The concrete-cladded viaduct that takes the IRT #7 Flushing Line down the middle of Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside was built in 1917, and in the mid-1990s was treated to a complete overhaul with new station canopies and stained glass panels, as well as a complete replacement of the concrete and terra cotta ornamentation that left it looking like new. It’s been mostly kept that way for the better part of 20 years.
The Super Seventies were a different story, though, and by then the viaduct had been left to the mercies of erosion, weather, and our feathered friends for decades. The viaduct looked as if it was going to crumble onto the boulevard. Meanwhile, a World’s Fair painted R-33 plies the line blithely unaware of any problem. The cars were later painted maroon red and served the line until 2003.
6/17/13