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J train terminal set up at 121 St after cut back from Queens Blvd in 1985


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How did (J) terminate at 121 St after Queens Blvd route was shut down. I read up on multiple sources that (J) was single tracked operation and that the Manhattan Bound track was only platform used. The Jamaica bound track was unused until November 1987 when cross switches and ramps into Archer Tunnel was completed. Also i read that (J) would switch over to center track after 111 St and then switch over to Manhattan bound track over Lefferts Blvd. What did the Switches look like at Leffetrs Blvd junction. And how was the operation going with the single tracked at 121 St? 

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I always found the cutback to 121st hard to understand.  It's bad enough they prematurely demolished the section to 168th, but the least they could have done is kept Queens Blvd as the terminal from 1985 till 1988- would it really have killed them to keep it open another three years?

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I always found the cutback to 121st hard to understand.  It's bad enough they prematurely demolished the section to 168th, but the least they could have done is kept Queens Blvd as the terminal from 1985 till 1988- would it really have killed them to keep it open another three years?

Archer Av tunnel was completed on both levels by 1983. And if the old section towards Queens Blvd lasted until 1988 that meant the line would opened up by 1992 because the MTA would have to destroy the old structure at 129 St and Jamacia Av and place a new structure. What would made more sense was to allow the (J) to terminate at 111 St and sit on Center Track to turn around.

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I always found the cutback to 121st hard to understand.  It's bad enough they prematurely demolished the section to 168th, but the least they could have done is kept Queens Blvd as the terminal from 1985 till 1988- would it really have killed them to keep it open another three years?

They needed to cut the line back to 121 Street because of the ramps that had to be constructed. Running service to Queens Blvd would've impeded on that. With the MTA under the belief that the Archer Ave line was opening "soon", the "temporary" cutback wouldn't be an issue for long. We all know how that turned out.

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They needed to cut the line back to 121 Street because of the ramps that had to be constructed. Running service to Queens Blvd would've impeded on that. With the MTA under the belief that the Archer Ave line was opening "soon", the "temporary" cutback wouldn't be an issue for long. We all know how that turned out.

Oh yes....

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Well when one considers what a fiasco the Archer Extension project turned out to be, they might as well have never bothered.  5 stations were replaced with 3, business along Jamaica Avenue tanked after the el came down, and the (E) is stuck with a bottleneck for a terminal.  A lack of competence if I ever saw one.

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The businesses wanted the El gone, and not only do we have an inagreated transportation hub, you can get to the Queens Blvd line from the Jamaica.

That is true to a major extent, but I believe it was one major retailer that really didn't have any intention of staying there that wanted the El gone and then they could set it up so their customers would go to the main store in Manhattan from what I remember reading several years ago, getting everyone else to come onboard (especially since back then the subways had deteriorated a lot and crime was a big issue).  It was still a major mistake to do that before the Archer Avenue line finally did open in 1988.

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...Is everything a conspircy theroy with you..?

 

 

If they wanted to leave, they would have left.

No, as said, that's just what I remembered reading at the time.

 

Anyway, we know the merchants wanted the Jamaica El shut down and it turned into a case of be careful what you wish for regardless of whether the other part was true or not.

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