Second Ave. Sagas

When It Was a Train: The 63rd St. Shuttle

Written by

Benjamin Kabak

in

I found myself yesterday alighting down the stairs to the Brooklyn-bound platform at the south end of the 6th Ave IND stop at 34th St. station when I stopped to do a double-take. Instead of telling me that I could catch the B and the D on the express tracks or the F and the M on the local side, the sign that greeted me told me to expect the F or the orange S on the local tracks. The orange S? What is this mysterious shuttle?

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen an orange S pop up along 6th Ave. Last year, an astute reader sent me a photo of the S on a B train, and I delved into the history of the Grand St. shuttle. That train operated on the express tracks between W. 4th St. and Grand St. This other orange S was a local, and it helped alleviate the pressures of Manhattan Bridge construction as well.

This shuttle began service in May of 1997 and ran only late at night. It operated from Queensbridge to Second Ave. as a local route as the MTA readied the 63rd St. Connector. This shuttle again ran during 2001 while the northern tracks of the Manhattan Bridge were closed. It operated from 21st St.-Queensbridge to Broadway/Lafayette via the 63rd St. tunnel. It went into service on July 22, 2001 and ran only until December 16, 2001. On that day, the MTA finally realized its dream of connecting the 63rd St. tunnel with the rest of the Queens Boulevard line. The V train was born as the F took over the shuttle’s route through the 63rd St. tunnel. (For more on the V train and its controversial origins, check out my requiem for the lost line.)

I have to believe that the reappearance of the orange S bullet is a direct result of the sign change that eliminating the V train precipitated. My guess is that someone at 34th St. pulled off the new orange M sticker and left exposed the original metallic sign with its orange S. For now, until Transit crews cover it up, a forgotten part of the Manhattan Bridge reroutings is on full display for confused tourists and stunned natives alike to see.

Comments

4 responses to “When It Was a Train: The 63rd St. Shuttle”

  1. Justin Samuels

    You had the S shuttle on and off since 1997. For 10 years or so, at late nights the F didn’t run on Queens Boulevard, instead it replaced the B and Q trains and went to 21st Street on late nights. But in 1997, the 24 hour a day F service on Queens Boulevard was restored. In those days, both the E and F made all local stops at night, to either 179th Street or Jamaica Center. To replace the F to 21st Street, you had a S local train that went to 21st Street at late nights.

    Reply
    1. Max S. (WilletsPoint-SheaStadium)

      I believe that during late nights when the (F) terminated at 21 Street/Queensbridge, the G was actually extended to 179 Street.

      Reply
  2. Joe

    I remember an orange S running to Grand St in Chinatown at some time in the last decade. I think it only went between W4th and Grand, while the Manhattan Bridge was closed. I’m foggy on the details now, but I know it operated into W4th.

    Reply
    1. Benjamin Kabak

      That was the Grand St. shuttle.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More posts