Some things are best relegated to the antique bin, like the vacant Subway Online signs at some TTC stations.

Subway riders have grown accustomed to the large TV screens above the platforms at many stations, which are tuned to the CP24 live news and information feed.

Commuters need only look up to find key information like the time of day and weather summary, and can also catch up on the latest headlines while waiting for their train.

Before the TV screens came along, a more primitive sign was used that had a digital clock and a long, narrow LED screen that apparently provided some sort of information.

But can anyone remember what it was, or when the Subway Online signs actually worked?

Not J.S. Takeda, who sent us a note about the signs at York Mills station, saying “I’ve been meaning to write you for years” about them.

“I have been using York Mills subway station for quite a long time and never has it had operational clocks at track level,” he said.

There are the boards you see at every station but they have never been turned on (or) hooked up.”

We went there and soon realized the “clocks” he referred to are the Subway Online signs, which we have also noticed at other subway stations and wondered about ourselves.

So we went for a ride on the Yonge line and found the same dead signs at Lawrence and Sheppard stations. But at least Sheppard also has TV screens, which is not the case at York Mills or Lawrence.

The signs are as old-fashioned as Pacman, don’t work and amount to overhead clutter at subway platforms. So why doesn’t the TTC just get rid of them and install the TV screens at York Mills and Lawrence?

STATUS: We asked the TTC about it and got the following reply: “The old Subway Metron signs are inactive and the remaining ones in a few stations are scheduled for decommissioning, as all are being replaced with Pattison’s OneStop platform video screens. Sheppard/Yonge is scheduled for removal this fall; York Mills and Lawrence are scheduled for early next year.”

What's broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To contact us, go to thestar.com/yourtoronto/the_fixer or call us at 416-869-4823 email jlakey@thestar.ca . To read our blog, go to thestar.com/news/the_fixer . Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.