East 105 Street is up there as one of the most unusual subway stations in the entire system. The station is at a grade, and East 105 Street crossed at the NYC Subway’s last remaining grade crossing until 1975. The station when it still had a grade-crossing, was quite similar to those grade-level stations at the ends of the CTA Brown Lines and Pink Lines in Chicago (Francisco is a good example). Before 1975, at the northern end of a narrow island platform was a small station house that led down to a few steps between the tracks to the south sidewalk of the grade-crossing of East 105 Street with all passengers entering and leaving the station needing to cross the L train tracks in one direction.
To eliminate the grade-crossing, the MTA severed through vehicular traffic on East 105 Street and built a pedestrian bridge across the subway tracks, including a station house with turnstiles and a staircase down to the end of the still very narrow platform. Today driving from one section of 105 Street to the other side is a 1 mile detour to the nearest vehicle underpass at Dewitt Avenue.
The station has one extremely narrow island platform, so narrow that only a single bench facing one direction can be placed on it. A double bench facing both directions would not have enough clearance on either side and be unsafe. Before the station was renovated in 2007 the platform had no canopied portions whatsoever, after renovations a canopy extends about half way down the platform from the single staircase down at the extreme northern end of the platform, where a decent sized station house sits right above the tracks with fare control. This station house also serves as a bit of an enclosed waiting area, and there are entrances to it (in the form of staircases up to it) and the station from either side of the Canarsie Line's Right of Way at the foot of now two distinct portions of East 105 Street.
Photo 1-8: January 1, 2005; 9-36: June 1, 2009;
A R143 running towards 8 Avenue is about to leave E 105 Street stopped in front of a unusual sign on the platform That is hanging and simply says L service to each of it's destinations and which track they stop at.
The museum train of R1-9s approach E 105 St on a fan trip, about to bypass it.
R1 #100 stopped at E 105 Street on a Fan Trip.
A low-angled shot of R1 #100 stopped at E 105 St on a Fan Trip.
A very simple E 105 St platform sign.
A Manhattan-bound R143 L train begins to enter E 105 St.
Another E 105 Street platform sign with two identical exit signs in the foreground pointing towards the station's only exit at northern end of the platform, where fare control is in a building above the tracks. The station has no canopies to speak of other then the station house.
The lone staircase up to the station house and exit on the island platform at E 105 Street that is completely exposed to the elements with no protection on it to speak of.
A substation is right towards the southern end of East 105 Street.
The East 105 Street Station is right at a grade, looking down a street, and through a barbed-wire fence at the platform.
Two one side of the tracks at East 105 Street a grassy field separates it from the surrounding area.
Approaching the elevated station house an entrance to East 105 Street on a path through the grassy field on the outskirts of the station.
The dead-end street at the east side of the entrance to the elevated station house at East 105 Street. There is one staircase from here up to the decent sized station house.
Looking through the barbed wire fence as a Canarsie-bound R143 L train is held in the station momentarily for a track to open up at the Canarsie, Rockaway Parkway Terminal.
The unusual design of the outside of one of the staircases up to the station house at East 105 Street.
Looking across from the top of one of the entrance staircases to Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway at a R143 L train stopped in the station.
The western side of the tracks at East 105 Street and entrance from East 105 Street, that the station and tracks divides in half.
A station sign with two arrows pointing in different directions and for nothing along the western entrance staircase to East 105 Street.
Doors that are open on a summer's day lead into the decently sized station house at East 105 Street.
The bank of turnstiles into the subway in the elevated station house at East 105 Street.
Last Updated: September 12, 2022
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