A digital photo I took recently of the grand foyer of the Armitage Hill-Stanton Avenue Station, built in 1902. This station serves only the Imperial Line -- why is it so empty today?
The recent controversies involving venture capitalist Rockwell Katz's re-opening of the Armitage Zeppelinarium has turned a lot of focus in the area to some of our neighborhood's other heritage transportation systems, their continued use in the 21st Century, and their future as viable mass transit options. Many of you, in fact, have written to voice your concerns regarding the legendary "Imperial Line" (also known as the "I") that runs from the Armitage Hill-Stanton Avenue Station to the Armitage Square Central Station.
As you well know, the I-Line is the oldest fully-operational steam-powered subway train in the world. Of course, the rest of the Mishipeshu Mass Transit Authority train and subway lines throughout the neighborhood and in the greater metro area run on electric power, but in the heart of the city, it's nice to know that there are steam-powered trains transporting passengers in old-time underground luxury in the exact same way they did when the line opened in 1904! Here's an interesting article from the Free Press from a few years ago detailing the history of the building of the line, the first underground train line west of the Mishipeshu River.
I've gotten some flack before about my supposed disregard for our neighborhood's architectural heritage, but I am absolutely in support the continued preservation of the I-Line. So in the interest of some dialogue, here are some of the supposed problems with the line that you have forwarded to me:
It's too slow. Not true, in the long run. The I-Line runs from Armitage Square to the Stanton Avenue station in just twenty minutes. An electric train would do it in seven minutes -- but to replace the steam line with an electric would take eleven or twelve years at least, and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. We can either make the ride cleanly, efficiently and smoothly in a pleasant twenty minutes, or put up with the Stanton Avenue corridor being completely upended and ripped apart for a dozen years. I'd rather wait a few minutes now, personally.
It's too expensive. $12 for a one way ticket back to a more elegant time doesn't seem to me to be too much. I ride the I-Line once a week if I can.
It's totally inefficient. In these days of increased concerned for the environment, steam power is much more environmentally sound than a gas-guzzling bus, or an electric train sucking off of the power grid. Steam power leaves the smallest "energy footprint" of any power source -- whenever you're riding the I-Line, you're striking a blow for the environment!
It's occupying a valuable mass transit path. Some of you have written mentioning that the route the I-Line is on too valuable a transit path to be occupied by, in the words of Greg from South Hanley, a "bloated robber-baron vanity project built before my grandparents were born. If they just took out the damn thing and replaced it with a regular train, you'd move three times as many people twice as quickly for half the price." It's true that ridership has been down a bit over the last few years, but Greg misses the larger point. Riders wishing to miss out on the experience can easily take alternate routes from Armitage Square to eastern stops through the Stanton Avenue corridor: the 32 to the 18F, the Stanton Avenue LRT line connection, the 19K to the "S" Line, or the Everett Avenue-Evarts Avenue express shuttle. All these options add only a small amount of time to the average commute, and transport hundreds of uncomplaining individuals per day.
It's dangerous. The I-Line hasn't registered a single derailing in decades, and the incidents of steam scaldings are probably much lower than any other transit-related injuries -- would you rather get blasted with steam, or hit by a three-ton subway car?
The facilities are absurdly outdated. The Armitage Square Station is an architectural gem, and if you're not charmed by turn-of-the-century toilettes, authentic Beaux Arts turnstiles and hand-cast bronze subway tokens, I don't know what to tell you.
It's terrorized by roving bands of Edwardian teenagers in felt hats and velveteen pantaloons. This simply isn't true. I've heard reports of some muggings perpetrated by foppish teenage dandies in period clothing, and it just doesn't seem credible that the youth of our community would be so taken with the Beaux Arts environment of the station's architecture that it would drive them to commit a series of random, Edwardian-style crime sprees. Teenagers don't wear clothes like this -- they dress more like the Kaos Krew, in tights pants and angular haircuts. I will certainly investigate this matter, but goodness sake, this just seems to silly to believe.
So I hope this will start to convince naysayers in the neighborhood that far from being an inconvenience, an anachronism or a waste of money and time, the Imperial Line is truly one of the great treasures of our neighborhood, completely unique in the world. It is something our grandchildren and future generations will adore as they make the ride from Armitage Square across town, under Stanton Avenue, steam engines puffing away to a world of wonder, magic and all points east of Evarts Avenue.
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