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| Re: NYC Subway 1970's and 80's (1203127) | |||
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Re: NYC Subway 1970's and 80's |
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Posted by renee gil on Sat Feb 9 08:07:19 2013, in response to Re: NYC Subway 1970's and 80's, posted by BusRider on Fri Feb 8 20:24:09 2013. About the old subway signs:21 years ago or so (around 1991) I have seen them at the Roosevelt Avenue Station the Queens Blvd Line (and those were nice big ones). At the Canal Street station on the BMT Nassau/Centre Street Subway, about 27 years ago I photographed a sign above the stairs coming down from the street that said "To Chambers St". Obviously a reference to the Centre St. subway's terminus, pre-Nassau Street subway extension in 1931. The BMT Broadway's Times Square-42nd Street still had them on the platform pillars until 2004, when renovation of the station took place. The 4th Avenue station on the (F) & (G) had the old original 1930's black and white signs until 1994-95. The Lefferts Blvd station on the (A) still had the original white-on-blue signs on the platform as late as 1995. (I was amazed that they were still there about 17 years ago) Until the mid 1990s, there was an original "DOWNTOWN EXPRESS TRAINS" sign near the southern end of the southbound platform at Times Square - 42nd Street on the IRT 7th Avenue line, complete with arrow pointing to the express track. There are (or were, until recently) similarly old no-spitting signs in some IND stations. (In Brooklyn, maybe? Broadway-ENY?) As late as 2001, at the BMT 59th Street/4th Avenue station in Brooklyn, there was an 60's style black-on-white station sign at the far north end of the northbound platform. Many Queens Blvd Line stations have the old signs on the columns between the tracks: PARSONS SUTPHIN VAN WYCK UNION T'P'KE 75TH AVE. CONTI- NENTAL AVE./FOREST HILLS 67TH AVE. 63RD DRIVE GRAND AVE. Also at the 179th Street station, at the south end of the northbound platform, there are pillars that have the original sign plate. The Grand Central-42nd Street station on the IRT Lex Ave. Subway still had the old signs in the early 1990s. There were signs that read: "CHANGE AT HOYT STREET FOR TRAINS TO CHURCH AVE AND QUEENS". These signs were all over the IND Fulton St Subway until the late 1980's or so. There was one at the extreme front ends of the Manhattan-bound platforms at Broadway-ENY (B'way Junction) and Rockaway Avenue. About the "little light bulbs" in stations: The incandescent lights in both Church Avenue and Fort Hamilton Pkwy stations were replaced by fluorescents by 1987. Roosevelt Ave (at least as late as 1971-72). Union Turnpike, Sutphin Blvd, Van Wyck Blvd, Parsons Blvd and 169th St (at least as late as 1982-83). Queens Plaza (as late as 1974-75). By 1984-1985, the Queens Blvd line was all fluorescent. I remember seeing incandescent lighting beyond 71st-Continental Ave. as late as the early 80's. All of the GG Crosstown line stations (Court Sq, 21st St-Van Alst, etc. at least as late as 1982-83). Parts of the A/CC on Fulton St Subway (Lafayette Ave at least as late as 1975). Bergen, Carroll, Smith 9th, 7th Ave and 15th St (possibly as late as 1985???). Various stations on the Concourse Line (155, 167, 170, 174-75, Tremont, 182-83 at least as late as 1978 and possibly 1981). Most of the IRT and BMT underground stations were converted to fluorescent platform lighting in the late '50s. I believe that the 14th St. line (now the 'L' line) was the last, in 1960 or so. The IND underground stations came much later, probably because they were much brighter with the incandescent lighting that the BMT or IRT stations were. Some of the IND stations had fluorescent lighting as original equipment. These included the stations from Liberty Ave. to Grant Ave. stations on the Fulton St/Pitkin Ave line in Brooklyn, and the 179th/Hillside terminal in Queens. |
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