Line of 42nd street, where now runs the Shuttle to Grand Central/Times Square Shuttle holds a secret. On the only two stations is the shortest in the Big Apple route, it is possible to find only paths 1, 3 and 4. To all those who wondered where did the path 2, the New York Times says that once he was in the right place, between the paths 1 and 3.
But almost 100 years ago, they quit hiding the rails under the wooden flooring. The reason for this was the attempt to broaden the line in 1904, which made the trip, passengers in a disaster.
Metro: the beginning
When the metro appeared in new York in 1904, the original line began on the beautiful, now closed City Hall station, and stretched up to 145th street in Harlem, and the route that took 15 minutes. While at the time of opening, the city subway had only one line, consisting of 28 stations.
On this line trains moving South, abruptly turn to the East around 44th street and Broadway under 42nd street, and then turns South under Park Avenue. This explains the existence of curved paths that today, you will notice where goes the Times Square Shuttle. This middle section of the tunnel, called the system «Z» because of its shape, came after the court ruled that the construction of the subway directly from Broadway to City Hall station would be too costly.
The extension of the metro
In the first few years of the existence of the subway station Times Square-42nd Street served only local stop. At the time of the train, following the path 2, moving without stops in the city centre. The growth of the city’s population necessitated the expansion of the transport system. In 1918 he was commissioned an H: line under Fourth Avenue was extended North through Lexington Avenue, and a line under Broadway South through Seventh Avenue.
Of course, the new configuration has led to huge confusion. A huge number of passengers trying to use the old routes, so the Shuttle platforms formed a huge crowd. Through the day, the authorities suspended the movement of the Shuttle.
After some time, his work was restored. For the convenience of passengers has been improved the characters, added more passages, and the way 3 began to be used for arrivals an extra track for the Shuttle. 2 way hid under a wooden cover to passengers it easier to get to the new path. Its remains can still be seen in the tunnel between the two stations, where is clearly seen the empty place where someone seemed to have forgotten to lay the rails.
