Coney Island Shops on August 5, 2014 Photo byNoah Caplin
Shore Line Trolley Museum in December 1972 Photo by Noah Caplin
Coney Island Shops on August 5, 2014 Photo byNoah Caplin
Shore Line Trolley Museum in December 1972 Photo by Noah Caplin
2024 marks the 90th anniversary of the ERA's founding. To celebrate this important milestone in the club's history, the Board is planning three days of exciting activities starting Friday, November 22 and running through Sunday, November 24. Please note that this is the weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday.
These events are open exclusively to current ERA members in good standing. Members will be allowed to bring one non-member guest, so a maximum of two persons per order. Meeting times, location details, and pricing are found below.
All completed order forms, waivers, and payment (including signed waivers and copy of photo ID for the Coney Island tour), must be received by Friday, October 11, or orders for 50 participants have been received, whichever comes first.
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90th Anniversary Weekend FlyerOn the first day of the anniversary weekend, we will kick things off with a tour of MTA New York City Transit's Coney Island Overhaul and Maintenance Complex. The ERA has not visited Coney Island since 2013. This will be a must-see as it is one of the largest rapid transit rolling stock maintenance facilities in the world.
In October 2012, Superstorm Sandy inflicted severe damage on the Coney Island complex. Since then, it has undergone a transformation, as the yard and the shop buildings have been upgraded and fortified against future severe weather events. Observing these works, in addition to regular rolling stock maintenance activities, should be quite interesting.
At the request of New York City Transit, we will require in advance, completed and signed waiver forms and proof of identification for security purposes. Visitors to Coney Island must be at least 10 years old. The waiver forms and the ID requirements are herein attached in the Flyer. Access to Coney Island will be denied to anyone who does not mail hard copy originals of the signed waiver and mail or email a copy of their photo ID with their order. Please check the instructions under "Order Form" section of the Flyer.
Evening ProgramOn Friday evening, we will gather at Manducatis Restaurant in Long Island City, Queens for our annual membership meeting, followed by dinner and two special presentations. Member Eric Oszustowicz will offer a look back on ERA's unique and notable history, followed by member Nick DeBari who will review the latest developments in North American traction. Doors will open at 6 PM, and the annual membership meeting will start at 6:30 PM. Dinner will be served at 7 PM, and the presentations will follow beginning at 8 PM.
On the second day of the anniversary weekend, we will travel to the Shore Line Trolley Museum in Branford, Connecticut. The museum's collection includes unique and historically significant artifacts dating back to the beginning of electric railways, in particular trolley cars and rapid transit cars that operated in the New York metropolitan area. Participants will be treated to rides and barn tours. Shore Line will have the museum store open for the entire event. It will be fully stocked for the holiday season. ERA members will receive a 10% discount off any item in the Shore Line gift shop, with complimentary water and soda offered to attendees.
Transportation to Shore Line will be provided via chartered motorcoach, leaving at 8:00 AM from 8th Avenue and West 41st Street, across from the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The nearest stations are 42 Street-Port Authority Bus Terminal and Times Square-42 Street . An additional pick-up stop will be made at the Pelham Bay Park Station on the Line at 8:30 AM. A breakfast stop will be made on enroute. Alternatively, attendees can also provide their own transportation. Arrival at Shore Line Trolley Museum is at 10:45 AM.
Following our Shore Line visit, we will gather for dinner at the Twin Pines Dinner in East Haven at 4 PM. Dinner will be at members' expense. Return to NYC will follow.
On the last day of the weekend, we have arranged to visit the New York Transit Museum in downtown Brooklyn, New York City. The Transit Museum will graciously accommodate us with an earlier than usual opening time exclusively for ERA visitors. This visit should also be quite special as 2024 marks the 120th anniversary of the opening of the first Interborough Rapid Transit line, New York City's first subway.
To commemorate this important date in the city's history, the Transit Museum is currently developing a new exhibit which should be opening in advance of the IRT anniversary on October 27. We will have exclusive access to this exhibit before the museum opens to the general public that day, and the Museum is tentatively arranging for the exhibit's curator to be available to answer questions.