Underground at 92nd Street

The images that follow were taken inside the TBM Launch Box on Thursday morning April 7th. On this day I joined a small group of press photographers who had been assembled by the MTA Media Relations office to view the underground work site at 92nd Street.

The images below were shot intentionally in black and white. Shooting in black and white allows the photographer (me) and the viewer (you) to focus on the shapes and form of what has been photographed without being distracted by color.

Further on in this posting you will find links to two sets of color images that were taken by other photographers on this day.



4/7/11

Looking north from the stairwell that leads from Second Avenue down to the floor of the launch box.



4/7/11

The tunnel on the right is the 22-foot diameter west tunnel of the Second Avenue subway. This tunnel so far has been mined to a point just south of 65th Street.

The temporary narrow gauge tracks that you see in these images are used by the muck train that is being used on the project. This special train is used to transport mined rock, equipment and men through the tunnels.



4/7/11

Another shot from the floor of the launch box.



4/7/11

A few feet inside the entrance to the newly mined west tunnel, looking south.



4/7/11

From the same location inside the west tunnel - now looking north back towards the launch box.



4/7/11

This is a shot of the east tunnel. The TBM has just started its drive south and, when this shot was taken, the machine has bored only a few hundred feet of the tunnel.



4/7/11

A closer shot of the opening that leads to the west tunnel.



4/7/11

A conveyor belt that was being used to transport the mined rock back to the launch box.



4/7/11

In this image you can see the rock and other material that is produced by the TBM when it is mining. (The machine was not mining when we were at the site.)



4/7/11

A collection of tools and equipment used by the sandhogs.



4/7/11

The sandhog in this image, the one with the lighted blow torch, is about to do some welding or cutting.

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Two other sets of images from this day can be found on these links:

"Second Avenue Subway"
By Patrick J. Cashin/MTA
A set of 26 images - 4/7/11

"Inside the Second Ave. Subway"
By Benjamin Kabak/2nd Ave Sagas
A set of 56 images - 4/7/11


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Courtesy of the MTA

This image was not taken on April 7th. Instead it was taken sometime in early March.

Here you can see the head (front) of the TBM which in this shot has been positioned at the opening of the starter tunnel for TBM Run No. 2.

Note that the cutter disks have not yet been remounted onto the cutterhead when this image was taken.


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Here's a listing of the recent additions
to the right-hand column of The Launch Box

"Next Second Ave contract bid result"
By Paula Wallis
TunnelTalk - 4/11

Notice of Limitation on Claims
Federal Transit Administration
Department of Transportation
The Federal Register - 4/7/11

"The view from inside the Second Ave. Subway"
By Benjamin Kabak
2nd. Ave. Sagas - 4/7/11

"2nd Avenue Subway"
By Will Bredderman
RealCityNY.com - 4/6/11

"Second Avenue Street Damage Causes Havoc for Residents and Cars"
By Amy Zimmer
DNAinfo.com - 4/11/11

"2nd Avenue subway construction buries local small businesses"
By Justin Martin
Crain's New York Business - 4/24/11