Modern mass transportation arrived in 1915 with the construction of the
‘#7 Line’ from the Steinway Tubes, and the ‘N Line’
on 31st Street [our ‘2nd Ave. El’]. The ‘E, F, G &
R Lines’ arrived in the 1930s with the IND Subway construction. Recently,
the 63rd Street Tunnel adds the new ‘V & W Lines’ for a
total of eight routes serving the LIC-Astoria area; more than any community
in Queens!
The Astoria Line did not come into being until the era of the dual contracts,
when it and the Corona (Flushing) line were constructed to serve the northern
part of Queens. These were perhaps the most cooperative portions of the
project since both the IRT and BMT would share the routes and operate
them jointly.
The original arrangement, beginning around 1920, was that the IRT (now
the 7) ran through the Steinway Tunnel, and the Second Avenue El ran over
the Queensboro Bridge, and met at Queensboro Plaza. From there, trains
ran to either Corona or Astoria.
Queensboro Plaza Station was built with eight tracks on two levels, served
by four island platforms. The BMT operated the northern half of the station
and the IRT ran the southern end. The north station had two platforms
that fit the wider ten foot BMT subway cars and two for the narrower el
cars. The southernmost pair of tracks connected to the Steinway Tunnel,
while the next set north connected to the Second Avenue El. Both of these
could serve either line in Queens via scissors crossovers west of the
platforms on either level. The northerly pair of tracks curved to the
Astoria Line and the southerly pair connected to the Corona Line.
The BMT originally operated to tail tracks west of the station, maintaining
the upper level east, lower level west configuration along with Astoria
north/Corona South. This was altered when the 60th St. tunnel was opened
and connected to the northerly pair of tracks, which then connected to
a easterly tail track for reversing direction. The BMT tracks descended
to a lower level east of the station for a flying junction with the IRT.
When the Second Avenue El was closed in 1942, the north half of the IRT
station fell into disuse. Prior to 1949, IRT-sized trains ran on everything
East/North of Queensboro Plaza. IRT trains ran through to Times Square
and BMT trains terminated at Queensboro Plaza for connection to subway
trains to Manhattan. The BMT used rebuilt el cars which were of IRT width
on the Astoria line. (Prior to 1942, IRT trains ran from South Ferry via
the Second Avenue El across the Queensboro Bridge. The # 3 ran to Astoria
and the # 4 to Corona.) After the closure of the Second Avenue El, the
# 8 train was on the Astoria Line until 1949 when the BMT took over the
Astoria Line. In 1949, it was decided to extend the BMT Subway trains
to Astoria and discontinue the joint operation. The Astoria line became
BMT-only. A new connection was provided from the 60th St. Tunnel to the
former Second Avenue portion of the IRT station, and the platforms were
cut back there and along the Astoria Line. The entire north half of Queensboro
Plaza Station was abandoned in October 1949, along with most of the flying
junction. Disused trackways can be seen descending to the former lower
level along both existing lines, but the active trackways are those of
the original IRT. The abandoned North half of Queensboro Plaza was torn
down in 1964. One set of crossovers remains on the upper level as the
Flushing Line's only connection to the rest of the system.
From 1949 to 1955, the 4th Avenue Local, later to become the RR, served
the Astoria line twenty-four hours a day. During this time, the Brighton
local, later to become the QT, also served the Astoria line Monday through
Saturday between approximately 6 A.M. and 7 P.M. From 1955 to 1961, The
4th Avenue Local continued to serve Astoria twenty-four hours a day. The
Brighton express ran to Astoria rush hours Monday through Friday during
this time as well. From 1961 to 1967, the Brighton local (the QB or the
QT) ran to Astoria twenty-four hours a day. The QT ran weekdays from 6
A.M. to 7 P.M. while the QB ran the rest of the time. In addition, the
West End express (T) ran to Astoria rush hours Monday through Friday between
1961 and 1967. Beginning in 1967, with the opening of the Chrystie Street
connection, the RR provided exclusive service on the Astoria line. For
about a year in the mid-1980s, when the Manhattan Bridge was completely
closed to subway traffic, the center track was used for express B service
in the peak direction during rush hours. In addition, there was express
N service that utilized the center track for a period of time also in
the mid-1980s. On May 5, 1986, as the remainder of the double letter routes
were changed, the RR was renamed the R train. In 1987, the R and the N
changed terminals, and the N was assigned to Astoria service, and continues
to run on the Astoria line to this day.
In present day, the Astoria line is serviced by the N and W trains. The
line is entirely elevated and consists of three tracks, including one
express track that begins just south of the 39th Avenue/Beebe station.
There are seven stations on the Astoria line, including Queensboro Plaza,
all of which opened for service on July 19, 1917. The terminal stop on
the line is Ditmars Boulevard, which consists of one island platform and
two tracks. The Astoria Boulevard/Hoyt Avenue station has two island platforms
and three tracks, while 30th Avenue/Grand, Broadway, 36th Avenue/Washington,
and 39th Avenue/Beebe all are serviced by two side platforms and three
tracks.
Text by David Pirmann, New York City Subway Resources
