Station: DeKalb Avenue (Brighton Line)
From nycsubway.org
BMT Brighton Line station at DeKalb Avenue. R-160A-1 8512 on "M". Photo by: John Barnes, June 2009.
| BMT Brighton Line Manhattan Bridge · Myrtle Avenue |
Overview
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 Bridge. 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 Line, with further service along the BMT West End Line and the BMT Sea Beach Line.
Manhattan-bound services lead to the BMT Broadway Line (via bridge and tunnel), and the IND 6th Avenue Line. A former connection on the Manhattan side to the BMT Nassau Street-Jamaica Line was severed in 1967.)
For detail of the track configuration in this area see the DeKalb Area track map.
Artwork
DeKalb Improvisation, Stephen T. Johnson (2004).
Photo Gallery
 Image 1238 (19k, 473x337) Photo by: Trevor Logan Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 1803 (149k, 1024x678) Collection of: Joe Testagrose Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 4789 (184k, 1024x695) Photo by: Joe Testagrose Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 4949 (223k, 1024x678) Photo by: Joe Testagrose Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 5313 (181k, 1024x694) Photo by: Steve Zabel Collection of: Joe Testagrose Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 24511 (162k, 1024x676) Photo by: Doug Grotjahn Collection of: Joe Testagrose Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 64073 (101k, 660x500) Photo by: Zach Summer Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 66496 (199k, 1024x692) Photo by: Joe Testagrose Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 97050 (236k, 1044x788) Photo by: John Barnes Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 107315 (203k, 1044x809) Photo by: Zach Summer Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 112867 (317k, 1044x700) Photo by: Zach Summer Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 112870 (291k, 1044x690) Photo by: Zach Summer Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 115590 (245k, 1024x683) Collection of: Collection of nycsubway.org Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 117295 (163k, 699x1044) Photo by: John Dooley Location: DeKalb Avenue |
 Image 136600 (113k, 1024x768) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: DeKalb Avenue |