Boston’s Forgotten Streetcar Tunnels | The Secret Subway Beneath the City

Comments · 439

• MA

  @Marsha21465 · 10 months ago · pinned

  1985? 1885 😊

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• GE

  @georgemetesky5519 · 9 months ago (edited)

  I lived down there for a few weeks when I was a teen in 1978. A dirty, dusty old door that tens of thousands of people ignored every day on their way into the T station, was not locked and led to, what to me was an underground palace. It was lit and heated. It seemed like other people had slept there, but I never saw anyone. It was my magical palace underground.

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• C.

  @c.c.hiliner1065 · 10 months ago (edited)

  When I was kid growing up in Boston, many of the old tunnels were still in use.<br>The old PCC trolleys would rock back and fourth. The tunnel walls would get real close to the windows and move away again.<br>I used to sit behind the Motorman, and look ahead...I remember the old ornatate arches in concrete that were constructed back in the early part of the 20th Century.<br>It was a fascinating experience as a young boy!<br>And a PCC&apos;s wheels SCREECHING LOUD at that brutal turn at Boylston street....it pierced everyone&apos;s ears inside the car!

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• ED

  @edwardloomis887 · 10 months ago

  It&apos;s worth mentioning that the Northeast was hit by one of the worst blizzards in U.S. history in March 1888. Surface communications and transportation networks were paralyzed for days and weeks. The storm reportedly was a major factor motivating Boston and New York City to create the first recognizable subway systems to prevent future total transportation shutdowns

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• TH

  @TheHiredGun187 · 10 months ago

  I spent about six months homeless in boston back in nineteen eighty six. I found a few different ways to sneak back into those tunnels. I actually used 1 to sleep if a few time. During heavy snow

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• RO

  @robertphillips6296 · 10 months ago

  I remember the “M.T.A.” song by the Kingston Trio in 1959.

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• IN

  @infamousSneakattack · 10 months ago (edited)

  The 1800s are so interesting, all these amazing buildings and infrastructure were built with such simple tools, it boggles my mind

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• LL

  @llyfr · 10 months ago

  Commuting to school and work, I always pressed my face to the windows to catch glimpses of the closed stations and tracks. &nbsp;The old Harvard Square station on the Red Line, and the empty spaces on the downtown Green Line stations (Gov&apos;t Center, Park and Boylston Sts) were my favorites. &nbsp;Such a cool thing to see and share with out-of-town visitors. :-)

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• SA

  @Saffy_52 · 10 months ago

  You can pear into the tunnel at the inbound platforms at boylston street station, right by the entrance and next to the iconically loud boylston street curve. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUMWXOUfJf4&amp;t=1077">17:57</a>

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• DI

  @DigitalIslandboy · 10 months ago

  Your part about Harvard was half-correct. &nbsp;Harvard&apos;s Red Line used to have its rail yard near the Charles River where the current Harvard Kennedy School is- but it was lower down by about a story. &nbsp; In 2011-ish Harvard built over the sunken yard level and replaced it with an at- grade level yard. The lower level is now a basement area of the school The bus way runs somewhat parallel to where the old rail tunnel went. (Passing below Mount Auburn Street). &nbsp;The City of Cambridge has been trying to pressure the MBTA to allow Cambridge to take over that sealed up area and turn it into some kinda dance night club.

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• BI

  @Birchbarks · 10 months ago

  As a skate rat in the 90s we explored and used all sorts of abandoned tunnels to skateboard in.

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• MT

  @mtlosardo · 8 months ago

  I remember the heat of Park St., Station in the summer. And I kind of miss it.

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