Where were you on April 30, 1987?

I was 17 years old, and finishing up my junior year of high school. I can't believe I'm older than some other familiar screen names in this forum....

Wasn't really quite interested in subways/"El's" then....in fact, I had somewhat gravitated away from a keen interest in railroading at that time as well.....

Other things on my mind.........

Went to Doyles for dinner with a large group of fans and rode the last train out of Forest Hills and returned to Froest hills on the last train to Forest Hills. Then follpwed the dead head from Forest Hills to Wellington to pick up a friend, Dan Cohen, of ours who video taped the LAST TRAIN off the EL. And slepet till 12 noon the next day

That was nice! Glad your good friend had the camera and tape handy to get the last outbound trip and the last inbound trip into town...

Speaking of, which followed which, did the last outbound trip get followed by the last inbound trip or was it vice versa?

I was in Philadelphia, probably riding the Almond Joy Budd El cars on the Market-Frankford line. and seeing the beginnings of the reconstruction of the Frankford El.

Or I was riding the 4 year old Kawasaki Cars on the Broad St Subway, or the 6 year old Kawasaki LRV's on the Subway-Surface.

I rode several of the last trains that night, but probably not the very last one.

I have fond memories of riding the El from 1962 - 1967 when I commuted from Dorchester to school in West Roxbury via Forest Hills. I was not around to see the end of the El because by 1987 I was living in the Philadelphia area.

I remember the crews were usually friendly. I got to know a couple of motormen on the line who would let me into the cab of the 01100's to see how the controls operated (if there weren't any supervisors around).

My most memorable trip was on a morning I think in '63-64 waiting at Winter Street when a train of the old 0900 cars came in to the station and actually stopped and let us on! I had only seen these relics in the yard at Forest Hills or in work train service. I suppose they must have had a shortage of 01100's that morning. The motorman had a supervisor with him showing him the ropes, I guess he was unfamiliar with these cars.

Sometimes after school I would go exploring the different lines. Acouple of times I rode out to Everett and Sullivan Square, the elevated terminal was quite impressive. Of course I'd catch hell when I came home late for dinner, but it was worth it.

Jon

When I was in Boston a few weeks ago I noticed this column where Washington Street crosses over the Amtrak/MBTA commuter rail line. I think it might have been part of the el's supports but I never did see the old el in person so I am purely speculating.

i was about two weeks away from my birth!

I wasn't alive but I wish I could ridden it.

Some of the best views of the city........especially before they installed the ATO equipment in the 01200/01300's.

I wasn't alive but I wish I could ridden it.

I know, you weren't born till December 1989

And CSXTC, I remember those best views of the Skyline myself, very similar to New York and Chicago today.

Gotta love the way the cars would tilt while going around the sharp curves on the souther side of Dudley Station.

Guys: I just missed by a couple of weeks the opening of the new SW corridor and the closing of the Washington street EL. I remember traveling on and checking out the EL: my memories include the interesting Dudley station,the track at either the Essex or Dover station underneath the deck was constructed with the wood ties supporting the track with the steel beams holding them in place paralleling the track and the old Forest Hills station-right next to the new one. I also recall watching trains turning around on the steel structure south of FH-with the beams visibly shaking. The SW corridor was a major improvment. I remember the special tokens for the SW corridor - they were disliked by the token clerks because they were too much like a nickel. Some memories from MACTRAXX

I was 10 years old in April 1987 and I remember the closing of the el very well. I rode the el all the time as a small kid and I remember most the "tilt" while the train snaked around over Roxbury then toward Chinatown and downtown Boston. The stations just fascinated me..they seemed so..old..and always made me realize how special it was to live in a city so ancient lol. The escalators too..especially at the old Forrest Hills station..I will never forget as long as I live! The amazing view of downtown Boston and the city as a whole (Boston City Hospital and its large circular windows reminded me of eyes staring at me as we rode the Orange Line). I think we last rode the old orange line about a week before it shut down while travelling from our home in Quincy to see our family in Hyde Park (using one of the "long" ways so we could take trains rather than just busses..my other favorite long was was to take the Mattapan-Ashmont red line trolley). I remember riding the "new" orange line about a month after it opened..I thought it was nice..clean..etc..but never had the charm, shall we say, of the old el. Five years later we were moved to Ohio I am glad I got to ride Boston's last true el section in October 2003 on the green line at North Station.

Yeah, I was 11 at the time, but bummerly I was still in Germantown (Gaithersburg), Maryland. The view to now Boston Medical Center must have been nice to see, and if you were in the last car facing the south view, you probably would have gotten a "Southern Expousure" a view of the suburbs as far south as Franklin on a bright, clear day.

I at least got to take the Causeway Streel Green Line trackage before it came down, most recently a week before it was retired. I've ridden also the Mattapan-Ashmont PCC's some of theose were rehabbed and repainted, I'll have to ride on the repainted ones.

When I was little my family did not use public transit much, we always rode the green line to see the redsox. I grew up in Rosy and I think I remember riding the El once or twice...thats it. I do remember the fishbowls that ran out Belgrade ave.