When Steven Siegel stumbled upon a junkyard in Jersey City in the late 1980s, he found what he calls a "photographer's paradise."

Amidst the scrap metal and other debris was a veritable subway car graveyard. Siegel found decommissioned New York City subway cars covered in graffiti stacked on top of each other, while others were lying on their sides.

From 1988 to 1990, Steven Siegel and his friends visited the junkyard -- trips that eventually yielded a series of surreal photos he dubbed "Subway Dream."

Because the cars were piled haphazardly, Siegel and his friends were able to create what he calls "which way is up" type shots inside the cars. Siegel says these cars were the last generation of subway cars that were covered in graffiti.

Siegel, who lives in New Milford and works as a lawyer, called it "one of the greatest photographic locations I would ever encounter in my life."

While the junkyard -- which is situated south of Liberty State Park -- remains, Siegel says the MTA no longer uses it to scrap old cars.

Click through the gallery above to see some of Siegel's amazing shots. You find yourself asking, which way is up?

Patrick Villanova may be reached at pvillanova@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @pvilla_nova. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.