Staten Island Rapid Transit, Going and Coming

[RRaquello]

That's the north end of the station. The train coming in at the end is arriving from the Bay Terrace, where I live. The underpass goes under Giffords Lane, and right on top of the stairs is the ticket office/waiting room that still used to be open when I was a kid (late 60s/early 70s). Great Kills station is pretty dirty even now. Lot of trash and a lot of dripping water & rust. And pigeons, which weren't there when I was a kid. And yes, locals still do call it the SIRT. Anyway, I do.

[superdog131]

first of all it the Staten Island Railway (SIR) not the SIRT

[paperbacknovel]

Used to be called the SIRT; they changed the name some years ago. Still the same train.

[intercityrailpal]

@superdog131 Hard to believe this was owned one time by the famous "Baltimore and Ohio railroad. And way back, they ran sleeping cars St. George to Saint Louis,Missouri that"s over a thousand miles west! B&O, route of the "Royal Blue" to Washington, and the "Capitol Limited" to Chicago . The "Cap" runs again but only out of Washington instead of J.C. Terminal. It's four hours slower but still sells out many times ayear.

[mikethegent]

@superdog131 to the locals whos still ride it they refer to it as sirt

[revup67]

road that train in the 70s and 80s. Is it still safe these days?

[paperbacklou]

Very safe.

And the stations are cleaner than they were in those days.

If you want to reminisce, the movie "Combat Shock" has some footage shot at Staten Island train stations in the seventies. Amazing the amount of trash and graffitti that existed back then.

[intercityrailpal]

@revup67 The best way to ride is on a fan trip. Like the one coming up on April 17th, 2010 The ERA of NY is running it. You'll be with other fans enjoying the system and seeing things only they can know and point out. Plus the photo stops!