Hidden Railways and Roads

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Hidden Railways and Roads

You may not realise it but there are extra subway lines under New York and over in England there are tunnels that wind underground along with metro lines. There are many hidden railways and roads around the world, which are both creepy and cool at the same time and also act like a time capsule into the past. We are going to take a look at some of the various discontinued railway lines and roads around the world.

Waldorf Astoria, New York

There has always been a lot of intrigue surrounding the Waldorf Astoria in New York. When the hotel was being made in 1930 it had its own rail track and platform, otherwise known as a siding, which was used by wealthy people. Franklin D. Roosevelt also used the platform when he was president, generally to arrive in secret.

The track 61 underneath isn’t a regular stop; however it was accessible dating back to the 1930s. Today it is kept secure. It was mentioned in an article in the New York Times in 1929 which said “Guests with private rail cars may have them routed directly to the hotel instead of to the Pennsylvania Station or the Grand Central Terminal.”

[Image Courtesy of GettyImages]

Mail Rail in London

Most people don’t realise that there is 23 miles of London Underground that is for the most part unknown. It was dubbed The Rail line as it took mail from Whitechapel in the East End to Paddington in the West. It was completed in 1927 and remained in use up until 2003. The ride is 20 minutes long and included 8 mail rail stations. It was too costly to run and was closed down, but Londoners want it to open as a tourist spot.

[Image Courtesy of GettyImages]

The Metro-2 in Moscow

The Metro-2 is said to be a hidden metro system with tracks that run alongside public routes and which stretch on past the real metro system, however it could be a myth. The US Department of Defense did include some diagrams of the system when they published some documents. Perhaps it is more feasible that there are secret tracks underground which connect to government buildings.

[Image Courtesy of GettyImages]

Freight lines in Chicago

Chicago was tunnel happy during the 1900s when the Illinois Telephone and Telegraphy began to make tunnels for their home-phone service. By 1906 there was a network of tunnels which could carry freight; the main use of the tunnels was to transport coal to businesses. When the need for coal decreased, along with costs from transporting it above ground, the tunnels were no longer needed and were sealed in 1959.

[Image Courtesy of GettyImages]

The L.A. Subway in Los Angeles

Los Angeles had a lot of tunnels well before the 1900s so as to be able to cut down on the amount of time it took for commuting. However it wasn’t until 1920 that the tunnels began to take shape as the subway system and the Subway Terminal Building for Hollywood opened up during 1925. However love for trains was short lived and began closing down during the 1950s.The Subway Terminal Building remains sealed off under the town with a luxury apartment block called Metro 417 built above.

[Image Courtesy of California Historical Society/L.A. Chamber of Commerce]

The Planned Subway in Cincinnati

Cincinnati very nearly had a subway, well if you could call it that, more along the lines of rail and trains. The city had two subway tunnels erected in 1920 and 1925 and these stretched out for 6 miles in a canal which had been covered by a street that had been built, Central Parkway. It came to an end when money was tight and the tunnels have been empty for around 90 years.

[Image Courtesy of GettyImages]

City Hall Station in New York

New Yorks City Hall station opened in 1903 and closed in 1945 and when it did, it kept all the skylights, brass fixtures, tiles an other decorations. Those riding on the New York subway can see the closed station if they stay on the 6 train for a few more minutes; this is the southbound train which turns around and then goes north. For many years you couldn’t do this but now you can enjoy the extra ride.

[Image Courtesy of GettyImages]

McCormick Place Busway in Chicago

This was built in 2002 with the aim being to take people quickly to the McCormick Place in Chicago. However the road, which is around 2.5 miles, has become a semi-secret pathway which is open to only convention buses along with people with connections. It was called the Bat Cave once by the Mayor.

[Image Courtesy of Jordan Nicolette Photography]

Site 3 Burlington, Corsham in England

During the cold war some people built some very strange things and one of these was a 35 acre city which lies 100 feet below Corsham in England. It was built in 1950 and the bunker space was going to house some of the most important residents of England in the event of a nuclear attack. There are more than 60 miles of roads underneath the city while the area was vacated during the 80s, it wasn’t decommissioned until 2004. Perhaps it could become a tourist site.