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| Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station (1646523) | |
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| (1646523) | |
Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by irtredbirdr33 on Wed Feb 4 07:56:13 2026 Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station 1962 – from The Book of First Runs World’s Fair Steinway Motors are placed in service on the Third Avenue El. They are run in trains with standard Steinway motors and Lo-V trailers. The Tuscarora Book of Forgotten Stations (and parts thereof) No. 18 – Chambers Street – Unused Platforms, Trackways and Mezzaine. Today the Forgotten Station Express will make at stop at the Chambers Street on the BMT Centre Street Line. Although the station is still in use it is a maze of abandoned and unused trackways and platforms. Chambers Street as built was a four track station with three island and two side platforms. The centermost platform and the side platforms were intended for the unloading of trains whereas the other island platforms were for the loading of passengers. The original plan was for trains from the Eastern Division to use the two westernmost tracks. The two eastern tracks would connect to the Southern Division via the tracks on the south side of the Manhattan Bridge. South of the station the western tracks would turn east and connect to the el tracks on the Brooklyn Bridge. In order to facilitate this the south end of the western platform rises to a higher level than the eastern tracks in order to pass over them. This connection was actually built but tracks were not installed and it was never used. It is possible to see a part of this connection from the south end of the eastern platform. The eastern tracks were to proceed south in a subway to be built under William Street. Service to the two westernmost tracks from the Williamsburg Bridge began on August 4, 1913. Service to the eastern tracks began on June 22, 1915. This service pattern continued for the next sixteen years. Service south of the Chambers Street finally began in 1931 running via Nassau Street instead of William Street. Also the Nassau Street tracks would connect to the outer tracks instead of just the two east tracks. The outer tracks were now for through service while the two center tracks would serve as terminal tracks. The two side platforms were abandoned at an unspecified date. The easternmost platform remains intact. The westernmost side platform was destroyed in the early 1960’s when the platforms on the adjoining IRT Brooklyn Bridge station were extended northward. The center platform became the terminal for the #10 Myrtle Avenue-Chambers Street trains. It remained in use until those trains (as the “M”) were extended south to Broad Street in 1968. Thereafter the platform was (and may still be) used intermittently during service disruptions. The station was built with two mezzanines. The southernmost one remains in service. The north mezzanine was closed and a new one built further north between 1937 and 1938. The abandoned mezzanine was converted to a storage facility for the Municipal Building. Some of the stairways to this are still intact but sealed at the top. As large as the station was the BRT had plans to add two more tracks on the eastern side of it. Provision for this was made in the form of two pockets in the east tunnel wall north of the station. There was a room at the north end of the northbound platform. The was a long box in front of this room with a red cross on it. I presume that it was for a stretcher. This was a leftover from the Civil Defense Drill of the fifties.I do not know if this was a tower or a dispatchers office. Larry, RedbirdR33 |
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| (1646524) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by Avid reader on Wed Feb 4 08:35:35 2026, in response to Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by irtredbirdr33 on Wed Feb 4 07:56:13 2026. Is there a Track Map? |
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| (1646525) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by TUNNELRAT on Wed Feb 4 08:37:15 2026, in response to Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by irtredbirdr33 on Wed Feb 4 07:56:13 2026. TRACKS WERE PUT IN ON THE UPPER LEVEL LEADING TO THE BRIDGE,THEY WERE PUBLISHED HERE 2 YEARS AGO. |
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| (1646535) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by Steve B-8AVEXP on Wed Feb 4 19:57:02 2026, in response to Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by irtredbirdr33 on Wed Feb 4 07:56:13 2026. You can see those two additional trackways if you look quickly to the right while on a Jamaica-bound Curly or sZemp train just after it enters the tunnel.That station needs a renovation of Ellis Island proportions. |
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| (1646538) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by gbs on Wed Feb 4 23:39:30 2026, in response to Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by irtredbirdr33 on Wed Feb 4 07:56:13 2026. ...Chambers Street on the BMT Centre Street Line... It's worth noting that the station was built in conjunction with the 40-story Municipal Building, which sits above the station and also opened in 1913. As a result, the station has dozens and dozens of pillars, most of which support the building, not just the ceiling and mezzanine above the station.     
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| (1646542) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by irtredbirdr33 on Thu Feb 5 06:55:42 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by gbs on Wed Feb 4 23:39:30 2026. That is quite true. The Municipal Building is a massive structure. I believe that from time to time "M" trains are still turned on the center tracks if there is a delay on 6th Avenue. Larry, RedbirdR33 |
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| (1646543) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by terRAPIN station on Thu Feb 5 07:37:40 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by Avid reader on Wed Feb 4 08:35:35 2026. Yes. |
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| (1646547) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by zac on Thu Feb 5 11:18:36 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by gbs on Wed Feb 4 23:39:30 2026. Probably the best thing is this:  |
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| (1646550) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by Mitch45 on Thu Feb 5 14:51:32 2026, in response to Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by irtredbirdr33 on Wed Feb 4 07:56:13 2026. I thought that the connection from Chambers Street to the elevated tracks at Brooklyn Bridge was abandoned because the motive power required for the upgrade was too much for the trains of that era. It would have been something to see! |
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| (1646551) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by TUNNELRAT on Thu Feb 5 15:12:55 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by Mitch45 on Thu Feb 5 14:51:32 2026. they couldn`t figure this out before so much,money and effort was spent on this project? |
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| (1646552) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by TUNNELRAT on Thu Feb 5 15:13:02 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by Mitch45 on Thu Feb 5 14:51:32 2026. they couldn`t figure this out before so much,money and effort was spent on this project? |
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| (1646555) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by gbs on Thu Feb 5 20:40:31 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by zac on Thu Feb 5 11:18:36 2026. Agreed, the same beautiful Guastavino tiles that appear in the nearby City Hall Station:  
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| (1646556) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by Steve B-8AVEXP on Thu Feb 5 21:25:35 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by gbs on Wed Feb 4 23:39:30 2026. Chambers St. is prominently featured in the 1929 film, "Applause." Only it's disguised as Times Square. Triplex 6000 also makes an appearance, signed as a #4 Sea Beach Express. |
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| (1646558) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by Elkeeper on Thu Feb 5 23:23:42 2026, in response to Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by irtredbirdr33 on Wed Feb 4 07:56:13 2026. The original build had all four tracks continue south from Canal St to Chambers St. But, with planned routes for Jamaica, Myrtle-Chambers, Broadway-Brooklyn, and LIRR, the two center tracks at Canal St were closed off. Broadway-Brooklyn trains would short-turn T Canal St. |
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| (1646560) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by Elkeeper on Thu Feb 5 23:42:21 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by Steve B-8AVEXP on Wed Feb 4 19:57:02 2026. What happened was that the spring fad waters for the old filled-in Collect Pond gradually eroded the waterproofing for Chambers St. I firmly believe that the City and the MTA are really afraid what they will have to deal with, if they ever started fixing the station. |
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| (1646562) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by randyo on Fri Feb 6 01:35:02 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by Elkeeper on Thu Feb 5 23:23:42 2026. However, when Essex St master tower was installed in preparation for Chrystie, it was planned to break down the wall at the S/E of Canal and through route all 4 tracks to Chambers St since the connection to the Manhattan Bridge would no longer be needed. The model board at Essex Tower had that pattern installed but taped over. Of course as we all know, instead of through routing the tracks, the Jamaica bound tracks were taken out of service and the Chambers St bound exp tk was the only one through routed snd repurposed as the main Jamaica bound track. |
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| (1646565) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by zac on Fri Feb 6 11:07:23 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by randyo on Fri Feb 6 01:35:02 2026. I remember once seeing a train layed up on one of the tracks approaching the Manhattan bridge as I was going by. This was probably before the realignment into Canal St. Are there still even tracks there now? |
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| (1646566) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by zac on Fri Feb 6 11:09:07 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by Elkeeper on Thu Feb 5 23:23:42 2026. That was the only time I ever saw a train signed as 14, an R16 at Canal St. |
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| (1646568) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by Steve B-8AVEXP on Fri Feb 6 23:24:11 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by Elkeeper on Thu Feb 5 23:42:21 2026. That station is a disaster waiting to happen. |
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| (1646575) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by murray1575 on Sat Feb 7 13:19:34 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by randyo on Fri Feb 6 01:35:02 2026. I remember the old arrangement where the two center tracks (I don't consider them express tracks because they didn't skip any stations) ended in bumper blocks at Canal St. and there was a passageway between the two platforms just south of where the center tracks ended. It was the only place on the system where such an arrangement existed. In those days it was possible to transfer between the BMT platforms within fare control but not to the IRT 6 train platforms. |
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| (1646579) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by randyo on Sat Feb 7 16:27:21 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by murray1575 on Sat Feb 7 13:19:34 2026. The Chambers St bound track within the station limits was disconnected from the rest of the track many years ago so all Bway Bkln Lcls turned back from the Jamaica bound track. Its rather irinic that when the track arrangement was changed, the in service track was taken out of service and the out of service track was put back into service. If I recall, the switch leading into the station was automatic like the old one at Franklin/Fulton. |
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| (1646582) | |
Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station |
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Posted by zac on Sat Feb 7 18:22:46 2026, in response to Re: Tuscarora Almanac for February 4 and a Forgotten Station, posted by randyo on Sat Feb 7 16:27:21 2026. Did the trains bound for Canal St use the center track at Bowery? Did any trains ever use the center tracks at Bowery before the realignment? |
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