New York’s Fake Buildings - Secret Sub-Stations (the story behind them) IT'S HISTORY

there was a time when elements of the power grid  were so massive that they needed to be hidden   in plain sight both below the ground and above it  and unlike today elements of urban infrastructure   also contained aspects of artistry and allure such  was the case with the sprawling on-scene sections   of new york's subway system sections known as  substations these facilities were once essential   in powering the great underground network but  today they're mostly forgotten and abandoned   so join me as we discover the story of  these invisible giants this is a story of   unprecedented laborers fantastic industrial  might and gears which cease to turn today   we discover new york city's substations i'm your  host ryan socash and you're watching it's history   few places represent abstraction as well as new  york city does consider it with the subway and   convenience stores open all night this densely  populated metropolitan is transformed into a   24-hour free-for-all for nearly eight and a half  million people who call it home over four million   of those people take the city's vast subway  system every single day whether it's to go to work   to grab a slice visit a friend the public transit  is at the heart of the city but did you ever   wonder what keeps its heart pumping what's  been powering this train for a hundred years   the answer to that question are the substations  hidden behind vast yet unassuming facades are   hundreds of thousands of pounds of machinery and  hundreds of machinists who have operated new york   city's substations for decades and brought the  subway line to life but why was this all necessary   to simplify an otherwise complex question we need  to discuss electricity there are two important   types of electric currents alternating current or  ac and direct current or dc these two make up the   vast majority of electrical systems and they have  different usages power stations especially in the   late 1800s were only producing dc as that was what  was used for lighting in other electronics however   the low voltage of dc power generation  meant that light bulbs plugged in just   5 000 feet from the power station were dim and  faded compared to those closer to the station   it was prohibitively expensive for companies to  build the dozens of power stations in the density   required to give the city proper power coverage  and obviously when it came to trains you couldn't   have a weakening current as the train distance  itself from the power source hence the substations   were a solution to that problem instead of  trying to transmit dc power over long distances   ac was well suited for the task but dc was still  how things like electric motors and lights were   powered so instead of an extreme density of  power stations throughout the city the electric   companies built substations to convert ac power  that can travel long distances into localized dc   power just to put a little emphasis here new  york's transit system needed to become cutting   edge the very first elevated rail in the city  didn't even run on electricity at all rather   it was a steam locomotive blowing unthinkable  pollution into people's homes and offices as it   passed basically at the turn of the century the  non-stop steam engine operation from railways   was choking the city with fumes and this needed  to stop which takes us to richmond virginia in the   year of 1888 when the town successfully installed  an electric powered streetcar eliminating the   noise fumes and cinders of the steam locomotives  but also providing a simpler more efficient system   of getting around rather than having a single  engine which drags an entire train each car on   an electrified rail became individually powered  allowing the train to start and stop much quicker   it was easier cheaper faster and cleaner than  steam locomotives after the absolute success of   the richmond system new york began to follow suit  and electrified their rail system between 1898 and   1903. two unintended consequences of the switch  to electric rail were due to the limited supply   of available electricity the rail company would  be required to build their own power stations and   substations throughout the city but it was well  worth it because after eliminating the smoke   and fumes trains could now feasibly run entirely  through the underground tunnels without choking   its occupants thus the new york subway system was  born that being said i would be very curious to   know how much coal smoke was produced in the  generation of electricity to power the trains   as compared to the individual steam engines  that would have otherwise dragged them along   for each new line built during the rapid expansion  of the rail system in the first half of the 20th   century many of these now abandoned substations  had to be constructed in concert when in operation   each of the 78 substations were generally  staffed by two men a maintainer and a helper   they were responsible for adjusting the number of  conversions operating at a time to keep up with   demand in the dead of night only one converter  might be online but during the morning commute   an entire substation might be pumping these two  men also had to keep the converters physically   synced with the alternating current coming from  the power stations and the way electricity of   the time was managed sounds downright terrifying  from today's perspective remember no computers yet   workers would utilize a synchroscope to manually  adjust the synchronization by hand if the current   wasn't synced the power coming into the substation  would deliver a powerful electric shock that would   jolt the whole system sometimes even causing the  60 ton converters to physically jump up from their   foundations furthermore the converters themselves  worked on an oil circuit breaker due to the high   voltages creating dangerous conditions arcs would  form between contacts which had to be doused   with oil quickly because when left unchecked the  workers could have faced a catastrophic explosion   these oil circuit breakers could approach 19 000  volts enough to kill a person instantaneously   this job was dangerous to say the least  and few men served the substations without   picking up at least one gruesome tale of  someone meeting their electrocuted fate   if not their own the safety regulations of the  time were relatively lacks so workers would   for example test whether or not equipment was  energized by tapping it with a wooden stick that   had a metal tip if a spark and a hiss appeared it  meant that the wire or the contact was not dead   as crazy as this sounds i need to remind  you that their official method of preventing   a high current explosion was by manually  dousing massive arches of electricity in oil   the construction of the substations was a massive  challenge new york city is dense there isn't a   lot of spare room lying around to build dozens  of industrial eyesores hence the buildings were   disguised accordingly to suit their environment  standing tall they could often be distinguished   from the surrounding neighborhood by their tall  windows and lack of signage one substation even   went as far as to fake a commercial facade putting  out consumer appliances in the front window as if   they were in the business of selling dishwashers  not powering the subway every machine inside the   station had a twin so that in the event that  there was an electrical or mechanical failure   there would be little disruption to service the  beauty of the interiors was not a concern during   construction but as electric current was often  flowing in high voltages there was a need to   properly insulate tools and systems wooden handles  and marble paneling served as excellent insulators   and gave the substation system a unique and  charming look as well as protecting the workers   from unintended shocks the anonymity of the  substation lends it an air of mystique and drama   that most industrial equipment does not possess  based on exterior cosmetics any building could   have been a substation chugging electricity  empowering the world right under your nose   there were numerous different station types  offering a variety of architectural stylings   some rail lines even hired famed architectural  firms to build their stations some were towering   proud works of beaux arts or rugged modern  boxes we didn't have to build them beautifully   but we did the substations slipped  into the streets of new york city and   pumped her heart for decades millions of new  yorkers rode the transit system while it was   powered by them without even knowing they existed  like scattered forgotten graves they are among us   if we saw them we'd probably instinctually  feel that they were once of importance   but no one knows exactly why so now let's talk  a little bit about their decline and abandonment   of course technology changes and the manually  operated rotary converters that were typical   of the substations began to be replaced  by miniaturized mercury arc rectifiers   while lacking in the romantic appeal  and industrial beauty department   mercury arc rectifiers are essentially maintenance  free and can be operated entirely remotely the   technology advanced and the new substations were  no longer grand halls dedicated to man's dominion   over electricity but rather underground closets or  windowless boxes sleek convenient and modern but   if you ask me something was lost the conversion  was a slow process new york edison announced the   switch in 1928 but it wasn't until 1978 that the  company retired its last substation by the time   new york subway was no longer a jewel in the cap  of america's industrialization but rather a vast   underfunded headache the substations had been  built to last prepared for indefinite service   they required less upkeep than the new solutions  even in their advanced age so throughout the   course of this long conversion when parts  of the old stations were no longer available   repair crews would actually cannibalize old  equipment and decommission some substations   to keep others operational well some mercury arc  rectifier stations were built as early as 1932.   it wasn't until 1959 that the transit system  dedicated itself fully to the conversion the   transit authority sold its power stations  to the con edison company and the terms of   that sale bound con edison to deliver power to the  substations until 1999 this would give the transit   authority time to complete a full conversion and  eliminate the old substations from their system   the last manually operated substation was  substation number 42 on 57th street in manhattan   once powering almost all of broadway and  lexington avenue by 1999 substation 42 was a   dinosaur she was only ever powered up at peak  hours to provide just a little bit of extra power   by the end of 1999 khan edison discontinued  service to the station and new york's   once cutting edge substation system  never saw the 21st century the buildings   weren't all torn down though construction is  expensive and these buildings were made to   last with thick walls and solid foundations  so many of the substations were transformed   after their retirement new york keeps the soul  of the substations alive by repurposing the   structures to new ends movie theaters auto repair  shops warehouses office buildings are now standing   in place of where 60 ton oil circuit breakers  and rotary converters once sat with that being   said let's have a look at what remains of some  of these substations on 108 east 19th street   architect john van vellick and paul c hunter built  this handsome renaissance inspired powerhouse   as a part of the initial phase of construction on  the interboro rapid transport subway between 1902   and 1904 this substation is a premium example  of just how elegant an industrial facade can be   have a look at the details of the window crestings  and the masonry work if you were just driving   down this street you'd never associate it  with something like the subway although i   have to admit that the windows on the second  and third floor look pretty dusty and creepy   on 225 west 53rd street is a strikingly similar  setup as if these buildings were just copy and   pasted old style fencing in front of the garage  doors offer this substation a zest of the old   and if you look carefully at the windows behind  that same fencing it would almost seem that the   sun shines through the back part of the building a  rather unusual luxury on ground floor in manhattan   the substation on 264 west 96th street  looks totally gloomy with its windows being   boarded up and the highest levels of the brickwork  being secured for the pedestrians passing below it   there are plenty of other examples of such  substations throughout the entire city some   are in a state of total disarray and surprisingly  some are still marked with high voltage signs on   the front door this type of hiding in plain sight  makes me wonder about what other elements of the   subway system we might fail to notice but it also  makes me appreciate the charisma of a part of the   city most people would consider as looking seedy  and that's pretty ironic because in their day   these buildings would have almost looked regal now  they look like haunted houses additionally and for   context i'd like to present you one example of a  power station that had produced the electricity   for these forgotten substations perhaps the  most beautiful example was the powerhouse   strategically located between 11th 12th and 58th  and 59th streets directly off the hudson river   massive amounts of coal to fuel its generators  could be delivered by barge routinely without   impeding city traffic this plant covered an entire  city block and originally powered the entire   subway system the plant was decommissioned when  power for the subway was purchased from con ed   this magnificent structure was built at the  same time as the original subway projected by   the notorious architectural firm mckim contrasting  its white brick and terracotta template this plant   pumped out smoke from six tall smokestacks  as produced by its massive coal furnaces so   as new yorkers enjoyed the reduction in smoke that  would have otherwise been put out by steam engines   those right across the hudson they probably got  a lungful the invisible labor behind our everyday   lives is harder to see than ever but it's vital  to understand how deliveries get to your doorstep   or food to your table or even electricity to your  subway car and the progression required to bring   us all these comforts we now take for granted  should at minimum be noted thinking back to those   men who would literally tap a scary electronic  installation just to see if it was live makes me   wonder about what obvious foolishness we partake  in in our modern world and well after giving some   consideration to the question i'd suggest that in  1905 the dangers were physical but in our modern   era they're very psychological and if the internet  now is comparable to the advent of electricity   then one look into any social media platform  will be enough to know about the foolishness   of our times just imagine how the historians will  be baffled in the future so keep this story alive   by sharing it with a friend subscribe to its  history check out our daily stories and for   more tales of urban decay click the playlist  on this card finally if you have an idea for an   episode feel free to write it in the comments  section below this is ryan socash signing off

Channel: IT'S HISTORY

Views: 562,609

Keywords: tales of urban decay, urban history, American history, urban exploring, Ryan Socash, bright sun films, abandoned buildings, lost marvels, new yorks lost history, forgotten buildings, sub-stations, New York subway history, old power plant, abandoned power plant, TheTimTraveller, new york underground, forgotten new york, old new york, 19th century new york, rust belt, the story of new york subway, new york metro, old electric equiptment, ryan socash, documentary new york

Id: jQApJdLp2M0

Length: 17min 43sec (1063 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 09 2021