12 was the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation's designation for trains that used the

BMT Lexington Avenue Line The BMT Lexington Avenue Line (also called the Lexington Avenue elevated) was the first standard elevated railway in Brooklyn, New York, operated in its later days by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corpor ...

. This number was used on service listings on company maps, but was never displayed on train equipment, nor were trains referred to as "12 trains" in the manner of the current system, but were called Lexington Avenue Line trains. The BMT assigned numbers to its services in 1924, and 12 was applied to trains between Park Row and

Eastern Parkway Eastern Parkway is a major road that runs through a portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, it was the world's first parkway, having been built between 1870 and 1874. At the time o ...

via the Brooklyn Bridge,

BMT Myrtle Avenue Line The Myrtle Avenue Line, also called the Myrtle Avenue Elevated, is a fully elevated line of the New York City Subway as part of the BMT division. The line is the last surviving remnant of one of the original Brooklyn elevated railroads. The rem ...

and

BMT Jamaica Line The BMT Jamaica Line, also known as the Broadway - Brooklyn Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeas ...

. During rush hours, service extended east to

Crescent Street Crescent Street (officially in french: rue Crescent) is a southbound street in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Running perpendicular to Saint Catherine Street, Crescent Street descends from Sherbrooke Street south to René Lévesque Boulevard. ...

; some afternoon rush hour trains continued to 111th Street or 168th Street. Between 1925 and 1931, all rush hour service was extended to 111th or 168th Street. In addition, some afternoon rush hour trains were added between Sands Street (on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge) and 111th Street. By 1937, normal service had been truncated to the Brooklyn side of the bridge; rush hour trains still crossed the bridge to Park Row. Additionally, trains no longer ran to 168th Street, with all rush hour trains going to 111th Street. The extra afternoon rush hour trains from Sands Street to 111th Street remained. On May 31, 1940, service was ended on the

BMT Fulton Street Line The Fulton Street Line, also called the Fulton Street Elevated or Kings County Line, was an elevated rail line mostly in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. It ran above Fulton Street from Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn in Downtown Brooklyn east ...

west of Rockaway Avenue and the full length of the

BMT Fifth Avenue Line The Fifth Avenue Line, also called the Fifth Avenue Elevated or Fifth Avenue–Bay Ridge Line, was an elevated rail line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. It ran above Hudson Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Fifth Avenue, 38th Street, and Thir ...

and

BMT Third Avenue Line The Fifth Avenue Line, also called the Fifth Avenue Elevated or Fifth Avenue–Bay Ridge Line, was an elevated rail line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. It ran above Hudson Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Fifth Avenue, 38th Street, and Thir ...

. All Lexington Avenue trains were once again extended across the Brooklyn Bridge to Park Row, and a new service called ''Fulton – Lexington Avenue'' was inaugurated, replacing service that had been provided by Fulton Street trains, and operating to the Fulton Street Line terminus at Lefferts Avenue. On March 5, 1944, the

was closed west of Jay Street and the Bridge Street station at that location was renamed Bridge–Jay Streets; all 12 trains were truncated there (with a free transfer first to streetcars, and then to the IND at Jay Street – Borough Hall) – see

List of New York City Subway transfer stations In the New York City Subway there are several types of transfer stations: # A station complex is where two or more stations are connected with a passageway inside fare control. There are stations of the New York City Subway when each station ...

for details. By 1948, Fulton – Lexington Avenue trains were truncated to

Grant Avenue Grant Avenue in San Francisco, California, is one of the oldest streets in the city's Chinatown district. It runs in a north–south direction starting at Market Street in the heart of downtown and dead-ending past Francisco Street in the North ...

. The

closed on October 13, 1950, ending all 12 service.

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:12 (Bmt Rapid Transit Service) Defunct New York City Subway services