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°—Gap fillers, as used on the New York City Subway, are moveable platform extensions which are utilized in certain stations where the curvature of the platform creates a significant gap between the platform and subway car door. In contrast, see "Mind the gap".

History

The Interborough Rapid Transit Company's first cars were built with only two doors on each side which were located at the extreme ends of the car. These doors would sufficiently line up with the curved platforms so as not to leave a wide gap between the train and the platform. When the IRT modified existing cars and future car orders to contain a middle door, the gap fillers were needed because the middle door would not be near the platform. When the City of New York bought the IRT in 1940 and eventually went to a new design (starting with the R12) the end doors were moved away from the extreme ends of the carbody. This also required the use of gap fillers at certain stations.

Stations with gap fillers

The IRT stations that had gap fillers added were:

• South Ferry (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line) (outer loop)

• Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall (IRT Lexington Avenue Line) (uptown and downtown express platforms) - these were inactivated when the station was extended northward. These gap fillers are still in place and can be seen just south of the current platforms.

• 14th Street–Union Square (IRT Lexington Avenue Line) (downtown platform ) only. There is evidence that there may have been gap fillers on the uptown express platform.

• Times Square (IRT 42nd Street Shuttle) (tracks 1 and 3)

Who Makes Them

Gap Fillers are manufactured by both Jaygo Incorporated and Manning & Lewis Engineering Gap Fillers are metal platforms that move out from the end of the station platform and abut the side of the subway cars when the train is stationary. The platforms allow passengers to safely cross the gap between the platform and the train. They occur on concave station platforms at the curve to meet the middle door of a car.

In New York City, they have been used at 14th Street on the Lexington Avenue line and at South Ferry (outer loop). The contract for the 14th Street/Union Square Station is to replace the old gap fillers with a new design that provides maintenance-access from the platform rather than requiring the maintenance forces to enter the track for service or repair.

An earlier project upgraded the South Ferry Station, which is a unique two-track loop station. It was built in 1905 as part of the original IRT Brooklyn Extension. The use of the gap fillers is required because the platform is extremely short and extremely curved. The gap fillers bridge the spaces between the platform and middle door on the cars making it safe for people to board the subway car.

Image:http://www.manninglewis.com/images/sf3320.jpg%7CSubway Station Image Image:http://www.manninglewis.com/images/gapfillersmall.gif%7CGap Filler before installation

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• New York City Subway