I will say as someone who used to work in Westchester County just north of this station along Boston Post Rd. This is by far the fastest line from The Bronx into Manhattan. That stretch alone is smooth like butter especially on a Saturday or Sunday morning. It's very quiet and if you aren't alert you might fall asleep, thats how quiet the train can get. The white noise is impeccable. I used to enjoy seeing the brick homes from the elevated viaduct. You can see the skyline of Coop City after leaving Gun Hill Rd. Station. The diagonal route slices right across the Baychester and Eastchester neighborhoods which are very suburban in the appearance. It's like you're not even in The Bronx.
As one who as lived 15 minutes away from this line for 25 years, it’s pretty interesting that this was once a railroad running between Westchester and The Bronx. This explains why riders get the feel of get the feel of different types of station construction. I personally like subway lines that have embankments and open cuts like Morris Park and Gun Hill Road. It stands out from the typical everyday elevated or underground structure, and makes it feel like a railroad in any other city. That’s why I really like the Sea Beach N line, and the Brighton Line. It shows that NYC can be flexible with its subway construction. The Canarsie end of the L line, (last 3 stops) go from embankment at New Lots, to at grade for East 105 street and Rockaway Parkway. Wow I’m being such a rail fan. Hey 🤷🏽♂️ lol Oh, and yes, I can’t stand the geography of the Bronx because of all these steep random hills. This is due to the Bronx being a part of the mainland which is connected to Westchester County, known for its ridiculously steep hills that are practically mini mountains. When I take take the Metro North to Woodlawn to visit my parents, it is a workout climbing that 233 Street hill.
Until 1973 there was a grade crossing where East 105th Street crosses the tracks. Passengers had to cross one of the tracks at grade to access the island platform. It was not operated like a railroad grade crossing, at least when I rode it. Southbound trains came to a full stop before passing and blew two shorts on the whistle before proceeding. Northbound no additional stop was needed since the crossing was immediately beyond the station
I love this line just because it's a great example of converting abandoned railroads to subway use, something that is a cheap but effective tool to install useful public transit.
I grew up 1/2 block from Gun Hill Rd. Station and the Dyre Avenue line was my lifeline to JHS 142, Aviation High School and The City. I am even old to remember the "Dinkey" service to 180 St. using Low V trains and having fare collection on the trains. Thank you for this wonderful video.
5:42. So true. It doesn't make any sense. I used to deliver groceries all over the Bronx. The roads are random, curvy, full of hills, short and out of order.
I agree that the ride on the 5 is very relaxing. Almost like a throwback to its railroad days. There's even a small section of downtown track between Gun Hill Rd and Pelham Pkwy that the tracks sound like there's a locomotive running on it. The only downer on that line is that it run real slooooow when it is snowing.
Yeah I like the railroad feeling it gives around Gun Hill with its open cut design, and at stations such as Baychester and Morris Park with the embankment design. It’s like not being in the inner city, but still in the inner city.
My mom lived about a mile and a half from the Dyre AV station. She lived in Mt Vernon. I served with the US Navy for 20 years. I served aboard the USS John F Kennedy (CVA 67) from March 24th 1972 until August 1st. 1973... When the ship was in it's home port of Norfolk VA(aka NOB..Naval Operating Base) Fridays when I did not have duty for the weekend I'd go to my moms home in New York. I remember this so well.. On Fridays was supposed to be the ships training day. But after quarters we'd go down to our shop sign the training sheet and if you did not have duty you could take off. I did not have a car so I'd take the Greyhound bus to NY. The USN made this easy by allowing the Greyhounds to come on base. So all a sailor had to do was walk down to pier seven and the buses were all mustered their. . I remember that it cost $24 dollars round trip to NYC. Then the bus proceeded to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in NYC. As I stated she lived in Mt Vernon NY. Her home was about a mile and a half from the Dyre AV station. Once the bus got to PATH Bus Terminal I'd make a bee-line to the subway beneath the PATH Bus terminal Next I'd take #5 Lexington AV Express to Dyre AV. Someone would always pick me up. Oh so long ago before many of those reading this were born.
Thanks for sharing the history of my home subway, the # 5 Dyre Avenue line. It is a calm line to ride with a beautiful scenery with the exception of the service, which needs improvements. I always felt that if this line had remained a railroad going further south into Manhattan and going north to Boston as originally planned, the service on the line would be much better. BTW, the southbound express is also used for planned work when construction work is done on the local tracks.
This Dyre Ave branch was apart of the New York, Westchester, and Boston Railway. The line continued north of Dyre Ave into Westchester County through Mount Vernon with several stations, all of which are gone now as they were demolished but there are remnants of viaducts that carried the trains.
The New York, Westchester and Boston was owned by the much larger New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, and that entire railroad was facing bankruptcy in 1935, not just the NYW&B. Creditors were telling the bosses of New Haven that they should cut their least profitable lines, and the NYW&B went on the chopping block. The NYC Board of Transportation wanted to choose between converting the NYW&B to the IRT Dyre Avenue Line, and extending the IND Concourse Line. They decided they couldn't afford to extend the Concourse Line, so, they stuck to converting this one.
The E train Archer Ave Extension would have been like this if not for fiscal concerns back in the 80's. We would have had E trains run to Springfield Bvld in Laurelton via the LIRR's Eastern Altantic Branch. It would provide service to a transit desert full of slow buses.
The 1 should have extended 3 or 4 stops to the Yonkers border. West 251st St. Mosholu Ave. West 261st St. and possibly a 261st St-- Mt. St. Vincent and Riverdale Avenue stop.
When the city took over the line I felt like the 5 should have gone a bit farther than Dyre to have it go in the line full time such as an extension to New Rochelle serving Columbus Ave and then curving east along Mayflower Ave and then curve up north again up to Iona College. This would make a massive improvement in the 5 line and the Dyre Av Line as a whole.
If the line remained a railroad and went further north to Boston which was originally planned, u definitely would see massive improvements on this line. But with the politics, no New York City subway or bus line can’t enter Westchester County.
When I and my sister attended P.S. 89 we often took the nearby Dyre Avenue Line of the IRT as it connects with the 7th Avenue Line of the IRT at East 180th Street as Mystic Transit describes
Cool video! Would love to see more videos about the histories of other lines, especially lines that still have elevated parts or have closed stations. Like the A, 1, and the first IRT line.
You should rank non nyc subway trains that run inside New York or you can go beyond if you’d like now that you bring up the dyre avenue line being one of your favorite lines in subway
Dang I was on this line yesterday as part of a subway marathon and I thought about making a video about this, but you beat me to it lol anyway great video!
Dyre Ave to me is the station, “you never forget your first”. I’ve never travel there before until I was assigned to work there on my first day on the job. Traveling there was a pain in the butt from Brooklyn but working there was so calming. If I’d lived in the Bronx, I would love to work at Dyre Ave again.
6:02 one of the reasons I suspect the geography is the way it is over there could be what could've formerly been water ways or farm land. I grew up in that area and grew up taking that line. I was told that area used to be mainly farmland way back in the day. And, from what I can remember, WAAAAYYY back in the day there was a river (can't remember what it was called) that ran through many of the north eastern neighborhoods, especially in the Pelham Parkway/Gardens, Morris Park and Co-Op City areas. Man, I wish I could recall where I read this. And like one other commenter said, the Bronx is the only borough attached to the mainland, so it's going to have similar contours to the remainder of the country with random hills and valleys.
There's an incredible amount of history of Pre-MTA train service in NYC and lower Westchester that needs to be explored. I always wonder what would have happened if some of the private rail services had been able to survive into modern times. What lines would be available? How much would it have cost? How would have companies merged to make sure they could compete? How would the system look today? Could we have Connecticut to New Jersey service?
@@alexharris2495 It's a smooth line. The ride to and from the city (depending on how far into the city you're going) isn't too bad. The Gun Hill Road stop on the Dyre Ave line recently got a major upgrade, which you can catch a glimpse of in parts of this video. Growing up, the station I knew was small and claustrophobic. Now, it has an elevator, it's spacious, and bright and airier. I don't take the subway anymore, but they did a great job upgrading the gun hill station.
I've always loved the Dyre ave line even as a kid it was one of my favorite places to railfan. Funny enough so was the Brighton Line which was one of my home lines growing up in Coney Island
You should do one of the Rockaway line and a more in-depth one including reactivating the abandoned part with QueensLink. It's so sad that the Queensway is being built instead. Maybe sometime we can convince NIMBYs to use two of the lanes for rapid transit, as the Queensway goes right over Forest Park anyway.
It would've been nice if the NW&B was kept but the Dyre Avenue Line from E 180th Street to Dyre Avenue was connected to the subway. Subway trains could use the local tracks and commuter trains could use the express tracks with the Dyre Avenue station being a double-deck structure with subway trains terminating on the upper level and commuter trains passing through on the lower level.
Kingsbridge Road station was just across the Westchester line. If you walk up Dyre Ave to W. Kingsbridge Rd and turn right, and walk east until it becomes E Kingsbridge Rd, before you reach S. 3rd Ave, you'll see the steps to the abandoned station to the left and the #5 lay-up tracks to the right. It was so close to the Bronx border, i felt it should have been included in the reconfiguration. But I also wonder about the financial logistics that would have arisen from having an NYC subway station just north of its border.
I pretty much live right by Dyer Avenue a quick hop on the 5 train, and you're into Manhattan. I never noticed the Hills. Like you said, it is a straight shot
But also the Lexington Avenue line was also sent up to as far as Nereid Avenue-238th Street to serve with the 2 line if needed. Sometimes the Lexington Avenue line would go all the way to Wakefield-241st Street depending on if the 2 train needs an extra service up to Wakefield. Sometimes the 5 is sent up to Woodlawn as an extra service on the 4 line, but we may end up seeing a change in subway service, like 8 trains might come back into service after nearly 51 years but may not be seen until the 2040s, 8 train service can possibly serve up to Eastchester-Dyre Avenue while 2 train service can still run up to Wakefield-241st Street but was thinking that 8 trains would go with the 2 to Flatbush Avenue-Brooklyn College and 5 trains run with the 4 line from either Crown Heights-Utica Avenue during the day or New Lots Avenue during late nights to either Burnside Avenue if no service is running between Burnside Avenue and Woodlawn, 149th Street-Grand Concourse if no service is running between 149th Street-Grand Concourse and Woodlawn, 161st Street-Yankee Stadium during the Subway Series and having the 7 come to town for only more than 72 hours as a museum train colored blue with the orange New York logo that was surplus from the long lost New York Giants that moved out west to San Francisco which obviously the blue and orange New York team is the Mets, Bedford Park Boulevard-Lehman College is no service is running between Bedford Park Boulevard-Lehman College and Woodlawn, Fordham Road if no service is running between Fordham Road and Woodlawn, Mosholu Parkway if no service is running between Mosholu Parkway and Woodlawn, 167th Street if no service is running between 167th Street and Woodlawn, or Woodlawn so that the 4 won’t have to travel on it’s own between The Bronx and Brooklyn. Have another train service on the Pelham line between Pelham Bay Park and Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall or even if both Pelham/Lexington Avenue locals are needed to Bowling Green on occasions. Also another local service between Van Cortlandt Park-242nd Street and South Ferry. Another service between Harlem-148th Street and New Lots Avenue, 14th Street, 34th Street-Penn Station, or Times Square-42nd Street. Have an extra service on the Flushing line to connect it to Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard from 34th Street-Hudson Yards. Have LIRR Flushing line service between 34th Street-Penn Station or either Euclid Avenue, Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway on the extension south of the railroad’s Livonia Avenue line, all Rockaway stations on the other side of Queens, such as Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street, Rockaway Boulevard, Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue and Flushing-Main Street with the same stops as the IRT 7 line after 34th Street-Penn Station have one to Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard with the same stations as the proposed IRT Astoria line from 34th Street-Hudson Yards to Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard, have MNRR services from South Ferry and Riverdale-242nd Street with the same stations as the IRT Broadway/7th Avenue line, from Brooklyn College-Flatbush Avenue and Wakefield-241st Street as well as Woodlawn-East 233rd Street with the same stations as the IRT 7th Avenue/Lexington Avenue/Jerome Avenue/White Plains Road lines but with no Mount Eden Avenue station, no 161st Street station, no Burnside Avenue but Tremont different station name called Botanical Garden-Mosholu Parkway-Bedford Park Boulevard, having Williams Bridge station be Williams Bridge-210th Street etc having a Co-op City line with the same stations as the IRT Pelham/Dyre Avenue line such as Hunts Point Avenue, Parkchester-East 177th Street, and Morris Park, having 149th Street-Grand Concourse and 138th Street-Grand Concourse as the last stations in The Bronx, and you know the rest
I wonder if the Q train will ever get extended to Dyre Ave in the future, I feel it would make sense since ppl living near the Dyre Ave wouldn't need to rely heavily on the 5 train if it were extended there. Plus the Q would make use of the abandoned station platforms there and make use of the abandoned tracks south of 180th St.
The North Bronx near Westchester County and along the sound are the most decent and in my opinion liveable. The Center, The South, and West is like entering a developing 3rd world nation.
I am lucky to have multiple MTA lines near me and Metro North service. I wonder what could have been if the private rail lines still existed today and what services I would have instead? Some better and some worst
Shame they didn't keep the inner tracks in service for an optional express service or even some tracks in Westchester to give some of the residents up there an easier one seat ride to manhattan. The amount of "What-ifs" when it comes to the NYC subway system is astounding
That argument for express service falls apart when you consider that the White Plains Road Line has only three tracks. The route essentially operates as a two track line, so the maximum capacity for the whole line is 30 trains per hour. This reduces the capacity of the White Plains Road service to 241st Street as well as the entire Dyre Avenue Line to 15 trains per hour (with things balanced. In reality, some 5 trains go on WPR during rush hours, but only to Nereid Avenue). Express service on the Dyre Avenue Line would result in dramatic increases in wait times for three of the local stations while nobody benefits at all. Not even those at Dyre Avenue.
Operating on the Dyre line and on the Brighton line is like more commuter railroad like parts of the NYC Subway. When operating on either those two lines, you get an idea of what the engineer is operating on the Metro-North or the LIRR. " Geography in The Bronx is stupid"😅😅😅 Well, we gotta work with Mother Nature gives us and improve on that!!😂😂
I ran a lot of trains over that line from R12s through R142s. I still live near the Morris Park station. Have you checked out the video I posted showing the line when it was a railroad? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j_Hnmae2cHU.html&ab_channel=pbatommy
