Grand Central station (IRT 42nd Street Branch)

This article is about the New York City elevated rapid transit station. For the subway station complex, see Grand Central–42nd Street station.

Grand Central
Former Manhattan Railway elevated station
42nd St. elevated station (bottom right)
General information
Location	East 42nd Street between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue New York, New York Midtown Manhattan, Manhattan
Coordinates	40°45′6.88″N 73°58′37.89″W
Operated by	Interborough Rapid Transit Company
Line(s)	42nd Street Branch
Platforms	2 side platforms 2 island platforms Spanish solution
Tracks	3
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
History
Opened	August 26, 1878; 146 years ago (August 26, 1878)
Closed	December 6, 1923; 100 years ago (December 6, 1923)
Former services
Preceding station Interborough Rapid Transit Following station Terminus 42nd Street Shuttle 42nd Street Terminus

The Grand Central station was the terminal for some trains of the IRT Third Avenue Line, also known as the Third Avenue El, in Manhattan, New York City. This station originally had one island platform and two side platforms, all connected at the west end (later converted to three tracks and two island platforms). The tracks ended just east of the Park Avenue Viaduct ramp over Pershing Square.^[1]

It opened August 26, 1878,^[2] and served not only Grand Central Terminal but also its two predecessors, Grand Central Station (1899–1913) and Grand Central Depot (1871–1899). When the El opened north of 42nd Street in September 1878, this segment was reduced to a shuttle, which connected to the mainline at the 42nd Street station, at Third Avenue.

In 1904, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company opened the Grand Central station as part of its first subway line.^[3] Platforms for the IRT Flushing Line opened in 1915,^[4] followed by those for the IRT Lexington Avenue Line in 1918;^[5] after the Lexington Avenue Line platforms opened, the original platforms at the station were converted for use by the 42nd Street Shuttle.^[6] By this time, the El station had become obsolete and it was closed on December 6, 1923.^[7]

References

1. Grand Central "Depot" - 1919 by Irving Underhill at the Museum of the City of New York
2. "RAPID TRANSIT ON THE BOWERY.; OPENING OF THE EAST SIDE ELEVATED RAILROAD TO-DAY TIME-TABLE AND FARES". The New York Times. August 26, 1878. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
3. "Our Subway Open, 150,000 Try It — Mayor McClellan Runs the First Official Train — Big Crowds Ride At Night — Average of 25,000 an Hour from 7 P.M. Till Past Midnight — Exercises in the City Hall — William Barclay Parsons, John B. McDonald, August Belmont, Alexander E. Orr, and John Starin Speak — Dinner at Night". New York Times. October 28, 1904. p. 1. Retrieved November 6, 2016.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
4. "Steinway Tunnel Will Open Today; Officials Will Attend Ceremony in the Long Island City Station at 11 A.M. First Public Train At Noon Public Service Commission Renames the Under-River Route the Queensboro Subway". The New York Times. June 22, 1915. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
5. "Lexington Av. Line To Be Opened Today; Subway Service to East Side of Harlem and the Bronx Expected to Relieve Congestion. Begins With Local Trains Running of Express Trains to Await Opening of Seventh AvenueLine of H System". The New York Times. July 17, 1918. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
6. "Shuttle Service In Operation". pudl.princeton.edu. Interborough Rapid Transit Company. September 27, 1918. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
7. "42D ST. ELEVATED STOPS.; Service on Spur to Grand Central Discontinued Last Midnight". The New York Times. December 7, 1923. Retrieved December 28, 2018.

• "3rd Avenue El". nycsubway.org. Retrieved January 25, 2009.
• "Third Avenue Local". Station Reporter. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2009.

External links

• Grand Central Branch of the Third Avenue El (NYCSubway.org)