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A subway car emerging from the depths in days of yore
By adamg on Wed, 06/03/2015 - 10:22am
But where and when? The folks at the Boston City Archives wonder if you can place this photo. See it larger.
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Comments
Red Line
It's definitely a red line portal. I'm inclined to say @ Charles Station in Beacon Hill vs the Dorchester side of the tunnel (because the dot side doesn't come out of buildings like that)
Year? I'm going to guess 1912-1914ish.. shortly after the Cambridge Tunnel opened.
My second guess would be the old portal from Harvard Station in Brattle Square (where the station went to the yard where Kennedy School of Government is now), but leaning more toward Charles portal.
Greenline subway tunnel in
Greenline subway tunnel in the west end..between north station and museum of science station..the background clearly shows clothes lines from brick buildings from Italian populated West end..
Green Line With 3rd Rail?
I don't think so. However, I'm not convinced this isn't the South Cove portal for the old Main Line El.
Way too simple
Cambridge Mainline (now the Red Line) exiting the tunnel from under Beacon Hill. The location of what is now Charles Street Station is behind the photographer.
It most certainly is not!
The Charles station was not built until 1932. Given how new that trackwork looks, I'd say this was taken earlier.
Also, it seems the current building is actually built closer to the tracks than that older one.
Corrected
Thanks for the clarification, which also explains to me why the original Charles Street station always looked like an afterthought.
Subway Car Emerges....Boston City Archives
Is it going under Beacon Hill toward Park Street from the Charles Street stop?
Wow, First Time
This is the first time I've instantly known a location in one of these photos, but like everyone has said, the Red Line portal just south of Charles/MGH.
Can you imagine hanging out laundry
anywhere on Beacon Hill today? What would the condo association say??
I'm not too good on my early Cambridge-Dorchester car types...
...but it looks very close to the late '20's #4 Camb-Dorchester cars:
http://trolleymuseum.org/collection/browse.php?id=00719RMA
Very likely the earlier series of cars for the Cambridge Subway, so it has to be the Beacon Hill portal.
Hmm...
Yeah, the portal coming out of Beacon Hill. As to the trains + date; 600's around 1912-13.
shhhhh
I usually put towels, bath mats and other big things to dry on the fire escape. Tiny dryers don't like big laundry!
As long as it's historically
As long as it's historically appropriate laundry, I see no issue.
Petticoats & Bloomers
Amirite?
The Right to Dry
We should do as other states have done, and pass a law giving people the right to hang-dry laundry, without interference by condo associations or local governments.
Beacon Hill Tunnel
Looks like the entrance to the subway tunnel under Beacon Hill, between the Charles/MGH and Park St. Red Line stations.
Where Is Easy-Peasy
It's the Charles Street portal from under Beacon Hill.
The "when" is the question. Since it looks so clean, I'm going with 1912 also.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
I know exactly where that is
Behind my first apartment in Boston (67 Phillips Street in Beacon Hill). Friends used to ask "can you hear the T go by?" Every morning before I got up I would hear Frank Oglesby Jr. say "Next stop....Park Street"
Lol
There's an empty apartment in the Arch Stone building that is next to the Lechmere Viaduct and it's right at eye level with the trolley. It's been empty since the building was built a few years ago.
I always wanted to go into the leasing office to see how much the rent is on that unit specifically since it's eye level (and passengers on the green line can see right into you bedroom and kitchen)
Modern pictures
I had some trouble finding modern pictures of same spot, although looking it the right spot makes it easier.
http://oldtrails.com/HeavyRail/Boston/railhbos4.htm
EDIT: Actually this is closer
Those pictures aren't too
Those pictures aren't too modern. When they rebuilt Charles/MGH in 2007, they put up noise walls that block the view.
I'm not sure how nearby residents feel about the walls, but as a Red Line passenger, I sure miss the feeling that I'm riding a train into the side of an apartment building.
The destination of this train is...
?
st elsewhere
kinda
Wait, they're busing between
Wait, they're busing between JFK/UMass and Ashmont!
Ha ha but seriously I'm going to be a smug pedant now
I'm not knowledgeable enough to date this picture, but looking at what other people are saying, there's a very real chance the Red Line didn't even run all the way to "Columbia" when this picture was taken. So I guess we win that competition.
(Of course, you could have taken a street car the rest of the way back then.)
The Answer!
Thanks for playing folks! This is indeed the "Beacon Street Portal" also known as the Red Line Tunnel on the Boston side of the Charles River. The date is March 14, 1912