The Angel Falls Subway System is a branch of the Angel Falls Transit Authority. It opened in 1906 with a Total of five lines operated by the Ledgehammer Rapid Transit Company. After 1940, the City of Angel Falls operated the last 2 lines constructed, and sought to buy the entire system. After a clandestine 35 year battle in court, the Angel Fall Transit Authority took control of the system as well as all Rail, and bus line that were under control of private corporations that were laundering cash, and bilking the government for an estimated $327 million a year. Today the system encompasses eight lines and nearly 600 miles of tracks.
History[]
The current system map.
In 1900 there was more than 723 miles of omnibus and trolley rails throughout Angel Falls. The highest concentration was between Silent Hills and the Dock District and Ledghammer. After several fatal accidents with pedestrians a public out cry for road separated rail service was pushed for. Early entries were of steam powered engines on elevate tracks, but citizen were against the noise, and fire potential they may incur. By 1902, Will Cavet, the then City infastructure councilman went to Boston, and then New York for insight on construction of an electrified rail system that would be mostly underground, as well go to areas where the city could expand. By 1904, he came out with an initial map of desired traffic patterns. Two areas were of paramount concern. Service to Ledgehammer for tourism to beach side casinos, and through service from Broadway to Eden Island. Initially he planned for 2 lines into Eden Island, but the technology needed to cross the Serapin Gate was years away. Thus the number of lines was cut down to four initial lines. The contract to operate the subway went to the Ledgehammer Rapid Transit which was formerly the Ledgehammer Traction and Omnibus Company.
The Broadway Line[]
Taking a hint from the New York City construction, the LRT believed in a four track main on must lines that transverse heavily travel roads. The 1903 Ground breaking at Union Station provided a four track main from Union Station to Schuster. they also went four tracks from City Center to 6th Street and Broaway, and from the Opera house to Point Lookout. In 1905 it was decided this line to be numbered Number 1. The Number two would traverse to Ashton Park via St Bernards. Both starting out of Schuster that was under develop at the time.
The Ledgehammer Line[]
The Ledgehammer line was the most expensive as it served Eden Island. Unable to make a grade to traverse the Angel Falls Bridge, they opted to Tunnel from Calimari St to Port Regal making this line almost complete subterranean. The tunnel was the most expensive construction ever as it was a four track tunnel. It also provided for a connection of an additional line. It would serve the Number 3 which was the express, and the number 4 local.
The Westside Line[]
Also known as the Parkside Line, and the Brigands Cove line was dubbed the Train to nowhere. Yet it was the only crosstown line on the system. It was also the only line to never have more than 3 tracks as it would primarily serve one train the number 5. To date it has the tightest headway which is 90 seconds between trains. It also had the largest yard, and had no physical connection with the other 4 lines.
All 3 lines opened in 1906 at 12:01 AM. The first train was a number 1 train out of Shuster that made all express stops to Union Station, then all local stop from there.
The Ashton Park Extension[]
The Asthon Park Extension was the most hard fought political line. It was started in 1904, but construction was halted after cost overruns for the Calimari Tunnel, as well complaints by locals who had political power. In 1906 several councilman were bribed to continue the stale mate over the line extension by local wealthy residents. But soon it was obvious to voters that Mayor Chauncey Trout himself had his hand in the till as well. After charges of laundering money were proven the Mayor was impeached on charges of bilking municipal funds. Mayor Peter Goode took office and his first action in late 1906 was to resume construction on the Ashton Park extension. In 1908 the Extension was opened, and the Number 4 was extended to Ashton Park.
Fourth Ave and Riverside Ave[]
Over the next 4 years traffic on the Subway system was more profitable than trolley and ommibus service. The Riverside, and Fourth avenue lines were earmarked to closed as the Number 1 had taken most of the traffic from down town, as well more people were moving to Greenback, Westside, Schuster, and Campbell. As people congregated near subway service, Eden wanted more service to the north as well. By 1910 Mayor Goode opted out on a bond issue to put the private sector back to work by making a proposal to build a bridge to span across the Serapin Gate. He contracted the construction of the Serapin Square extension. It would be the shortest line constructed adding a three track main for three stations. The line was designated number 6, and became the Legehammer express. The rational for the line was the construction of the Lonely Point Naval Air station in 1908. With the number 6 securing Lonely Point, the number three was displace by the last major subway construction in Angel Falls. The Fourth Avenue Line was another political scandal as the Guiffre and Stefano Trolley line was trying to secure a 50 year lease of service. Unable to buy Mayor Goode he propose building a line from Southside to Schuster which was growing by leaps and bounds. The number 3 was extended to join the new line dubbed the Fourth Avenue Express that would also stretch between Jameson Airport, and Southside Airport (Angel Falls International Airport). The Express recieved the number 7 while a second line number 8 would take the Riverside Avenue line, and all local stops to Ashton Park. Ashton Park now boasted 6 tracks over four stations to Riverside. As housing became more affordable the line became a mecca for shopping and recreation, All these lines opened in 1914, and by 1925 became the busiest terminal with trains departing 1 every 30 seconds during rush hour. By 1946, they topped that by 10 seconds.
Stagnaton 1920-1935[]
By the end of World War I the Subway was the life blood of Angel Falls. Ledge Hammer being the pinnacle as the Naval bases were pumping in money for all future Transportation projects. The Angel Falls Port Authority felt confident that they could begin work on the Serapin Gate bridge, and connect the isolated Westside line to the rest of the system. The projected date for finishing the project was 1925, but two events caused the biggest delay in completing what would be the final leg of the subway system.
Prohibition[]
The Prohibition of alcohol caused a ripple effect throughout Angel Falls. Tourism dipped as well as ridership. Most business fell because the lack of lines through well traveled areas such as the Dock district which the Guiffre and Stefano Transportation Company had a lock on with Trolley service. Other major traction lines like the Bayshore and Skelton Traction Company, and the Serapin Trolley lines were showing the short comings of the subway system. The main sticking point was no transfer between these lines and the subway, as well the LRT insistance on raising the fare to ten cents. Yet their contract stated they had a 50 year lease to hold fares at a nickle. None the less the lack of revenue slowed construction of the bridge and by 1923 the new projection date was 1928.
The Stock Market Crash[]
It was the final nail in the coffin for the Serapin Gate Bridge as investor bowed out, and the coffers were empty. The Serapin bridge was only 10% completed and remained that way from 1925 to 1934. It became a white elephant for the city. Meanwhile subway service dipped more after a succession of accidents. Earlier cars built back in 1906 were proving that wooden cars were poorly maintained. A deadly crash at Dykstra Avenue that killed 183 passengers made everyone wary about the equipment. Newer RT-3 subway cars made of Steel appeared but only on the number 5 line. Older equipment was overhauled with steel and dubbed RT-2B's which looked almost identical to the RT-3, yet the popular belief were that trolleys were safer than the subway cars. By 1930 the LRT lobbied that they either raise the fare, or cut service to 16 hours a day, and no Sunday service. This was unacceptable as the AFPA got an injunction to force the LRT to freeze the fare.
Angel Fall City Transit Board[]
In 1934 with Prohibition ended and subway ridership returning to normal numbers, the Angel Falls City Council was through with LRT scare tactics and created the Angel Falls Transit Board to oversee all Transportation concerns. First order of business was to buyout the Trolley lines. Only the Guiffre and Stefano would survive as they were networked throughout the Dock District, and easily could switch over to Bus. The other two became property of the City, and they negotiated free transfer from Trolley to subway. The next order of business was complete the Serapin Bridge. By 1936 it was completed, but subway service was still problematical as the immediate problem was upgrading the fleet of subway cars on the remaining 7 lines. Lightweight Aluminum and Steel cars were ordered. The RT-4 were Aluminum, and mainly experimental and became the mainstay on the 7 and 8 lines, while the newer RT-5 were replacing older RT-1, and 2. By 1938 the entire fleet of RT-1's were replaced and construction of the elevated connection between Serapin and Eden Island was finished. In 1940 the number 6 line began service from Parkside to Loneley point. The entire subway system was finally joined.
Postwar[]
At the end of World War II the Subway was at it's peak. Yet the common fact that most believed the Subway lacked more lines. The common belief was the subway needed to expand into the Dock District as well as a line into Hanover. Another consensus was to expand to circle the bay into Bayshore as well as a third cross town line. In the end the City Transportation Board was concerned that rail service to the area's airports was deplorable at best as you were relegated to always transfer. In some cases over several floors to reach the proper platform. In 1855, the idea of building a Light Rail system was propped to fill the gaps that the subway could not. This proposal was shot down as the Transit Board did not want to incite the LRT into raising fares over the proposal, but it was likely in 1957 they would none the less because their lease would end, and this negotiate a fare hike. Thus in 1956 the Transit Board created the Angel Falls Transit Authority to oversee all City owned Transit lines. They replaced the trolley lines with buses (except the Guiffre and Stefano lines), as well proposed a monorail system to circle the bay. In 1962 the last subway extension project was began linking the number 7 with two terminals at the Angel Falls International Airport.
Today[]
The subway system has changed little since AFTA took over operations. Other then new equipment and constant maintenance the subway system has fair better than most other East coast Transit systems. The fare had increased to a dime in 1965. By 1976, it was 25 cents, 50 cents in 1984, $1 in 1992, $1.50 in 2000. Today the fare is $2.25, the original punch card system was replaced in 1992 to a refillable fare card system for all subway, buses and the Bayrail system as well. In 2006 the system celebrated it's 100 birthday by reducing fare system wide to 5 cents for 100 days.