Frank Cheney

The Boston Elevated Railway broke ground in 1899 for a new transit service that opened in 1901, providing a seven-mile elevated railway that connected Dudley Street Station in Roxbury and Sullivan Square Station in Charlestown, two huge multilevel terminals. When the EL, as it was popularly known, opened for service, it provided an unencumbered route high above the surging traffic of Boston, until it went underground through the city. The new trains of the EL were elegant coaches of Africanmahogany, bronze hardware, plush upholstered seats, plate glass windows, and exteriors of aurora red with silver gilt striping and slate grey roofs. They stopped at ten equally distinguished train stations, designed by the noted architect Alexander WadsworthLongfellow. All of this elegance, let alone convenience, could be had for the price of a five-cent ticket. The popularity of the EL was instantaneous. The railway continued to provide transportation service high above Boston s streets until 1987, when it was unfortunately ended after 86 years of elevated operation. Today, the squealing wheels of the Elevated trains, the rocking coaches, the fascinating views, and the fanciful copper-roofed stations of the line are a missing part of the character of Boston, when one could ride high above the city for a nickel."

Boston in Motion, the sequel to Trolleys under the Hub, is an intriguing collection of photographs that captures the history of transportation in and around Boston. Authors Frank Cheney and Anthony M. Sammarco trace the stories from the earliest days of public transport with the Winnissimmet Ferry to the MBTA of today. A city known for its comprehensive public transportation, Boston has hosted every type of transit known to urban America. From the ferry, the horse railway, and the omnibus to the steam railroad and, eventually, the subway and bus systems, Boston has always been at the forefront of transportation advancements. The former El (the Boston Elevated Railway), the Old Colony Railroad, the Red Line, and the East Boston Line dramatically changed the face of Boston in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In Boston in Motion, these advancements are presented and explored in a riveting collection of original photographs."