Our Next Program:

A Tale of Two Subways, presented by David Sadowski and Ray DeGroote

For our February program, CERA travels to both Rochester, New York, and Newark, New Jersey– two cities that built subways in old canal beds, with very much different results. The Rochester Subway opened in 1927, struggled to find its proper role, and was never used to full potential, except perhaps during WWII. It closed in 1956 and was partially replaced by an expressway.

Car 12 in the subway in January 1983. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

In contrast, the Newark City Subway, opened in 1935, was an immediate and lasting success. PCC cars ran in Newark from 1954 to 2001 and became closely identified with the service. Light rail extensions to the subway opened in 2002 and 2006.

We will cover the history of both subways using both video and still images from a variety of sources. As a bonus feature, we will show rare shots of Cincinnati’s unfinished 1920s subway, which was also built in a former canal bed. Come join us for what promises to be a fun evening.

Friday, February 28, 2014
1900 hrs / 7:00pm
University Center
525 S. State Street
Chicago, Illinois

Admission is free for current CERA members. There will be a $5.00 Admission charge for non-members.

Today, in our second of two parts, we present some classic images from the Newark City Subway, covering its history from 1935 to today. Come join us at tonight’s CERA meeting to get the full story.

Car 2690 is typical of the equipment Newark used before the arrival of the PCCs in 1953. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

Subway-surface car 3204 on Route 23 in the late 1940s. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

Car 2724 on Route 29, in the days when Newark ran a subway-surface operation, in much the same fashion as Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco do today. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

Car 3217 being scrapped in the early 1950s. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

Car 3221 at Orange Street on July 11, 1952. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

Car 3213 on September 9, 1945, during the years when the Newark City Subway still connected to surface streetcar routes. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

Twin City Rapid Transit PCC 304 on 5th near Hennepin on May 2, 1947. Newark purchased 30 PCCs from TCRT in 1953 for use on the City Subway. In the Twin Cities, these were 2-man, center entrance cars, while Newark operated them as 1-man. St. Louis Car Co. built these in 1946. (Richard H. Young Photo – CERA Archives)

PCC 10 at Franklin Avenue in the 1950s. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

PCC 18 at Davenport Avenue in 1954. (John Brinckmann Photo – CERA Archives)

View showing the mezzanine at the Newark City Subway’s Pennsylvania Station Terminal on July 2, 1955. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

PCCs 21 and 22 at Franklin Avenue on October 9, 1978. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

Work car 5223 at Franklin Avenue on September 7, 1964. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

Car 12 at Bloomfield Road on July 16, 1960. (James J. Buckley Photo – CERA Archives)

PCC 21 at Franklin Avenue in November 1964. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

PCC 13 at Orange Street on September 25, 1960. (Joseph P. Saitta Photo – CERA Archives)

Track work in April 1960. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

PCC 9 in the snow at Davenport Station in August 1992. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

PCC 17 at Penn Station on January 22, 1971. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

PCC 23 at the subway portal near Warren Street on March 17, 1959. (Joseph P. Saitta Photo Unknown – CERA Archives)

PCC 24 at the Newark shops on January 22, 1971. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

PCC 10 at Heller Parkway on July 22, 1975. (William J. Madden Photo – CERA Archives)

Snow sweeper 5178 at work in Newark in February 1967. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

Cars 17 and 18 pass at the subway portal on September 25, 1960. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

Car 16 at Franklin Avenue on March 9, 1980. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

Car 7 at Bloomfield on April 24, 1984. (Photographer Unknown – CERA Archives)

PCCs 11 and 4 at the Franklin Avenue loop on August 24, 2001, the last day of PCC operation. (Andrew Grahl Photo – CERA Archives)

LRV 110 at Sussex Street on March 11, 2001. (William J. Madden Photo – CERA Archives)

FYI, here is an unofficial list of the disposition of the 30 Newark PCCs, which were purchased from Twin City Rapid Transit in 1953 and retired from service in 2001. Keep in mind this is the best information we have available, and may not be 100% correct:

DISPOSITION OF EX NEWARK PCC CARS

1 FRIENDS OF THE NEW JERSEY TRANSPORTATION HERITAGE CENTER
2 SFMR
3 MPLS STREETCAR MUSEUM
4 ILLINOIS RAILWAY MUSEUM
5 SEASHORE TROLLEY MUSEUM
6 ROCKHILL TROLLEY MUSEUM
7 NY MUSEUM OF TRANSPORTATION
8 SCRAPPED
9 SFMR
10 SAN DIEGO
11 SFMR
12 SFMR
13 FRIENDS OF THE NEW JERSEY TRANSPORTATION HERITAGE CENTER
14 SFMR
15 WAREHOUSE POINT TROLLEY MUSEUM
16 STEVE PERSON, PHILA
17 SFMR
18 SCRAPPED
19 SFMR
20 SFMR
21 SFMR
22 SFMR
23 SFMR
24 STEVE PERSON, PHILA
25 BRANFORD TROLLEY MUSEUM
26 BALTIMORE STREETCAR MUSEUM
27 BRANFORD TROLLEY MUSEUM
28 NJT, BLOOMFIELD AVENUE SHOPS
29 SCRAPPED
30 SCRAPPED