One of the posters on the “Classic Toy Trains” Forum brought this to everyone’s attention, so I’ve simply got to pass it along. It’s restored and half-tone colorized film of New York City in 1911, with added sound effects. Harbor scenes, street scenes with trolleys and antique cars (well, OK, they weren’t antique at the time) some elevated action, and shots of Brooklyn Bridge traffic.
I’m sure you’ll find it as fascinating as I did, almost like a time machine!
Yeah, I wish I could grow a moustache as well as those guys did! Mine’s not bad, but compared to them I’m a beginner!
I don’t know if this is true or not, but I’ve read there was a tradition among New York cops and firemen back in those days. If he had a moustache he was married, if he was clean-shaven he was available. [:^)]
I think if Josh Cowan was there he’d have been chasing the camera crew around!
“Hey! Waddaya got? Whaddaya doin’? Howzit work? Can I try it?”
He probably would have driven them crazy with questions!
And how about that sidewheeler with the walking beam engine, the “Rosedale?” Just too cool for words! I’m trying to remember back 40+ years but I think Disney World in Orlando had something similar back in 1975. I’ve got a slide of it buried, somewhere.
Yes, I couldn’t help but notice that. I wasn’t aware New York used that kind of a system. This is where we need Dave Klepper’s input, obviously he wasn’t around back then but I’ll bet he can tell us about it. What David doesn’t know about New York City transit never happened to begin with, count on it!
The streetcars are running off a “conduit” system, which was installed in the tranch originally used by the cable from when the lines were powered by cable. Washington, DC also used conduits.
Main problem with conduits was being very expensive to install, and a royal pain to maintain - think cleaning out the dirt on a frequent basis. Special work was another “fun” aspect of working with conduits.
And here I thought it was Tip Top Tailors … still a big deal up here in Canada coast to coast. Their big factory where they made the men’s clothing was in Burlington right alongside the tracks with its own sidings of course.
What might be of Interest would be further images and specifications on the Inner Workings of the See Saw Paddle Steamer " Rosedale. " leaving the pier @ time 7:14.
“The Rosedale was built at Norfolk, Va. in 1877. She is 216 feet long, 34 feet beam, 10 feet deep, and of 677 tons. She can go about 18 knots an hour, and has capacity for 1, 200 passengers.”
Streetcars were underground, essentially in subways, in New Tork Xity, in these places:
Ramps 32-33Strett to 41st - 42ns Atreet on Park Avenue South, formerly 4th Avenue, New York and Harlem Raiload, steam to the opening of the oroiginal Grand Centrql Depot, and the restriction of steam only ro north of 42nd Street around 1991, someone else can supply the exact date. New Haven trains contninth to be hauled by hoses south to the 29th Streete depot for a few more years. Part of the original street railway, oeifinally an opwn xur, a subway wiht two stations for horsecaars unril wlwxreidiws vy rhw Nssfdopol,ifn Railway aound 1899-1001 with the counduit system , like all Manhattan streetcar lines. Owned outright by the General Motor;s owned New York Railways after 1934, but operated as part of that “Green Lines” system before then. The fiirst major conversion of a north-south Mahattan streetcar line to buses in December 1935. Tunnel now the Park Avenue South Vehicular Tunnel, clearances for private cars and taxis only, northern ramp moved one-block south. You can ride a taxi or drive a private cae through and see the change in cncrete where stations were located.
Adjacent to the existing Delancey and Essex Street subway stop, and visible from the right side of eastbound J, M, and Z trains before the emerge from the portal and cross the Williamsbug Bridge. Was the Manhattan Terminal for four or five Brooklyln steetar lines that crossed the bridge. In service until earlyl 1948, with no bus replacement for the streetcar service.
Simiklarly, and lasr used in 1957 for New York State’s last streetar line, at 2md Avenue 59th-60th Streets, for streetcars crossing the Queensboro Bridge. See the thread on the Trains Transit Forum.
New York’s cable lines were converted to conduit using the existing cable conduit - under traffic! This at a time when cable cars ran on very short headways. New York cable systems use a duplicate cable system with two cables in the same slot with a grip that could grab either cable.
I’ve always thought that the Rosedale/Oregon ‘incident’ should have been the subject of a song, like a good-hearted version of Chapin’s “40,000 pounds of bananas” … I suggest “It was Not So Sad when the Not-So-Great Ship Went Down” with the appropriate tune.
Note what Hearst did with the Journal after Pulitzer … read the sensationalized account above the picture, with the horror story about the Elevated suicide next to it, and then go down and read the far better actual journalism at the bottom of the page.
Ship-to-ship collisions weren’t uncommon in crowded harbor waters back in those days. Luckily for Rosedale’s passengers the ship settled on a sandbar. They couldn’t wade to shore, they just had to be patient to be taken off.
And here I thought it was Tip Top Tailors … still a big deal up here in Canada coast to coast. Their big factory where they made the men’s clothing was in Burlington right alongside the tracks with its own sidings of course.
That’s it! That’s the one! Good job Becky! You know, I think we should call you the “Dave Klepper of Disney World,” as in if you don’t know about something Disney-related it never happened to begin with or was never there.
Southern Seas doesn’t have the fine lines of Rosedale, but it’s still a good loking ship. Impressed the hell out of me, let me tell you! I just had to get a ride on her.
AND, if I remember correctly, this was a REAL ship, no guide-by-rails, the man in the wheelhouse was under control at all times.
I can imagine a cruise on the Hudson with it. Oh boy…
I wonder if it’s still around?
That classic double-end ferry’s pretty cool too, all it needs for perfection is a different paint job and “Erie” or “Lackawanna” on the side! Maybe "Je
