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| Re: Guess the Location??...Not so easy!:) (1536959) | |||
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Re: Guess the Location??...Not so easy!:) |
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Posted by JOE @ NYCMTS - NYCTMG on Fri Jan 31 09:24:05 2020, in response to Re: Guess the Location??...Not so easy!:), posted by Dyre Dan on Fri Jan 31 00:32:00 2020. Dyre DanYes ! In 1915-17 when the IRT-System-Only Queens Plaza EL Station, and the Flushing & Astoria El's, started operation by the IRT ONLY --- there WAS NO BMT direct track connection to that area yet -- the E. 60th Street tunnels were not even built yet. A bit more history: The E. 60th Street BMT 2 track tunnels opened to revenue service on Sunday, August 1, 1920, at 2 a.m. using a holiday schedule, along with the lower Manhattan BMT Montague Street Tunnel and the rest of the BMT Broadway Line. Regular service began to Queens the following day. Trains of steel 10 foot wide, 67 foot long BMT Standards had to terminate at Queens Plaza on their BMT North half 2 level Station of the of the huge station complex structure--- and reverse ends and go back to Manhattan thru the tunnels. The original designed construction plan provided for the IRT 2nd Ave. EL to use the two tracks ways on steelwork provided on the SOUTH side of the upper level. The BMT to Manhattan from Queens Plaza was provided for 2 trackways over the NORTH side half of the upper level of the Queensboro Bridge, which is why the original steel work on the west end of the BMT north half 2 level Queens Plaza station heads directly straight west to the north side of the bridge upper level. But, its upper level part of the EL structure ends before - and does not enter directly westward upon - the bridge approach area. That was because of the uncertainty of if, or when, the BMT would ever get any subway tunnels constructed to the E. 60th Street Manhattan end of the Queensboro Bridge -- and how to connect those tunnels to the bridge upper level. However, an investigation also determined that the Q-Boro bridge would not be able to handle the additional weight of steel and larger BMT subway trains; Thus, the E. 60th St. tunnel and its Queens portal was planned, designed and constructed for the BMT Queens entry, parallel to the Q Boro bridge along its north side. The chief engineer for the tunnel was a man named Clifford Milburn Holland. Therefore, as the IRT had solely taken over the Bridge's upper level, it had it's own 2 tracks newly installed in 1916-17, to be located at the direct center of the Bridge upper level, with a pedestrian walkway on either side of the 2 tracks, each built abd supported upon the originally provided single track steel-work under them on those outer sides. Some years later the outer two pedestrian walkways were removed, and the 2 IRT tracks were shifted to the north side half of the upper level, so as to facilitate installation of the new 2 lane auto upper roadway along the south side of the upper level. Regards - Joe F |
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