was made on Fujichrome.


March 14, 2003—Sixteen years ago—I made this sunset view at Long Island Rail Road’s Jay Tower on a visit to Jamaica, Queens with Pat Yough.

Jamaica is among the busiest junctions in the United States and serves hundreds of LIRR trains daily.

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Long Island Rail Road Interlude—July 2016.

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In July, I spent a few minutes on the Long Island Rail Road platforms at Woodside in Queens, New York.

LIRR’s busy multiple-track third-rail route from Penn-Station to Jamaica, New York is one of the few places in North America where you can experience train-frequency on par with busy European mainlines.

In the course of only a few minutes I saw a half dozen trains.

These are a sample of the photos I exposed with my Lumix LX7.

My compact Panasonic Lumix LX7 is ideal for urban railway photography. This camera compact, lightweight and unobtrusive, while it uses a Leica optical system that yields excellent images. I have mine set up to expose both RAW and JPG files simultaneously.
My compact Panasonic Lumix LX7 is ideal for urban railway photography. This camera compact, lightweight and unobtrusive, while it uses a Leica optical system that yields excellent images. I have mine set up to expose both RAW and JPG files simultaneously.

Trailing view of an outbound train.
Trailing view of an outbound train.

One of LIRR's older Metropolitan-series trains is heading toward Penn-Station.
One of LIRR’s older Metropolitan-series trains is heading toward Penn-Station.

It was nice to catch the older cars on the move.
It was nice to catch the older cars on the move.

I made this view from the concourse of the Flushing Line station (operated by the NYCTA). Woodside offers a convenient connection between LIRR and NYCTA trains.
I made this view from the concourse of the Flushing Line station (operated by the NYCTA). Woodside offers a convenient connection between LIRR and NYCTA trains.

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photography

New York City’s Number 7 Flushing Line in the Afternoon—12 Photos.

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The old IRT Flushing line is the first train-ride that I recall.

My dad brought me on this run before I was taking photos.

I made these images last week using my Lumix LX7.

New York City’s Number 7 Flushing Line’s curving undulating elevated structure offers a multitude of angles.

In the evening rush-hour, Flushing trains run at very short intervals, with outbound expresses using the middle track.

Court Square, Queens.
Court Square, Queens.

For my money, the number 7 remains one of the coolest transit lines in the City. (And not just because of the photography! The AC actually works on some of the cars.)

Outbound express on the middle track at 46th Street and Bliss.
Outbound express on the middle track at 46th and Bliss Streets.

Tail-end of the outbound express at 46th Street.
Tail-end of the outbound express at 46th Street.

A view of the Flushing Line from the Long Island Rail Road platforms at Woodside in Queens.
A view of the Flushing Line from the Long Island Rail Road platforms at Woodside in Queens.

Woodside.
Woodside.

Older cars at 52nd Street.
Older cars at 52nd Street.

View from the back of the train at 52nd street.
View from the back of the train at 52nd street.

46th and Bliss Streets.
46th and Bliss Streets.

NYC_Subway_Flushing_Line_46th_St_Bliss_P1490899

Court Square.
Court Square.

Court Square.
Court Square.

NYC_Subway_Flushing_Line_Court_Square_P1490970

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photography

January 15th and Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 4876

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January 15th, a day of significance: while best known as Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, it is less well known for the anniversary of the 1953 Washington Union Terminal crash, when Pennsylvania Railroad’s Federal Express lost its brakes and GG1 Electric 4876 careened into the lobby of the terminal. This spectacular train wreck, on the eve of Eisenhower’s inauguration, made headlines in every major newspaper across the country.

That was 60 years ago today! However, thirty years ago, GG1 4876—then operated by NJ Transit, was still in daily service. It routinely worked between Penn Station and South Amboy on New York & Long Branch trains.  I intercepted this infamous electric on various occasions in its final years of service. I’d hoped to make a photo on the anniversary of its infamy. And I went so far as to write NJ Transit to find out which trains it would be working, to which they kindly replied in detail. However a snowstorm on eve of 4876’s 30th anniversary precluded my travel, so my intended images from that day never happened. What I’ve posted here are few of my black & white images scanned from 1980s-era prints. They were exposed with my battle-worn Leica IIIA from my High School days. I processed the film in the kitchen sink using a weak mix of Kodak Microdol-X.

Pennsylvania Railroad GG1
GG1 4876 at Sunnyside Yard, Queens, New York in April 1979. Leica IIIA w 90mm f2.8 Elmar fitted with Leica Visoflex.

 

New Jersey DOT GG1 4876 at Rahway Junction in 1982. Leica IIIA w 50mm f2.0 Summitar.
New Jersey DOT GG1 4876 at Rahway Junction in 1982. Leica IIIA w 50mm f2.0 Summitar.

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