South Ferry (IRT West Side Line)
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South Ferry Station · Opened 1905 · Closed 3/16/2009The Outer Loop
South Ferry Station is a unique two-track loop
station. The outer loop platform was built in 1905 as part of the
original IRT Brooklyn Extension and
was served by this line until the IRT West Side/7th Ave. Subway
reached South Ferry in 1918. The platform is extremely short (only
five cars fit), so passengers wishing to exit at this station must be
in the first five cars. It is also extremely curved, requiring the use
of gap fillers to bridge the spaces between platform and middle door
on the cars. On the platform itself is an active tower which includes
indicator lights for the gap filler signal at the front end of the
platform. The gap filler signal is a one-tiered signal lit up red when
the filler is extended. Under the signal a sign reads "GF Signal"
which is lit in white when the signal is clear and the gap fillers are
fully retracted. The gap fillers retract via a proximity sensor that
detects the car moving against the edge of the gap filler. While not
harsh like 14th Street on the Lexington line, there is an announcement
to "stand clear of the moving platform."
Station Decoration
The platform is quite ornate with large "South Ferry"
mosaic name panels and terra-cotta sailing ship plaques by Heins & La
Farge. The inner platform has small "SF" tile mosaics. There are fancy
rosettes around removed old light fixtures and along the ceiling.
The Inner Loop
Essentially a separate station, the South Ferry inner
loop platform was built in 1918 for IRT Lexington service when the IRT
West Side service was given the outer loop. The inner loop platform
was used up till 1977, mostly by a shuttle to the Bowling Green
station on the Lexington/Brooklyn IRT. Because of the sharp curve
(even sharper than the outer loop), trains could open only their
center doors at the inner loop station, and so instead of a full
platform face, slightly arched openings were cut into the old walls
only where the center doors would be. This also probably simplified
the engineering problem compared to removing all of the old wall.
Starting in the late 1950s, when the new R-type cars displaced most of
the original IRT rolling stock, trains arriving from the Lexington
line on nights and weekends were rerouted to share the outer loop,
because on the new cars it was not possible to selectively open only
the center doors. The weekday shuttle used specially modified cars
that opened only center doors, and continued using the inner loop
until service ended in 1977. The track past the inner loop is still
used to turn the #5 train when it is terminating at Bowling Green and
not running to Brooklyn. The inner loop platform at South Ferry is now
used for crew quarters, offices, storage, etc. and has a separate
entrance from the fare zone upstairs. There was no free transfer
between trains on the two platforms.
Artwork: South Sails, Sandra Bloodworth (1990)
Photos - Outer Loop
(image 97788) (119k, 1024x768)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry
Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld
Date: 3/16/2009
Notes: Fare control (from outside) of old South Ferry.
Viewed (this week/total): 24 / 1153
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(image 97929) (432k, 1024x768)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry
Route: 1
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 2160
Photo by: Robert Marrero
Date: 3/16/2009
Notes: Last regular service train into old South Ferry station.
Viewed (this week/total): 35 / 1399
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(image 98260) (205k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry
Route: 1
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 1826
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 3/15/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 18 / 463
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(image 98258) (251k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry
Route: 1
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 2337
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 3/15/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 13 / 446
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(image 98259) (254k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry
Route: 1
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 2314
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 3/15/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 17 / 404
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(image 97695) (278k, 1044x701)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 3/15/2009
Notes: Faience tablet. Final day of revenue service at loop station.
Viewed (this week/total): 20 / 567
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(image 97696) (234k, 701x1043)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 3/15/2009
Notes: View of head of platform (unused for passengers). Final day of revenue service at loop station.
Viewed (this week/total): 16 / 640
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(image 97697) (236k, 1044x701)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 3/15/2009
Notes: Station view from head of platform toward rear. Final day of revenue service at loop station.
Viewed (this week/total): 28 / 1249
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(image 97698) (198k, 1044x701)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 3/15/2009
Notes: 5 train on inner loop, 1 train approaching on outer. Final day of revenue service at loop station.
Viewed (this week/total): 15 / 998
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(image 97699) (267k, 701x1043)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 3/15/2009
Notes: Platform gap fillers withdrawing. Final day of revenue service at loop station.
Viewed (this week/total): 7 / 450
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(image 97700) (227k, 1044x701)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 3/15/2009
Notes: Original location of ceiling light fixtures. Final day of revenue service at loop station.
Viewed (this week/total): 17 / 457
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(image 97701) (242k, 1044x701)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 3/15/2009
Notes: Details of original ceiling plaster work. Final day of revenue service at loop station.
Viewed (this week/total): 6 / 333
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Photos - Inner Loop
(image 92629) (80k, 1024x768)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry Inner Loop
Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld
Date: 9/1/2008
Notes: Subway direction sign at South Ferry.
Viewed (this week/total): 18 / 1952
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(image 79197) (88k, 695x921)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry Inner Loop
Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld
Date: 12/10/2007
Notes: View into inner loop station area.
Viewed (this week/total): 15 / 2863
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(image 74874) (107k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry Inner Loop
Photo by: Matthew Shull
Date: 8/31/2007
Notes: View of Abandoned Inner Loop platform from window of 1 Train
Viewed (this week/total): 26 / 5218
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(image 80820) (123k, 704x1044)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry Inner Loop
Photo by: Filip Matuska
Date: 6/6/2007
Notes: View from outer loop to inner loop platform.
Viewed (this week/total): 8 / 1967
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(image 80821) (118k, 704x1044)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry Inner Loop
Photo by: Filip Matuska
Date: 6/6/2007
Notes: View from outer loop to inner loop platform.
Viewed (this week/total): 3 / 1815
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(image 61684) (87k, 794x596)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry Inner Loop
Route: 1
Car: R62A (Bombardier, 1984-1987) 2114
Photo by: Phillip Lee
Date: 10/30/2006
Viewed (this week/total): 11 / 3854
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(image 249) (166k, 1044x705)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry Inner Loop
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 2/2/1997
Notes: View of an archway in the inner platform wall
Viewed (this week/total): 17 / 14854
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(image 251) (198k, 1044x693)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry Inner Loop
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 2/2/1997
Notes: South Ferry mosaic tiling
Viewed (this week/total): 11 / 5472
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(image 252) (190k, 1044x692)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry Inner Loop
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 2/2/1997
Notes: View of an inner platform archway from the open outer loop platform
Viewed (this week/total): 13 / 9711
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(image 44167) (212k, 1044x696)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry Inner Loop
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 2/2/1997
Notes: Mosaic panel on inner loop platform.
Viewed (this week/total): 5 / 2024
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(image 44168) (201k, 1044x697)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry Inner Loop
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 2/2/1997
Notes: View of inner loop platform.
Viewed (this week/total): 23 / 6042
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(image 44170) (286k, 1044x692)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IRT West Side Line
Location: South Ferry Inner Loop
Photo by: David Pirmann
Date: 2/2/1997
Notes: View of inner loop platform.
Viewed (this week/total): 15 / 5441
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