Pleasant Street Incline
Encyclopedia
The Pleasant Street Incline or Pleasant Street Portal was the southern access point for the Tremont Street Subway
in Boston, Massachusetts, which later became part of the Green Line
(but not until after the incline was closed).
One month after the original opening of the Tremont Street Subway
, the Pleasant Street Incline opened on October 1, 1897, allowing more streetcar lines to operate via the subway. The new tunnel put in service stretched from the outer tracks at Boylston
south under Tremont Street
, with a four-track portal in the triangle bounded by Tremont Street, Pleasant Street (later part of Broadway and Shawmut Avenue. Except near its south end, the tunnel carried only two tracks. A flying junction
near the portal split it into four tracks, with the northbound west track going over the southbound east track. Thus the track configuration at the portal allowed two separate lines to split without any crossings. The two west tracks continued down Tremont Street, while the east tracks turned east on Pleasant Street and went to City Point
in South Boston via Broadway.
On June 10, 1901, all streetcar service through the portal stopped, as the Washington Street Elevated
(later part of the Orange Line
) was connected to the two outermost tracks. El trains came out of the portal, with a center island platform in an open cut, passed under Pleasant Street, and then rose onto an elevated structure. Many surface streetcar lines were truncated to Dudley
, the south end of the new El.
The Washington Street Tunnel opened on November 30, 1908, and streetcars were returned to the Pleasant Street Incline by their old routes.
On March 2, 1953, the City Point line was replaced by the 9 bus route. The tracks to Tremont Street, formerly connected to the west tracks of the portal, were realigned to the east tracks, allowing a bus transfer station to be built where the west tracks had been. The Tremont Street line was bustituted as the 43 route on November 20, 1961, and a streetcar shuttle started operation between the Pleasant Street portal and Boylston, with transfer thereto through subway cars. This shuttle was short-lived, ending operation on April 6, 1962, the end of all operation through the Pleasant Street Portal. The portal has since been covered over by Elliot Norton Park (at the intersection of Tremont Street, Shawmut Avenue, and Oak Street West), and no above-ground traces remain.http://groups.google.com/group/rec.railroad/msg/89d182695f2550e5?hl=en&pli=1
Plans for Phase III construction of the Silver Line
included using part of the tunnel to the Pleasant Street Incline, but rerouting it at each end. As of 2010, plans for Phase III of the Silver Line have been postponed indefinitely, due to lack of funding, and community opposition.
Tremont Street Subway
The Tremont Street Subway is a tunnel in Boston's subway system, and is the oldest subway tunnel in North America, opening on September 1, 1897. It was originally built as a tunnel to get streetcar lines off the streets, rather than a rapid transit line...
in Boston, Massachusetts, which later became part of the Green Line
Green Line (MBTA)
The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
(but not until after the incline was closed).
History
Tremont Street Subway
The Tremont Street Subway is a tunnel in Boston's subway system, and is the oldest subway tunnel in North America, opening on September 1, 1897. It was originally built as a tunnel to get streetcar lines off the streets, rather than a rapid transit line...
, the Pleasant Street Incline opened on October 1, 1897, allowing more streetcar lines to operate via the subway. The new tunnel put in service stretched from the outer tracks at Boylston
Boylston (MBTA station)
Boylston is a station on the Green Line light rail service of the MBTA rapid transport network, and is located on the southeast corner of Boston Common at the intersection of Boylston and Tremont Streets.-Location:...
south under Tremont Street
Tremont Street
Tremont Street is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts.-Etymology:The name is a variation of one of the original appellations of the city, "Trimountaine," a reference to a hill that formerly had three peaks. Beacon Hill, with its single peak, is all that remains of the Trimountain...
, with a four-track portal in the triangle bounded by Tremont Street, Pleasant Street (later part of Broadway and Shawmut Avenue. Except near its south end, the tunnel carried only two tracks. A flying junction
Flying junction
A flying junction or flyover is a railway junction at which one or more diverging or converging tracks in a multiple-track route cross other tracks on the route by bridge to avoid conflict with other train movements. A more technical term is "grade-separated junction"...
near the portal split it into four tracks, with the northbound west track going over the southbound east track. Thus the track configuration at the portal allowed two separate lines to split without any crossings. The two west tracks continued down Tremont Street, while the east tracks turned east on Pleasant Street and went to City Point
City Point (MBTA station)
City Point was a transportation station in South Boston, Massachusetts, on the MBTA's Silver Line, the terminus of the former SL3 line. It lacked waiting facilities for passengers, and existed solely as a turnaround for the buses on the SL3....
in South Boston via Broadway.
On June 10, 1901, all streetcar service through the portal stopped, as the Washington Street Elevated
Washington Street Elevated
The Washington Street Elevated was an elevated segment of Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority subway system, comprising the southern stretch of the Orange Line . It ran from Chinatown through the South End and Roxbury, ending in Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain...
(later part of the Orange Line
Orange Line (MBTA)
The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green...
) was connected to the two outermost tracks. El trains came out of the portal, with a center island platform in an open cut, passed under Pleasant Street, and then rose onto an elevated structure. Many surface streetcar lines were truncated to Dudley
Dudley Square (MBTA station)
Dudley Square is a ground-level bus depot in Dudley Square, Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, served by local buses of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and their Silver Line bus rapid transit service...
, the south end of the new El.
The Washington Street Tunnel opened on November 30, 1908, and streetcars were returned to the Pleasant Street Incline by their old routes.
On March 2, 1953, the City Point line was replaced by the 9 bus route. The tracks to Tremont Street, formerly connected to the west tracks of the portal, were realigned to the east tracks, allowing a bus transfer station to be built where the west tracks had been. The Tremont Street line was bustituted as the 43 route on November 20, 1961, and a streetcar shuttle started operation between the Pleasant Street portal and Boylston, with transfer thereto through subway cars. This shuttle was short-lived, ending operation on April 6, 1962, the end of all operation through the Pleasant Street Portal. The portal has since been covered over by Elliot Norton Park (at the intersection of Tremont Street, Shawmut Avenue, and Oak Street West), and no above-ground traces remain.http://groups.google.com/group/rec.railroad/msg/89d182695f2550e5?hl=en&pli=1
Plans for Phase III construction of the Silver Line
Silver Line (MBTA)
The Silver Line is the only bus rapid transit line currently operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority . It operates in two sections; the first runs from Dudley Square in Roxbury to downtown Boston, Massachusetts and South Station, mostly via Washington Street, with buses...
included using part of the tunnel to the Pleasant Street Incline, but rerouting it at each end. As of 2010, plans for Phase III of the Silver Line have been postponed indefinitely, due to lack of funding, and community opposition.
Further reading
- Bierman, Noah, "Transit archeology: Tour of abandoned subway network offers a glimpse of how the T was built", Boston Globe, Saturday, December 26, 2009.