DeKalb Avenue
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DeKalb Avenue (BMT Brighton Line)

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DeKalb Avenue Station · Opened 9/6/1915

At the Brooklyn end of the Manhattan Bridge, both sets of bridge tracks, plus the set from the Montague Street Tunnel, feed into the massive DeKalb Avenue Station, which opened as part of the BMT Brighton Line subway construction on September 6, 1915. DeKalb Avenue is a six-track station, in an unusual configuration of local-express-super express tracks. There are two island platforms, with a track on each side, plus two more tracks down the middle, which do not have a platform face. There are north and south mezzanines with fare control and an active interlocking tower in the center platform crossover. Mosaics are limited to a large "DeKalb" name tablet.

This station was extensively rebuilt in the mid 1950s by cutting off about 20m off of the south end and extending the north end by about 80m. The north end of both platform extensions are split with the "express" portion being lower than the "local" portion as the express tracks descend to the Montague St. tunnel. The north end exit was built as part of the extension as well.

At the north end of the original station, where the 1950s extension begins, is a switch well between the 'tunnel' and 'bypass' tracks. The switch, removed with the rebuild of the 1950s, crossed trains from the both the bridge and bypass tracks (heading uptown) to the tunnel track. Symmetrical switches was on the downtown side. The switch plant was removed during the station extension.

There is the remains of a turning loop, a larger version of the City Hall loop on the IRT East Side line, in the tunnel between DeKalb Avenue and Manhattan Beidge. It diverts from the uptown north side track and rejoins onto the downtown south side track. The loop passes under all four bridge tracks. It's likely that the loop was never actually finished with trackwork. The theory is that when DeKalb Avenue was built there was still uncertainty about the placement of lines on the Manhattan side of the bridge (which resulted in some changed plans on the BMT Broadway line and the disused lower level of BMT City Hall). Trains would not cross the bridge for lack of connections on the far end. So this loop was designed in order to get some subway service going in Brooklyn. When the Manhattan lines were sorted out and connected to the bridge, the loop plan was no longer necessary.

Currently, the services operating on the Brighton Line via the Manhattan Bridge use the local-side tracks, and the services operating on the 4th Avenue line via the Montague Street tunnel use the express tracks (with platform). West End and Sea Beach services use the center bypass tracks. Service south of DeKalb Ave. is operated via the BMT Brighton Line and the BMT 4th Avenue Subway (with further service along the BMT West End Line and the BMT Sea Beach Line).

Manhattan-bound services lead to the BMT Broadway Subway (via bridge and tunnel), and the IND 6th Avenue Line. (A former connection on the Manhattan side to the BMT Nassau St. Loop was severed in 1967.)

For detail of the track configuration in this area see the DeKalb Area track map.

Artwork: Title unknown, Stephen T. Johnson (2004).


(image 107314)
(183k, 1044x700)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: Work Service
Car: R127/R134
Photo by: Zach Summer
Date: 10/25/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 106 / 106


(image 107313)
(228k, 1044x700)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: N
Car: R160B (Kawasaki, 2005-2008) 8853
Photo by: Zach Summer
Date: 10/25/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 94 / 94


(image 107312)
(223k, 1044x700)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: D
Car: R68 (Westinghouse-Amrail, 1986-1988) 2572
Photo by: Zach Summer
Date: 10/25/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 52 / 52


(image 107315)
(203k, 1044x809)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: Work Service
Car: R127/R134 EP006
Photo by: Zach Summer
Date: 10/25/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 68 / 68


(image 107217)
(240k, 1044x700)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: B
Car: R68 (Westinghouse-Amrail, 1986-1988) 2792
Photo by: Zach Summer
Date: 10/23/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 35 / 140


(image 101792)
(208k, 1044x703)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: M
Car: R160A-1 (Alstom, 2005-2008, 4 car sets) 8528
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 6/15/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 6 / 431


(image 101793)
(210k, 1044x703)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: M
Car: R160A-1 (Alstom, 2005-2008, 4 car sets) 8512
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 6/15/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 3 / 408


(image 101794)
(206k, 1044x703)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: Q
Car: R68 (Westinghouse-Amrail, 1986-1988) 2816
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 6/15/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 5 / 345


(image 98523)
(161k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: R
Car: R32 (Budd, 1964) 3795
Photo by: Christopher Henderson
Date: 3/25/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 0 / 460


(image 97320)
(93k, 1024x767)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld
Date: 3/9/2009
Notes: Platform view.
Viewed (this week/total): 1 / 575


(image 97321)
(50k, 768x1024)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld
Date: 3/9/2009
Notes: Train route indicator.
Viewed (this week/total): 10 / 611


(image 97050)
(236k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: R
Car: R46 (Pullman-Standard, 1974-75) 6138
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 3/3/2009
Viewed (this week/total): 3 / 612


(image 95625)
(222k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: R
Car: R46 (Pullman-Standard, 1974-75) 5732
Photo by: Zach Summer
Date: 12/27/2008
Viewed (this week/total): 3 / 581


(image 89223)
(231k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: B
Car: R40 (St. Louis Car, 1968) 4179
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 7/31/2008
Viewed (this week/total): 1 / 973


(image 89224)
(225k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: Q
Car: R68A (Kawasaki, 1988-1989) 5104
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 7/31/2008
Viewed (this week/total): 1 / 1027


(image 89225)
(231k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: B
Car: R68 (Westinghouse-Amrail, 1986-1988) 2884
Photo by: John Barnes
Date: 7/31/2008
Viewed (this week/total): 1 / 1157


(image 89686)
(267k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: B
Car: R40 (St. Louis Car, 1968) 4333
Photo by: David-Paul Gerber
Date: 6/4/2008
Viewed (this week/total): 1 / 771


(image 89687)
(284k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: M
Car: R160A-1 (Alstom, 2005-2008, 4 car sets) 8456
Photo by: David-Paul Gerber
Date: 6/4/2008
Viewed (this week/total): 2 / 1758


(image 89688)
(276k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: B
Car: R40M (St. Louis Car, 1969) 4500
Photo by: David-Paul Gerber
Date: 6/4/2008
Viewed (this week/total): 0 / 762


(image 89689)
(275k, 1044x788)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Location: DeKalb Avenue
Route: B
Car: R40 (St. Louis Car, 1968) 4349
Photo by: David-Paul Gerber
Date: 6/4/2008
Viewed (this week/total): 2 / 939


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http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/stations?193:3359. (Modified on Mon Jun 20 12:07:01 2005)
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