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This beautiful shot was taken last week by docjayva from the Manhattan Bridge looking south to lower Manhattan showing the World Trade Center area. Since we are on the subject of the Manhattan Bridge and some of my posts deals with the Culver Line, either as a subway line or as the Culver-Fifth Avenue Elevated line, I would like to tell you about an unusual Culver Line operation in the subway. I will verify this in the future, but in the 1950's before the line was truncated at Ditmas Avenue and even afterwards, there was an unusual loop operation in the morning rush hour. Trains would depart Ditmas Avenue and go north to 36th Street and 4th Avenue where they would run express to Pacific Street. I am not sure if the Culver trains would stop at Dekalb Avenue but would go over the Manhattan Bridge and loop southward to the Nassau Street loop. This connection does not exist today since the Chrystie Street Loop service began in 1967. The Culver trains would now go southbound through the Nassau Street Loop, into the Montague Street tunnel and run local southbound on Fourth Avenue. It would stop at 36th Street and finally end up at Ditmas Avenue were it started from! The BMT Standard subway cars had two types of roll signs, large and small. The description of the route was something like ".. Via Bridge to Manhattan and Southbound via Nassau Street Loop..." I am not sure of the exact wording but it was clearly not visible on the small size BMT Standard destination curtains. This service ended in 1959 when the Culver Line really became a true shuttle between Ditmas Avenue and Ninth Avenue. (To be verfiied and modified in the future.)
Readings on a BMT Standard roll sign is found below. Taken from web. Culver related items in red.
Ditmas Ave 36th St.-4th Av Forest Hills-Queens
Astoria
Via Tunnel thru
NASSAU LOOP Via Bridge to Bklyn
Via Bridge thru
NASSAU LOOP Via Tunnel to Bklyn
6th Av.Manh't'n
8th Av.Manh't'n
Myrtle Av.
Eastern P'kwy
Atlantic Av.
Canarsie
Bowery
Chambers St.
Canal St.
Jamaica
Crescent St.
111th St.
Metropolitan Av.
Broad St.
Whitehall St.
Queens Plaza
95th St.-Ft.H'ton
Prospect Park
Franklin Av.
Franklin-Nassau
Nassau St.
Brighton Beach
57th St. Manh't'n
Kings Highway
Times Square
Coney Island
Bay Parkway
62nd St. Bklyn
City Hall
Ninth Av.
