Comments on: Inside the system’s abandoned stations http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/05/12/inside-the-systems-abandoned-stations/ A New York City Subway Blog Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:51:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Todd http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/05/12/inside-the-systems-abandoned-stations/#comment-60920 Todd Thu, 14 May 2009 03:12:53 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=2885#comment-60920 Thanks for posting this. I had meant to ask you about the 18th St station after watching the original Pelham 123. Thanks for posting this. I had meant to ask you about the 18th St station after watching the original Pelham 123.

]]> By: Peter http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/05/12/inside-the-systems-abandoned-stations/#comment-60895 Peter Wed, 13 May 2009 12:19:58 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=2885#comment-60895 Ocassionally, people approach MTA-NYCT seeking permission for novel uses of abandoned - 'Ghost' - stations, usually the old 18th St Station on the Lex. The problem is that folks fail to realize how tiny those old IRT stations are - closed because they couldnt handle the longer trains that began running in the 1950s - and with no real access to outside. Serious consideration was given to trying to utilize 18th St, but access would need to be from the basement of an adjacent building, since sidewalk stairs would be impractical to reopen and secondary egress and ADA access would be required. As well, only the central part of the platform is large enough for any commercial use, say, a cocktail bar, and the draw of such a venue would of course be a view of the active tunnel, which would require large windows, requiring frequent cleaning. On both sides. A showstopper, since nobody would be allowed on the active trackway with a squeegee & a bottle of Windex. Ocassionally, people approach MTA-NYCT seeking permission for novel uses of abandoned – ‘Ghost’ – stations, usually the old 18th St Station on the Lex.
The problem is that folks fail to realize how tiny those old IRT stations are – closed because they couldnt handle the longer trains that began running in the 1950s – and with no real access to outside.
Serious consideration was given to trying to utilize 18th St, but access would need to be from the basement of an adjacent building, since sidewalk stairs would be impractical to reopen and secondary egress and ADA access would be required.
As well, only the central part of the platform is large enough for any commercial use, say, a cocktail bar, and the draw of such a venue would of course be a view of the active tunnel, which would require large windows, requiring frequent cleaning. On both sides. A showstopper, since nobody would be allowed on the active trackway with a squeegee & a bottle of Windex.

]]> By: rhywun http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/05/12/inside-the-systems-abandoned-stations/#comment-60886 rhywun Wed, 13 May 2009 01:20:20 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=2885#comment-60886 That's a neat article on Brooklyn streetcars... I'll take one on Bay Ridge Ave, please. I live on the B1 and the noise is appalling--mostly due to the way the drivers speed up to try to beat the light and from the blast of air that seems to escape the bus precisely in front of my living room window and sends my cats fleeing to the back of the house every 10 minutes.... That’s a neat article on Brooklyn streetcars… I’ll take one on Bay Ridge Ave, please. I live on the B1 and the noise is appalling–mostly due to the way the drivers speed up to try to beat the light and from the blast of air that seems to escape the bus precisely in front of my living room window and sends my cats fleeing to the back of the house every 10 minutes….

]]> By: Jerrold http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/05/12/inside-the-systems-abandoned-stations/#comment-60884 Jerrold Wed, 13 May 2009 00:52:52 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=2885#comment-60884 I don't mean to nitpick here, but I now also noticed a mistake in the FIRST section of that page. She calls it 42nd St.-Times Square, but the station that she's talking about is the 42nd St.-8th Ave. [Port Authority] station. I don’t mean to nitpick here, but I now also noticed a mistake in the FIRST section of that page.
She calls it 42nd St.-Times Square, but the station that she’s talking about is the 42nd St.-8th Ave. [Port Authority] station.

]]> By: Jerrold http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/05/12/inside-the-systems-abandoned-stations/#comment-60883 Jerrold Wed, 13 May 2009 00:33:23 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=2885#comment-60883 Thanks for the link to "The Launch Box". I like to keep up with the progress of subway projects. Thanks for the link to “The Launch Box”.
I like to keep up with the progress of subway projects.

]]> By: Jerrold http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/05/12/inside-the-systems-abandoned-stations/#comment-60882 Jerrold Wed, 13 May 2009 00:19:51 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=2885#comment-60882 That link about abandoned stations is very interesting, but there is at least one mistake in it. That writer says: "With just the 5th Avenue stop to get off in between, the shuttle connects the west with the east part of Manhattan at the height of 42nd street, a crucial traffic artery of the city." Apparently, she is getting mixed up between the #7 and the shuttle. That link about abandoned stations is very interesting, but there is at least one mistake in it.

That writer says:

“With just the 5th Avenue stop to get off in between, the shuttle connects the west with the east part of Manhattan at the height of 42nd street, a crucial traffic artery of the city.”

Apparently, she is getting mixed up between the #7 and the shuttle.

]]> By: Alon Levy http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/05/12/inside-the-systems-abandoned-stations/#comment-60876 Alon Levy Tue, 12 May 2009 22:24:48 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=2885#comment-60876 At the beginning it was, but in the early 20th century the BRT/BMT controlled almost all of them. At the beginning it was, but in the early 20th century the BRT/BMT controlled almost all of them.

]]> By: Rhywun http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/05/12/inside-the-systems-abandoned-stations/#comment-60875 Rhywun Tue, 12 May 2009 21:49:44 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=2885#comment-60875 <i>I’d love to see a map of the full NYC streetcar system from the good old days.</i> I've looked around and never found any such thing. All I've found is some historical (and kind of hard to read) maps of Brooklyn. It was run by a whole bunch of different companies too, wasn't it? I’d love to see a map of the full NYC streetcar system from the good old days.

I’ve looked around and never found any such thing. All I’ve found is some historical (and kind of hard to read) maps of Brooklyn. It was run by a whole bunch of different companies too, wasn’t it?

]]> By: another Ben http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/05/12/inside-the-systems-abandoned-stations/#comment-60874 another Ben Tue, 12 May 2009 21:42:13 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=2885#comment-60874 Okay... I freely admit that I jumped the gun with my earlier post. I referred to the Second Avenue Subway, when you (Rhywun) were refering to something almost completely different, the Second System. Sorry about that. If I could edit my earlier posting I would. But at least, there is now some forward progress on the 2nd Avenue Subway, after all. Okay… I freely admit that I jumped the gun with my earlier post.

I referred to the Second Avenue Subway, when you (Rhywun) were refering to something almost completely different, the Second System. Sorry about that. If I could edit my earlier posting I would.

But at least, there is now some forward progress on the 2nd Avenue Subway, after all.

]]> By: another Ben http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/05/12/inside-the-systems-abandoned-stations/#comment-60866 another Ben Tue, 12 May 2009 18:32:46 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=2885#comment-60866 Looks to me like the Second Avenue Subway pipe dream, as you refer to it, is actually going to happen -- as you can see from the pictures on this blog: <a href="http://www.thelaunchbox.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">The Launch Box</a> Sure, China is doing much more than we are, here in New York City -- but I for one am happy to see us make some big investments in our infrastructure -- e.g. the Second Avenue Subway (even if they're only building Phase I for the moment), East Side Access, the extension of the 7 Line, and the new rail tunnel under the Hudson (even though they still need to win the battle to get the tracks tied in to the existing NY Penn Station.) Ben Looks to me like the Second Avenue Subway pipe dream, as you refer to it, is actually going to happen — as you can see from the pictures on this blog:
The Launch Box
Sure, China is doing much more than we are, here in New York City — but I for one am happy to see us make some big investments in our infrastructure — e.g. the Second Avenue Subway (even if they’re only building Phase I for the moment), East Side Access, the extension of the 7 Line, and the new rail tunnel under the Hudson (even though they still need to win the battle to get the tracks tied in to the existing NY Penn Station.)

Ben

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