elevated railway
Train tracks above
An elevated railway is a rail transit system built on a raised structure above street level, allowing trains to run over existing roads and buildings without disrupting ground-level traffic.
Often shortened to "el" or "L," these systems were common in American cities before subways became preferred.
The elevated railway rattled past apartment windows every few minutes.
Chicago's Loop remains the most famous example still in operation.
Arched span crossing valleys
- trestleBraced structural support frame
- girderMain structural support beam
- pillarUpright architectural support
- spanDistance between endpoints
steel · concrete · trackway · guideway · overpass · support column · rail bed · platform
Twelfth character, or fifty
- monorailSingle-beam transit vehicle
- metroUrban rail transit
- rapid transitUrban public rail system
- light railUrban passenger train network
commuter rail · mass transit · transit line · train service · passenger rail · interurban · shuttle · connector
Raised flat structure
- turnstileRotating single-passage barrier
- fareTransport payment
- ticketEntry permit slip
- rush hourBusiest commuting period
straphanger · conductor · announcement · delay · express · local · passenger · schedule
Rail engine burning fuel for motion
- iron horseSlang for steam engine
- nineteenth centuryYears 1801-1900
- expansionIncrease in scope
- ChicagoMajor Illinois metropolis
New York · Brooklyn · Victorian · coal smoke · urban growth · modernization · demolition · preservation
Urban profile against atmosphere
- rooftopsUpper surfaces of buildings
- neighborhoodResidential area nearby
- storefrontsForward-facing retail exteriors
- undersideLower surface of something
graffiti · noise barrier · city block · right-of-way · industrial zone · waterfront · downtown
viaduct
Arched span crossing valleys
- trestleBraced structural support frame
- girderMain structural support beam
- pillarUpright architectural support
span · steel · concrete · trackway · guideway · overpass · support column · rail bed · platform · station house
L
Twelfth character, or fifty
- monorailSingle-beam transit vehicle
- metroUrban rail transit
- rapid transitUrban public rail system
light rail · commuter rail · mass transit · transit line · train service · passenger rail · interurban · shuttle · connector
platform
Raised flat structure
rush hour · straphanger · conductor · announcement · delay · express · local · passenger · schedule · transit map
steam locomotive
Rail engine burning fuel for motion
- iron horseSlang for steam engine
- nineteenth centuryYears 1801-1900
- expansionIncrease in scope
Chicago · New York · Brooklyn · Victorian · coal smoke · urban growth · modernization · demolition · preservation · landmark
skyline
Urban profile against atmosphere
- rooftopsUpper surfaces of buildings
- neighborhoodResidential area nearby
- storefrontsForward-facing retail exteriors
underside · graffiti · noise barrier · city block · right-of-way · industrial zone · waterfront · downtown
- public transitbus, train, subway, metro, tram
- rail systemslight rail, heavy rail, metro, subway, monorail
- urban infrastructurepower grid, parking lot, highway, water supply, sewage system
- cable transportcable car, funicular, gondola, aerial tramway, ropeway
- overpassesoverpass, flyover, highway overpass, viaduct, skyway
elevated railwaysubway
Underground transit passage
underground railway · metro · tube · underground · tunnel system
railroad, elevated, railway, elevator, elevate, elevation, railroads, elevating, railways