| Subway Line Names. The letter
and number conventions of the New York Subway System explained Service Menu |
Ever wonder where the New York City subway lines got their names, numbers and letters? Well wonder no more - this is the introduction to the line designations and route names through the years in New York. The subway, as we now know it opened by the IRT on October 27, 1904. Since the opening, it has expanded to over 230 miles of routes and over 400 miles of single track (not including yards). While the history of the system is too large to tell here, the line names can easily be told here. This history continues to include changes like Chrystie St, Manhattan Bridge, the WTC terror and the rebuilding of Stillwell Ave |
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| Line by Line history |
Compiled by Eric B., (aka BDMNQR2). This list includes opening dates of parts of the system and is organized by the letter/number system currently in use. It's an interesting integration of the service designations and the lines over which they run. |
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| IND Subway Services |
Chart origianlally adpated from the ERA NY Division Bulletins of October and November 1968. I've exapneded it to 1973 with details and general changes to the present. |
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Marker Lights 
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Back in the early days of the New York subway system, the cars had no signs on the ends to tell the riders the train's destination or route. The sides of the cars had rollersigns or metal plates with the route and destinations on them. However, the tower operators needed to know what train was to go where at junctions. Marker lights were used to display this information to the track side tower and dispatching personnel. |
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Roll Signs Full sign scanned 2 images per reading and pieced together electronically. |
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| The Stations |
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