While reading up on a modern transit site, I came across a link to this structure in New York City. It's a former military warehouse that has been redeveloped into other uses, and is notable for retaining tracks into the structure. Some transit advocates have suggested the tracks be connected into the city's transit system, improving service into this area.

http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=5127

If that were done, it would be a most impressive transit station!

Linked from above is this site, with some older New York photos. The Brooklyn Army Terminal's "Building B" is among them, along with a number of other photos, some with rail content; the effect is reminiscent of what shows up on Shorpy, though some of the pix are as gritty as can be. I guess that's because it's NYC:

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infoc ... c00392.jpg

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012 ... es/100286/

Some of the rail photos:

A classic Grand Central shot:

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infoc ... a00834.jpg

City Hall Station on the subway line when new:

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infoc ... 02526b.jpg

Traffic jam, in which the Third Avenue Railway is a participant; I know, this road used a conduit system like Washington, DC, but it still seems strange to see trolley cars without wires:

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infoc ... s07613.jpg

Interior of the Interborough Rapid Transit powerhouse when new, in 1904. This is the engine and generator room, which is about half of the structure; the other half was mostly the boiler room. The monster covers about a city block, and incredibly, is still around, its boilers being used for district heating, but sadly, those magnificent reciprocating engines are long, long gone:

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infoc ... c02529.jpg

Neat buildings, interesting bridgework, fascinating El cars of at least two different designs, and classic autos, too:

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infoc ... c02250.jpg

Have fun.

I wonder if the author of the piece realizes that the passengers using the "train station" in this photo are all dead?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scoutingny/6958018449/

Considering that this is the honor guard for the operation returning the remains of WWII servicemen killed in Europe.

A fitting image for Memorial Day, I suppose.

Thanks for the scoutingny link.Some facinating stuff there to enjoy on a rainy day.

Thank you, Steve, I'm glad you liked it.

I've never been to New York myself, having lived entirely in West Virginia but for brief visits to relatives and the like, but I find it fascinating that there is so much elsewhere that looks like what I know and feel comfortable with, say Sears homes and other things from that time. It's wonderful, at least for me, to see so much from that time--which is also our classic railroad time--that is still around. At the same time, it can be bittersweet, as noted recently on the loss of a tiny jewel of a station on the New York Central's former Putnam line; another posted here recently that we are "always having a funeral in the 'family.'"

Anyway, I also hope you check out the links on that site, which lead to other historic locations. Among the links was one for "My Yonkers;" its current homepage "masthead" photo is of a trolley car, and the site also includes this bit on, of all things, the trail that was once the Putnam Division:

Home page:

http://myyonkers.org/

Direct link to the Putnam Sub item, which is also visible by just scrolling down:

http://myyonkers.org/2012/01/21/explori ... e-old-put/

This internet is terrible, it's addictive and distracting, but too much fun. . .if only we could somehow get money for rail preservation through it better than we do. . .

Have fun.