Posted January 10, 200817 yr the ri tram is easily america's wildest commuter service. it is swiss-built & was put up in 1976. a must-do when you visit nyc. the tram runs alongside the queensboro bridge (1909), so first a few pics of that: the queensboro bridge is aka the 59th street bridge. you may recognize that moniker best as a 1960's simon & garfunkel hit: the 59th street bridge song (feelin' groovy) more from the west side of roosevelt island a few shots of the bridge from the eastside of the island back on the westside, this is the tram shed the tram runs parallel along the north side of the bridge, they are not connected in any way. the new bloomberg tower behind some trams coming & going here one comes :-o it's gonna be my ride :clap: very cedar point-ish :laugh: and away we go! 8-) we got company, a tram heading the other way coming in for a landing wow great view :clap: wasn't me -- it rocked :laugh: looking south in manhattan, down 1st avenue, nice views the manhattan side tram shed below is another old trolley shed at the the entrance to the bridge. i read that originally there were five of them around here. there is only one of two original signature lampposts left too, which you can see here on the southern end. :| i believe these are the only leather "straphanger" straps still in use a few shots from the tram terrace the tram gears finally, a look back east at the queensboro bridge bonus is few shots from walking around midtown: bloomies bloomies part deux last up is the christmas lit esb taken from back home in the west village *** ri tram = fun ***
January 10, 200817 yr Finally, it's being repainted!! I believe this is the bridge that is undergoing extensive rehabilitation -- where inspectors found that key components of the bridge had rusted out, were being held in place by temporary wooden supports (sometimes, for many years)... ^ The upper level was for the elevated railway network, taken out in the 1940s. The pedestrian/bike path was a trolley line.
January 10, 200817 yr a little more on that from wiki: The lengths of its five spans and approaches are: Manhattan to Roosevelt Island span length: 1,182 ft (360 m) Roosevelt Island span length: 630 ft (192 m) Roosevelt Island to Queens span length: 984 ft (300 m) side span lengths: 469 and 459 ft (143 and 140 m) total length between anchorages: 3724 ft (1135 m) total length including approaches: 7449 ft (2270 m) The bridge has two levels. Originally the top level contained two pedestrian walks and two elevated railway tracks (as a spur from the IRT Second Avenue Elevated Line) and the lower deck four motor traffic lanes, and what is now the "outer roadway" and pedestrian walk were two trolley lanes. There was a trolley stop in the middle of the bridge for access to Roosevelt Island. Passengers using the mid-bridge station would transfer to a structure built along side the bridge containing elevators down to street level. The railway would be removed in the late 1930s and early 1940s as well as the 2nd Avenue Elevated Line. The trolley lanes and mid-bridge station were removed in the 1950s, and for the next few decades the bridge carried 11 lanes of automobile traffic. No tolls are charged for motor vehicles to use the bridge. The bridge was known as the 59th Street Bridge before WWII.
January 10, 200817 yr Good stuff! 15 years ago and more, I used to visit a friend who lived in a 4th-floor walkup at 62nd Street & 1st Avenue. We could see the tram from his window. One time when we rode it, a maintenance guy got on with a ladder, and while the tram was crossing, he climbed out through a hatch in the roof to inspect or work on something. He must have had a heck of a view from up there. Back then, someone was promoting a plan to put a market in the space under the bridge approach on the Manhattan side. Did anything ever come of that?
January 10, 200817 yr WOW thank you!! I have an uncle who lives in Astoria and when we used to live in Jersey we would visit him whenever we would go into the city.. We would always take the 59th Street Bridge and I always wondered about that tram.. I still really want to ride it. I miss New York so much haha... thanks for the extra pictures as well because, like I said, I miss New York.. :cry: jeeze no wonder i didn't recognize the bridge the first time around.. it looks amazing haha..
January 10, 200817 yr Awesome! That is a definite must-see for tourists of all kinds, especially transit geeks. Though mrnyc, looks like your picking a fight with the Portland, OR medical crowd with the "easily america's wildest commuter service" line... Back then, someone was promoting a plan to put a market in the space under the bridge approach on the Manhattan side. Did anything ever come of that? Yup- a supermarket is there now. In a city of unbelievably crappy grocery stores, it's a treat- a really cool space. ^Straphanger spent his 4th of July on a high floor terrace of this building trying to see fireworks...which were all lost in the mist and humidity...except for cloud of toxic fireworks smoke that eventually drifted over :(
January 10, 200817 yr ^ what a great perch for fireworks. the building is really a monster in you face when you get of the tram. Back then, someone was promoting a plan to put a market in the space under the bridge approach on the Manhattan side. Did anything ever come of that? Yup- a supermarket is there now. In a city of unbelievably crappy grocery stores, it's a treat- a really cool space. guys besides the grocery there is an awesomely huge restaurant called guastavino's under the bridge. it is named after the guy who did the iconic tilework on major public works around nyc, including underneath the bridge. you can see it on their website right here: http://www.guastavinos.com/ ^ i've been inside a few times, it really is that gorgeous (the grocery also has the tilework). a good place to grab a drink after bloomingdales. also, there is a conran's store just outside/below the bridge's grocery & restaurant -- it's well worth visiting too: http://www.conranusa.com/default.aspx?language=en-US
January 27, 200916 yr i saw some cool historic photos of one of the last streetcars in nyc, which went over the queensboro bridge to roosevelt (welfare) island, so i thought i'd post them here. thx to rooseveltisland360blog: Sunday, September 2, 2007 Welfare Island Car 601 Where Are You? One of the very last working trolley cars in New York City was Car 601 which serviced Roosevelt Island, then Welfare Island, as part of Local service across the Queensborough Bridge. The above photo is of Car 601 when it was in service. The trolley cars ran along what is now the pedestrian walkway across the bridge. Photos of Car 601 and other cars that serviced Welfare Island can be found on Dave’s Railway Pics. The above photo is from the Ed Havens Collection. Today the car sits at the Trolley Museum in Kingston, New York. The picture of Car 603 in its glory is by Bill Brandt. Today Car 601 is definitely showing years of neglect from sitting outside with no maintenance. :-o :| This photo was by Frank and posted on Railroad.net. It will forever be tied to the history of this island. Now we know where you are. Thanks 601. http://rooseveltisland360.blogspot.com/2007/09/welfare-island-car-601-where-are-you.html
January 27, 200916 yr Yup- a supermarket is there now. In a city of unbelievably crappy grocery stores, it's a treat- a really cool space. Whoaaa.. hating on Dags?!
January 27, 200916 yr I don't know if I could ride that tram..... That dangles awfully high above the river..... :(
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