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

By cybah
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 10:30am

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

By Bob
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 3:48pm

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?

By HenryAlan
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 9:59pm

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

By roadman
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 10:55am

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!

By Ari O
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 10:52am

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

By roadman
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 10:56am

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

By John Carr
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 10:37am

Is it going under Beacon Hill toward Park Street from the Charles Street stop?

Wow, First Time

By Hyde_Parker
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 10:37am

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

By Sally
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 10:39am

anywhere on Beacon Hill today? What would the condo association say??

I'm not too good on my early Cambridge-Dorchester car types...

By octr202
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 10:48am

...but it looks very close to the late '20's #4 Camb-Dorchester cars:

http://trolleymuseum.org/collection/browse.php?id=...

Very likely the earlier series of cars for the Cambridge Subway, so it has to be the Beacon Hill portal.

Hmm...

By Div2Supt
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 12:10pm

Yeah, the portal coming out of Beacon Hill. As to the trains + date; 600's around 1912-13.

shhhhh

By ScipioA
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 11:17am

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

By KBHer
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 12:51pm

As long as it's historically appropriate laundry, I see no issue.

Petticoats & Bloomers

By Hyde_Parker
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 3:25pm

Amirite?

The Right to Dry

By anon
Tue, 06/09/2015 - 4:55pm

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

By Ben Quahog
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 10:40am

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

By Suldog
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 10:43am

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

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

By cybah
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 11:01am

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

By downtown-anon
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 11:03am

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

[img]http://oldtrails.com/HeavyRail/Boston/Images/boshs...

EDIT: Actually this is closer
[img]http://oldtrails.com/HeavyRail/Boston/Images/boshc...

Those pictures aren't too

By anon
Wed, 06/03/2015 - 12:49pm

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.

(Of course, you could have taken a street car the rest of the way back then.)

The Answer!

By Boston City Archives
Thu, 06/04/2015 - 8:40am

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