Newsday from New York, New York • 21

18 rirwiby Klin Sawchuk TA workers take down a high-entrance turnstile at the Times Square station. TA Will Spike Iron Maidens Piece of junk," the woman was Baying yesterday, giving the metal bar in front of her a single, frustrated tug. Her name was Susan Rachford. She was a tiny woman, with a purple scarf around her head. And hanging off her slight shoulders were identical 15-month-old boys, her twins, Jason in the backpack, Jeffrey in the sling around her front.

This was Rego Park, Queens, on the biggest shopping day of the week. Rachford had just spent an hour hauling these two children around the Alexanders department store at Queens Boulevard and 63rd Drive, which is a job that would exhaust your average pack mule. It was now almost noon. The kids were getting fussy. No one needed to explain to Susan Rachford that it was time now to get back home.

Thats exactly what she was trying to do. But here she was, dead-ended at tiie bottom of the subway stairs, with an impenetrable cage of steel separating her and the platform for the and trains. This entrance at the west end of the station, on the Manhattan-bound side was supposed to open yesterday. Thats what the sign upstairs said, exactly 24 paces from Alexanders main door. Thats what the sign at the bottom of the stairs said, as well.

Token entry, it said. There is no token booth at this end of the station. There is just one of those revolving Iron-Maiden contraptions that are supposed to let the riders inside. Of course, these things almost never work like theyre supposed to. They are either broken or locked or theres someone lurking down there whose presence makes you want to run for your life.

Yesterday, someone had put a long bolt through the place where the token is supposed to go in. Piece of junk, Rachford said again, giving a second and final tug to the immobilized machine. She had a token in one hand and IN THE SUBWAYS Ellis Henican these whimpering babies on her chest and back. The other entrance was all the way up the stairs, across 63 rd Drive and down the boulevard past the gas station. But what choice did she have? She turned around and started toward the stairs.

More than 60 years after the Iron Maidens first appeared in the New York subway, the Transit Authority finally has faced an undeniable fact: These contraptions truly do not work. The riders have know this for years. In theory, the devices make lots of sense: a machine that lets riders into the subway at locations not busy enough to justify a staffed token booth. But in practice, they are unreliable, madr dening, scary and not nearly tough enough for the rigors of the subway. Iron Maiden" is not the official name, although thats what riders have called them for years a nod to the torture device from the Middle Ages they more-or-less resemble.

High-Entrance Turnstile 'is the term of choice at the Transit Au- -thority. This is to distinguish them from the exit-only wheels that are similarly scary but do work most of the time. A few of the worst high-entrance turnstiles have been taken out of the subway over the years. But after fielding complaints for years, the Transit Authority is just now beginning its first massive removal program, which will take several months to complete. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority recently gave approval to remove 61 of the 194 Iron Maidens that are left and the days of the others are probably numbered, as well.

Good riddance, I nay. Years ago, the thinking was that you put a high -entrance turnstile into where it didnt pay to have a full-time booth, said Ed Spellman, the TAs assistant chief revenue Please see HENICAN on Page 51 SECOND TIME AROUND SALE Some things get better the second time around. Some things get more affordable. Like a previously-owned Rolex, Patek, Piaget, or other classic watch. If you thought a Rolex was out of reach before, it could be yours today.

The Vintage Corner at Toumeau presents Newark's largest collection of pre-owned classics, all outstanding values. All expertly reconditioned and guaranteed. Many are in near-new condition, most are identical to styles still being sold today. We buu. sell or trade.

Browse through Tburneau's vintage collection. For a watch that keeps getting betcr. a price that couldn't be better too! 4 TouRneflu 488 MADISON ME 2ND FLOOR MADISON AE. ft 59TH ST SEVENTH WE. ft 34TH St MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED 1212) 758-3S711-S00-M2-2S89 List of Iron Maidens to Be Scrapped, Page 51 2 i I 4.