BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

(SEE PREVIOUS POSTS)

"Eye-Are-Tee" SMEE-consists in the "KISS" era (Krappy Inscriptions Subway Scourge")..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?127091

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?83723

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["I.R.T. LINES"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Night and day............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?127210

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?12071

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["1 SOUTH FERRY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"DITTO".............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?2928

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3052

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

On today's date in 1975:

The "Bee-Em-Tee's" decrepit, crumbling Culver Shuttle was abandoned.

This line had become dangerously decrepit in its last years; stations were indeed, literally rusting and rotting away.

Ridership was, indeed, less than impressive.

Today, virtually nothing remains of the old Shuttle today.

Over the years, many different classes of rolling stock were used on the Shuttle, making the line quite interesting for the railfans of that era.

One cannot help but wonder what the Shuttle might have been like today, had it been rebuilt and upgraded.

Sadly, Your's Truly never got to ride this line; in fact, it was not until I purchased my copy of Cudahy's "UNDER THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK" in 1979 that I even knew that the Shuttle ever existed.

Interestingly, the lower level station at 9th Avenue "stood in" for the 59th Street station in the Paul Hogan film, "CROCODILE DUNDEE", back in the 1980s.............

"NYO"

["SS"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Today, there are no traces of the Culver Shuttle's 13th Avenue station, nor of the ROW itself; as I had noted previously, virtually no trace of the Shuttle remain today, unless you know where to look...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?112212

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?112210

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?112211

(courtesty: nycsubway.org)

["SHUTTLE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's several long-ago views of the 13th Avenue station, during its service days..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?96351

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6436

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?112794

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Fort Hamilton Parkway..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?112208

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4688

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?24388

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6437

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["CULVER L'C'L"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Recalling now the long-abandoned, echoing lower level 9th Avenue station, showing assorted car classes in use (both on revenue trains and fan trips).......

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?24012

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?69866

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6415

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?24091

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?7545

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["9"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interesting historical information, photos, etc............

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culver_Shuttle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IND_Culver_Line

["F"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Flashbacks...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?40164

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4446

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4444

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[W.B. Fishbowl]

I seem to remember reading about the Culver shuttle that it was the only trackage not to have had its third-rail placement rearranged to conform to the rest of the "B" Division system (combined "Bee-Em-Tee" and "Eye-En-Dee"), and remaining in its "el era" standards, higher than the 3-1/2" above track rail and closer than the 27-9/16" third-rail center to track-rail gauge positioning as on the rest of the "wider" system, and that the last cars to run on the shuttle - the R-27's - had to have their third rail shoes' positioning modified for the rest of the shuttle's life.

Speaking of R-27's . . . at that point, in terms of KISS graffiti, they seemed to have gotten off lucky compared with the R-16's which were as bad, if not worse, than on the IRT "SMEE's."

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

I, also, recall reading somewhere quite awhile ago, regarding the "El"-type "toid rail" on the Culver shuttle; that I found quite interesting.

I also recall reading quite awhile back of where the last area was on the "Tee-Yay"/"Em-Tee-Yay" that was still using "El-type" third rail, as well as the "subway" type.

It might have been a yard, but now, I am not sure.

One cannot help but wonder of what service patterns might be like today, if the Culver shuttle still offered through service into Manhattan (could have been a good "alternate" route if service on the "Eye-En-Dee" Culver was disrupted)

"KISS"-trains; oh, man, the poor ol' "R-16's" looked as though they all been in a serious collision with a thousand tanker trucks loaded with paint; yeah, the "FUAs" ("Frustrated Urban Artists") of that era indeed went all out in "decorating" those once-handsome cars, as they did with those on the "Eye-Are-Tee' main lines............

"NYO"

["A.C.F."]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's a few interesting shots taken at Ditmas Avenue; note photos of the new "Eye-En-Dee" connection being readied for operation..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?135542

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?135537

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?87026

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?87028

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["B.M.T. LINES"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Speaking of "toid rails"........

Recall, in 1963, the "Q" cars had their old "El-style" third rail shoes swapped for the subway ("tongue") type...............

"NYO"

["Q"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's an excellent photo page on the demolition of the old Culver Shuttle ("Rust In Pieces").............

https://forgotten-ny.com/2003/02/culvers-travels-the-demolition-of-a-brooklyn-elevated-link/