145 Street (3) - The SubwayNut

Home<N.Y.C. Subway Stations<145 Street/Lenox Avenue

145th Street is one of the more unusual subway stations in New York. The station is the only one other then the South Ferry loop terminal of the 1 train that can't accommodate a full ten car train. The platform is short and can accommodate only six cars, although only the first five are open since the conductor is at this point in the middle of the train. There are many reasons probably for this, one is the two train switches onto the Lenox Avenue line just south of the station and just north of it the 3 train returns to the surface to curve by the Lenox Yard and enter 148 Street-Lenox terminal. The other reason I've read (I apologize for not having sources) is that when the transit authority built the 148 Street-Lenox terminal it was planning to abandon 145 Street but there was uproar from apartment buildings that wanted the station kept and wanted to avoid having to walk the ~1/3 mile to the 148 Street-Lenox Terminal Station. The reason is definitely a combination of all of these factors.
The station itself is of the typical design of an IRT local station from the Heins & LaFarge era of designing the original subway system as the station opened on November 23, 1984. There are two short side platforms both of witch are fairly narrow towards the ends and get a bit wider in the middle near fare control. There is no way to board uptown trains at this station, all that is on the uptown platform are two exits to either side of 145 Street with high exit gates to each staircase from the platform. The downtown platform also has staircases down from either side of 145 Street to its fare control area with the token booth. Booth platforms still have their original terra cotta cartouches with 145 on them although odd colors of paint seem to have gotten on them. Many original 145 Street tiled name tablets are also along the platform. Unfortunately the roof has been replaced at some point over the years so there is no more ornamentation on it and its flat. There are also a couple of mosaic tiled replicas of the 145 Street cartouches, towards the ends of the platforms that were the first extensions in the 1920s. The station in many places, particularly near the northern end has many more columns that most and almost provide a fence between the train and the platform.

Page 1\|Page 2

(145n31) A boring platform sign on a white wall at 145 Street.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008	(145n32) A flat mosaic replica of a terra cotta cartouche at 145 Street.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008	(145n33) Looking down the uptown platform at 145 Street towards its northern end.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008	(145n34) A close up of a platform sign on a round column at 145 Street.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008

(145n35) Looking across the tracks at 145 Street towards the narrow northern end of the downtown platform at 145 Street. The conductors stop panel is visible with a red sign on it that says 'open front section only'.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008	(145n36) Even though there is no way to enter the northbound platform from the street there is still a To 148 Street except late nights sign hanging from the ceiling.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008	(145n37) A view of all the columns that seem to provide a fence at the northern end of the uptown platform at 145 Street.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008	(145n38) A name tablet at 145 Street with some probably older green tile interchanged with newer white tile underneath the brown mosaic band that provides a bit of a trim under the terra cotta relief at the corner of the ceiling and the platform wall.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008

(145n39) A close up of a terra cotta cartouche at 145 Street it is identical with other then the numbers in it to similar cartouches at all the other Lenox Avenue stations except 110 Street.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008	(145n310) Another view down the uptown platform at 145 Street, the two exits with there High Exit gates are visible.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008	(145n311) Another view across to a name tablet along the very narrow northern end of the downtown platform at 145 Street.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008	(145n312) One of the two High Exit gates that provide the only means of entry and egress at 145 Street from the uptown platform, a modern emergency exit gate with its panic bar is also there.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008

(145n313) A wider view with a boring Exit sign and a cartouche visible of an exit at 145 Street.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008	(145n314) The southern end of the uptown platform at 145 Street is still quite wide.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008	(145n315) No entry to the uptown platform at 145 Street.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008	(145n316) Looking down one of the staircases from the uptown platform at 145 Street. A gate that closes the station at night is visible and is open. There is a sign on it saying Push Bar for emergency exit, alarm will sound but there is no panic bar visible.Photo by Jeremiah Cox, 24 June, 2008
Page 1\|Page 2