# New York Transit Museum and Annex



## Long Train Runnin' (Jan 3, 2010)

I wanted to share a few photos from my visit to New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn. It came highly recommended by a few members, and I agree with them its well worth a visit if you have some time in New York.

I don't think anyone wants to a full written report, so I will just share a few key points. I took the A train right from Penn Station to Jay St. From there its a 5 or 6 block walk to the museum. The neighborhood was fine IMHO, and I felt fine making the walk alone.

The museum is in the old Court St. station, and is entirely underground. Google Maps didn't relay that information to me, so I was a little taken surprised when I got to the location and there wasn't anything more then a set of typical subway entrance steps. I understand there is another entrance with an elevator somewhere. I descended into a subway station where there were a few security folks standing at the entrance who were very polite and greeted me with a smile. I bought my ticket from a women inside a classic NYC subway agents booth. Admission was only $5. I won't go into a display by display breakdown of whats inside instead offer up a few photos.

With anything you need to do a little rail fanning. ALP-46 leads 10 Alstom Multilevel commuter cars up the coastline to New York Penn Station







Jump into the museum. They had about 10 subway cars open for you to walk through. Luckily, I got there early, so I was able to be pretty much alone in the cars. When I left around noon it was crawling with young kids. This car is from the 1960s.






One unexpected surprise inside the subway cars were either original or recreations of the time periods advertising. For example in the car from the 60s you find this ad. Offering a 4.25% return on your money!






I liked this ad as well. "Almost a Kodak" The beginnings of personal photography.






They also had 2 cars from an MTA "Money Train" which they use to get money out of the stations and to a processing center. They said MTA processed over 2 billion dollars in currency in 2008.






After I visited the museum proper I rode the subways some more, and finally found myself on the Shuttle from the 42 St. Times Square Station to Grand Central Terminal. I walked into the main waiting area in GCT in time to catch one of the laser light shows in progress on the ceiling. I watched for a few moments and then visited the Transit museums annex located in the shuttle passageway. It was a zoo inside with a very large holiday train layout running inside. I looked around for a few moments then got a few t-shirts.

It was a nice day and I would highly recommend a visit to the museum in Brooklyn.

You can find the rest of my photos by clicking here I have captions for all the shots, but feel free to ask questions.

Thanks so much for reading!


----------



## acelafan (Jan 3, 2010)

What a neat museum, thanks for sharing your trip! Next time I have some time in NYC I will make it a point to check that out.

You take great railfan pics, too. The subjects are composed very well and I especially like the one in Little Silver. The image is so clear and crisp.


----------



## Long Train Runnin' (Jan 3, 2010)

acelafan said:


> You take great railfan pics, too. The subjects are composed very well and I especially like the one in Little Silver. The image is so clear and crisp.


Thanks! I have been working on it for months. The shots in Little Silver were a product of perfect lighting. The trains are traveling westbound, and it was like 7:30 AM putting the sun right behind me. I knew I was setting up for some good pictures. I just wish it was running with the loco leading, and I should have crossed over to the other platform. Next time :lol: 

Thanks again for the kind words.


----------



## GG-1 (Jan 3, 2010)

Long Train Runnin said:


> I wanted to share a few photos from my visit to New York City Transit Museum in Brooklyn. It came highly recommended by a few members, and I agree with them its well worth a visit if you have some time in New York.
> You can find the rest of my photos by clicking here  I have captions for all the shots, but feel free to ask questions.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


Aloha

Your photography is great, your best work yet. You need to fix your link however, as there is a missing "/" between "comtrain" what should read is "com/train" I was able to get to your pictures through my "friend link" in my Smugmug Gallery

Mahalo

Eric

btw:got mail today enjoyed it, have a model of same motor.


----------



## Ryan (Jan 3, 2010)

Great photography, and the museum looks neat - something else to do when in the city.


----------



## Long Train Runnin' (Jan 3, 2010)

GG-1 said:


> Long Train Runnin said:
> 
> 
> > I wanted to share a few photos from my visit to New York City Transit Museum in Brooklyn. It came highly recommended by a few members, and I agree with them its well worth a visit if you have some time in New York.
> ...


Thanks I fixed the link. I'm glad you liked the pictures, since I always enjoy looking at yours.

I'm glad it made. I was a little worried about it being to heavy.


----------



## Bill Haithcoat (Jan 3, 2010)

Great shots. It was interesting to see what that "money car" was. I would not have known by looking at it.


----------



## AlanB (Jan 3, 2010)

I'm surprised that you didn't know that the musuem was in a subway station. 

The Court Street station was part of the IND subway building program, it saw active subway service for about 10 years or so, before the service was stopped. The tracks were eventually supposed to have run under the East River and would have connected to the 8th Avenue line just south of Chambers Street. Back when the E trains ran with older cars with a railfan window, one could actually see the bellmouth for the tunnel shortly after leaving Chambers going southbound. Alas the money ran out long before the tunnel and connection was made.

But Court St is still technically an active part of the subway system. The cars you saw on display in most cases still draw their power for lighting from the third rail and can be moved in and out of the station under their own power. And the musuem still runs some special runs that originate at the station before heading out to ply the rails of the system.

Had you stayed on the A train one more stop to Hoyt/Schermerhorn, not only would you have been closer to the musuem (a 3 block walk), you would have seen the dark platforms that once serviced passengers going to the Court St. station. You also would have been walking directly above the tracks as you walked to the musuem.

And of course if you checked out the "tower" that's in the station, you could have watch the dots moving through the Hoyt/Schermerhorn station as regular trains move through the system. That tower is still technically active, even though all functions are controlled elsewhere now, but were one to actually gain access, one could actually still flip a switch and divert a train to a different track.


----------



## Long Train Runnin' (Jan 3, 2010)

Thank you Alan for adding those details.

Patrick (Whoozon1st) said Jay St. was the way to go, so I didn't even look for a closer stop. The way Google displayed the museum I thought there was an above ground portion as well as the underground area, so I was a little surprised to head straight underground.

I must have missed the tower portion. I spent most of my time in the various rolling stock.


----------



## Heading North (Jan 3, 2010)

I made the same "mistake" when I went to the Transit Museum a few years ago--actually wandered around for a few blocks before realizing that it was no ordinary subway entrance! Thanks for bringing back my memories of the visit.


----------



## AlanB (Jan 3, 2010)

Long Train Runnin said:


> I must have missed the tower portion. I spent most of my time in the various rolling stock.


It would have been at the east end of the platform, a room with big glass windows. There is a big black console with levers for controlling the switches and a display board that shows the location of the trains in the area controlled by that tower.

And just in case anyone's having a hard time figuring out east & west while underground, at one end of the platform the tracks end in at a wall. That's the west end. If you're already at the east end, you'll see the tower and notice that the tracks do head off into a tunnel headed for Hoyt.


----------



## WhoozOn1st (Jan 10, 2010)

Long Train Runnin said:


> Patrick (Whoozon1st) said Jay St. was the way to go


An outright lie!  Never woulda said Jay cuz I've never even taken an A train. Only done 4 or 5 from Manhattan to Borough Hall (Not Jay St./Borough Hall), then the short walk to the museum.

Nevertheless, thanks for the report and the fine pics. Looks like you're getting the hang of the new camera.


----------



## Long Train Runnin' (Jan 10, 2010)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Long Train Runnin said:
> 
> 
> > Patrick (Whoozon1st) said Jay St. was the way to go
> ...


:lol: Whoops. All I remembered was you saying how the Borough Hall station was a hassle. Didn't really look for a second one. I was like its close and its Borough hall. More ignorance on my part. :lol: I will absolve you of any responsibility and blame my lack of planning.


----------



## Guest (Jan 14, 2010)

When I went to the museum, I almost missed the tower as well. It's behind the stairs in what looks like an employee-only room, but it's not. There is an obscure "Signal Tower" sign.


----------

