Station: Grand Central (IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle)
From nycsubway.org
| IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle |
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Times Square ยท Grand Central |
Overview
Opened: 10/27/1904
Transfer here to: IRT East Side Line, IRT Flushing Line
The Shuttle platform and station has recently been renovated and has a nice steam locomotive mosaic in various colors. Originally the passageway to the 4/5/6 was narrower and multi-leveled but was simplified and concrete added to form the current passageway, which is actually part of the original trackway connecting to the east side IRT main line south of the existing main line station. In fact, track 1 still connects to the main line behind the wall on the south side of this passageway.
The Shuttle station in use now is the original Grand Central station on the Day One IRT. However, when the shuttle reconfiguration took place in 1918, a new Shuttle station was to be built nearer to the new Lexington Avenue station's mezzanine. The two north side tracks under 42nd Street would continue east to the new station. Support columns were relocated at the curve just east of the old Grand Central station and a new space was excavated extending to the new Lexington Ave. station, and a center island platform between two trackways was constructed. While the station was being built, crowds using the shuttle at the old station proved to be greater than anticipated, and it was realized that two tracks and one narrow platform would never be enough. The new station idea was scrapped, and the newly built trackways were boarded over. This area is still in use as the passageway from Grand Central on the Lexington line to the Shuttle. The existing concrete floor and walls date from 1964 after a fire burned the wooden flooring. As you walk through this passageway, the planned platform edges can be seen in the concrete floor.
Some relative depths of stations in the Grand Central complex are as follows, +/- 10 feet.
- Shuttle, 20 feet below street
- Lexington/East Side Subway Platforms, 50 feet
- Flushing/#7 Subway Platforms, 80 feet
- Metro North, Upper Level, 20 feet
- Metro North, Lower Level, 60 feet
Artwork
Arches, Towers, Pyramids, Jackie Ferrara (1997)
Fast Track & Speed Wheels, Dan Sinclair (1990)
Photo Gallery
 Image 2875 (164k, 1024x685) Photo by: Doug Grotjahn Collection of: Joe Testagrose Location: Grand Central |
 Image 3198 (202k, 1024x679) Photo by: Joe Testagrose Location: Grand Central |
 Image 6879 (194k, 1024x682) Collection of: Joe Testagrose Location: Grand Central |
 Image 32297 (142k, 720x478) Photo by: Peter Ehrlich Location: Grand Central |
 Image 34173 (152k, 720x478) Photo by: Peter Ehrlich Location: Grand Central |
 Image 34180 (141k, 720x478) Photo by: Peter Ehrlich Location: Grand Central |
 Image 38220 (130k, 480x640) Photo by: Irwin Markowitz Location: Grand Central |
 Image 53919 (143k, 820x620) Photo by: Gary Chatterton Location: Grand Central |
 Image 58868 (119k, 900x675) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: Grand Central |
 Image 58869 (122k, 900x675) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: Grand Central |
 Image 80603 (99k, 600x800) Photo by: Phillip Lee Location: Grand Central |
 Image 80897 (169k, 1044x704) Photo by: Filip Matuska Location: Grand Central |
 Image 93108 (126k, 1024x768) Photo by: Michael Pompili Location: Grand Central |
 Image 113510 (134k, 1024x768) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: Grand Central |
 Image 137164 (306k, 1044x677) Photo by: John Dooley Location: Grand Central |