ah, i took some photos... well, a lot actually. anyone can email me off this board for a look at some online. brillecream@yahoo.com . don't get me wrong, the guy knows his stations, but when you go around some of these places you find what no book can show you (or at least not what a subway book might show you...)
I will share this one though - because it's never made a lot of sense to me and seems to be unknown to most people interested in this sort of thing:
at 2nd av on the F, where the two tail tracks head off east as part of the never built second system, there is a mezzanine area. now, i realize they made provisions for the second av subway at the west end of the station, but this is just a bit beyond the east end. - west of first av. even.
there are stairs from track level to a mid level in the tunnel that extends to the wall of the station. up one more level from there (via stairs that appear to have been for passenger use) there is a mezzanine above the 2 tracks.
unlike closed portions of mezzanines I've seen around the system, this one does not contain any steps leading up towards the surface or anything that would suggest that it was ever intended as a fair control area. it is a dark, caverous room devoid of all light, and everything else for that matter. it's quite large. there are no trackways or any suggestions of it being anything like the known IND provisional platforms. There are no electrical or mechanical items of any sort that would suggest it was a signal room or any other MOW space. no windows looking to the tracks below to suggest it was a massive tower.
what on earth it's intended use was is beyond me. I've racked my brain and read what there is to read around the web and still have not found any answers.
today, it is sealed behind the new metal wall, down the tail tracks. I'd assume it was used quite a bit by the homeless, which is why that tail track area was gated off, though when i saw it, there was no signs anyone had lived there...it was likely just cleaned.
anyone that can shed any light on that mystery for me would be owed at least one beer.