238th STREET STATION, Riverdale

by Kevin Walsh

I was finishing up a Forgotten NY voyage of discovery in the Bronx last week when I again noted with delight the survival of the original railings and signage holders on the platform. They have probably had a number of color scemes in their paint jobs over the years, but the ebony version is a match for the MTA’s black and white color scehme.

I don’t have any immediately available photos of the platform’s older signs but they were likely navy with white letters or white with black letters.

 

This NYC Subway photo from what’s probably the 1950s or 1960s shows the original light stanchions holding incandescent bulbs, and the wood-planked platform. These stanchions hung in there until the late 1990s when they were replaced by the present J-shaped lamps that anchor on the now-concreted platform floor.

Some of these old stanchions still survive on unused platform areas along the line in other stations.

12/3/14

2 comments

Joe Korman December 3, 2014 - 4:24 pm

I found the photo on the NYSR web pages. The date listed says 1969. The car is perhaps a 1962-64 vintage. From the light color on the hand holds that might be yellow, the cars may be one of the first true redbirds, types R-29, R-33, or R-36.

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Paul Otterstedt December 4, 2014 - 12:21 pm

Thanks for posting – this brings back some memories. I attended Manhattan College in late 70s and early 80s and would use this station because it was right by the engineering building.

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