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Brighton Local

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  1. You hit the nail on the head Earle. Thats the point MTH was trying to make to MTA in reguards to producing the graffiti set. Graffiti for the most part, was the subway system from the mid to late 70's and most of the 80s. MTH only wanted to re-inact history. The MTA basically had a sh*t fit over that. As to the stickers; the answer is yes. After I purchased the R-17 Graffiti subway set, and the DAP R-32 Subway set, there was no "TA" or "M" transit authority logos printed on the side of the cars. By this time, I was still a newbie over at MTJ, i was seeking some answer and help. Luckily there is a gentleman over there who had the printing machine, and decal maker. So I went ahead and purchased 8 "TA" decal logos for th R-32's, and 12 "M" logos for the R-17 Subway set. When the R-32 DAP set arrived, many modelers were extremely frustrated with the first car 'theme' that was supposed to be the "TA" logo. It was a round yellow bullet , with a smiley face painted in black. I would not stand for that on my set, so here is one of the "TA" logos, covering up the face, and placed where it should be ; always: Hope this helps Earle
  2. Each Year MTH ( Mikes Train House ) produces a certain amount of items and/or specialty items that are not published in the regular everyday catalogs. Some items are produced and are printed in a special catalog that goes by the name D.A.P.- Dealer Appreciation Program. What that means is each dealer has the opportunity to purchase only 2 of these items. Many dealers will buy certain DAP items from other dealers because some dealers are fearful that these certain items may not sell. For example, if a store in North Dakota has 2 extra R-32 Subway Sets, and a store in New York City is looking to purchase more R-32 sets, then the NY Store will buy them from the North Dakota dealer; hence making more New York model railroaders . Set: R-32 DAP with Graffiti Producer: Mikes Train House Road Name: Metropolitan Transportation Authority - New York City Transit Release Date: Supposed to be 2003 / Shipped April 2005 Scale: O gauge-MTH Premier Line Route: North Terminal: Norwood-205 St, Grand Concourse, Bronx South Terminal: Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Via: 6 Av - Brighton Express The MTH DAP R-32 Subway set is a set thats set to be running on the old Brighton line in the year 1989-1990. Its also right before the GE Overhaul came in and rebuilt the R-32's as to what they look like today. The doors are colored blue with graffiti( ill come back to that after) 'EXP' / 'LCL' indicators are on top of each car, chains across the storm doors, silver streaks run the sides of each car. These cars are about 15 inches long each; usually run a 6 car train on them; the 4 car R-32 DAP train, with 2 R-32 train cars( from the original R-32 set back 2000). Set runs extremely well, with 6 cars, makes really tight curves as well. There was no side "TA" logo for a specific reason which is explained below... MTH has had the MTA license to produce such immaculate subway sets since 1998. However things took a turn for the worst. When MTH brought up the idea to first produce an R-17 blue striped subway set with graffiti all over it, the MTA flamed the MTH for this. Now In my opinion, I can understand where the MTA is coming from, BUT MTH was only trying to re-inact a set that was in fact; true. Graffiti was all over the subways in the mid to late 70s/ & 80s. MTA warned MTH that if the set was still produced they would lose their license to produce items with the "TA" "M" or "MTA" logo on anything. MTH went AHEAD with everything; produced the R-17 blue striped subway set with graffiti, and right after that, MTA pulled their license agreement from MTH. Mth CAN/COULD still produce NYC Subway items but without the MTA logo on anything. ( Lionel now holds down the MTA license) During the same time as the R-17 set was shown off in catalogs, the R-32 DAP set was going to be in the process of being produced. Since the R-17 set was produced and put out on the market, MTH was not going to not cancel the R-32 order. In the end, MTH still has NO license agreement with the MTA, But is continually producing NYC Subway cars which are still at a fair price ( rising eveyrday though), and great detail, and sound. This rates as my top favorite set , probably because its a '(D) on the Brighton' lol, but the sound package is great too; here are the announcements: This stop, 205th St, Grand Concourse, this is the last stop Fordham Road 161 St Yankee Stadium, change here here for the number woodlawn jerome train on the upper level 47 St Rockefeller ctr, radio city music hall OR change here for trains to Queens W 4 St, washington square Park Or change here for ,,,,,&(Q6) trains Prospect Park, Brooklyn, change here for the Franklin Av Shuttle Sheepshead Bay Brighton Beach Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Pro's: Details, rivets, chains, gates, sounds Con's: Manual Operating opening doors. There is a little black lever in which the doors can be opened, but these doors are a pain to mess around with if they ever fall apart. Tiny little magnet sections hold the doors closed on the inside of the cars. Out of 5 stars: 4 2 Motorman figures included sitting in the 1st car cab and the last car cab for the return trip. R-32 'N' train Older shots from my layout in Staten Island / July 2006 Quick video: This set was going for $449.00 - $ 549.00, when it came out. Today, you may actually find it for a steal price at around $390.00-$449.00 which is still very good. Any Questions, feel free to ask; till next week with another review--> Zach
  3. These were taken in February 2004 from my 35mm camera This is just one section of the abandoned North Shore SIRT Line. This line ran from St. George to Arlington ( near the Goethals Bridge) Here are some photographs from what was the station on the line named 'Snug Harbor'. The portion of the route is on a Ballasted concrete ( I don't want to say 'EL',)section; here is the abandoned 'Port Richmond' Station Hope everyone likes!
  4. Set: R-36 World's Fair Version Producer: Mikes Train House Road Name: Metropolitan Transportation Authority - New York City Transit Release Date: September 2002 All I can say is, What a set! The color, the sound, the detail. The R-36 Subway set is a set thats based in 1964 transporting passengers from Midtown's Times Square to Willets Point-Worlds Fair. The set is optionally equipped with Loco-Sound which, one can just press a button to sound the bell and / or horn ( both equipped in the set), or the set thats equipped with Proto-sound 2.0. MTH Produced*(es*) sets with both sound packages ( excludes premier sets, ie; the R-32 N, R-32 DAP D, R-1 A). Now, if you pick up a set with the Protosound features, now you're cooking. You can program the set to run in "auto-mode", which I usually do. When hitting the correct buttons on the transformer, you watch the set go around your layout making all 9-10 station stops equipped in the sound package.. One can also program it to automatically stop at your desire, speed, and name your own stations. The Color is the "baby pastel blue" or off light teal, mint green. The set is equipped with a 2 can motor which can haul at minimum a 6 car train. However, this depends on the size transformer one's using. Since these are R-36's, these are married pairs ( like the R40 Slants, R-42's; ie: 4550-4551 are linked) So one end is blind while the other displays the route signs: In a 6 car set ( which I run, all times ) The 3 cars facing me read on the top rollsign: 7 / Worlds Fair / Worlds Fair While the other 3 cars read: 7 / Flushing / Times Square The side destination rollsigns read: Worlds Fair ---------------- Times Square ---------------- Exp<->Local or Local <-> Exp ----------------- The Station stop proto effects sound like: "This stop is 42 St-Times Square, this is the last stop" On its way back to Queens, it states : " This is the Number 7 Flushing Train, to the New York Worlds Fair, Please stand clear of the closing doors" This stop: 5 Av-NY Public Library Bryant Park, change here for IND 6Th Av (,, & trains. Grand Central Station: Change here for New York Central and New Haven Railroad Trains on the upper level OR Change here for IRT Lexington Av number , , & Trains. Vernon-Jackson Av / Long Island City Queens: Change here for Long Island Railroad Hunterspoint Blvd Queensboro Plaza: Change here for BMT QB QT & T Trains to Astoria. 61 St-Woodside: Change here for Long Island Railroad Junction Blvd Willets Point - Worlds Fair - Shea Stadium- Flushing Meadow Park: This is the last stop Then the set will either go simply backwards and return to Times Square or if put in a certain mode will just keep going forward in a loop and " pull " into Times Square ready for another Queens bound Trip. These cars are by far in demand today. When released in September 2002, they were going for a price of $299.99 to $349.00 which was a steal. Today in a hobby shop or ebay, you might find this set for a minumim of $699.99- $849.00 This set to me is in my top 3 Favorite, as it rates number 2. Out of 5 stars, this set receives 10 stars. Outstanding performance, intriquite detail, amazing sound package, and one hell of a route - the Flushing Line. Original Picture in MTH's 2002 Toy Fair Catalog: Photo's of the set on my layout in various scenes within the past 10 months: Any questions, please ask. I will try and do my best to answer them;) Zach
  5. From todays Staten Island Advance: Finally so nice to hear this news. Its been in the talks for years and they're finally going to proceed with the it. Traffic fixes are saving lives A 60% drop in fatalities is the result of improved road rules, enforcement, but drivers don't buy it Wednesday, September 26, 2007 By MAURA YATES STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island's streets have gotten safer, with nearly 60 percent fewer fatalities on borough roads this year versus the same period last year, the Mayor's Transportation Task Force announced yesterday. But the news drew comments of contempt and doubt from the motorists who drive those streets. "Yeah, I imagine fatalities are down because there is so much traffic you could not acquire the velocity to kill someone or yourself," one Islander wrote on silive.com. "It's hard to crash at a snail's pace." Another chimed in: "Safer place to drive -- that is because you can only do 20 m.p.h. max. Every road is jammed with traffic -- no room for accidents." But traffic officials say the statistics tell the story: There have been just nine fatalities year-to-date in 2007, compared to 22 this time last year. "We've seen a dramatic reduction," city Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner David Woloch said during the Task Force update meeting in the Sea View headquarters of Community Board 2. Woloch attributed the drop to stepped-up police enforcement, the ban of most left turns along Hylan Boulevard from Grasmere to Eltingville, and engineering improvements made at some of the Island's busiest and most dangerous intersections. There also were 7.5 percent fewer accidents on Hylan so far this year, with 357 crashes, compared to 381 year-to-date last year, according to Deputy Police Chief John Sassano. Police have issued more than 250 summonses this year to drivers who flout the regulations. Total moving violations along Hylan are also up, by 9.3 percent, and 11 more traffic enforcement agents have been added to the ranks since December. Catherine Sweeney of MTA Bridges & Tunnels said a team of traffic agents is posted at the intersection of McClean and Lily Pond avenues in Arrochar, to help ease the morning gridlock caused in part by construction work under way on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. A meeting is scheduled for next week to discuss possible fixes for the daily dose of traffic chaos on Capodanno Boulevard leading to the bridge. NEW TRAIN STATION Staten Island Railway President John Gaul unveiled a drawing of the new Arthur Kill station, which will replace the crumbling Atlantic and Nassau stations. The station will be accessible to the disabled, and will include a 150-car parking lot on property owned by SIR. Construction is set to begin next summer, and the station is expected to open in 2010. SIR ridership is up, with 7 percent more passengers riding the rails this year. Gaul said most of the new riders were likely attracted to the service by the enhanced schedule rolled out last summer. New York City Transit representative Bob Newhouser announced that ridership also is up on the new S89 bus route to Bayonne, N.J., which began earlier this month. There were 420 passengers a day on the first week of service, and 560 a day by the third week, he said. Community Board 3 District Manager Marie Bodnar urged the Task Force to reconsider a plan to install six miles of new bike lanes along Hylan Boulevard between Poillon Avenue in Annadale and Page Avenue in Tottenville next month. "To put a bike lane off Hylan Boulevard, I think you're putting people in danger," she said. "A lot of our drivers, they're like cowboys out there," she said. That stretch of Hylan has no sidewalks, and bicyclists could easily be injured if a car veered into the lane. "We're always looking to ensure the safety of the public," said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, an advocate for bicycling who herself bikes to work and has been very supportive of expanding bike lanes throughout the city. DOT engineers will consider safety concerns and take a close look at Hylan before the new lanes are painted, she said. NEW PARK-AND-RIDE Acting Borough DOT Commissioner Tom Cocola announced that construction will begin next month on the two-dozen-space Prince's Bay park-and-ride, with work to begin on another park-and-ride lot at the Pleasant Plains Railway station shortly after. Plans are also in the works to expand the Great Kills park-and-ride to 80 spots. The boroughwide study of every intersection with a traffic light, to determine where more right-on-red opportunities might be made available, has been delayed, Woloch said. The results are about four months away, he said. A three-month study of South Shore ferry service will be under way shortly. In other news, the City Council voted unanimously to approve legislation requiring the DOT to repair priority traffic signs, such as stops, yields and do-not-enters, within three days instead of the current nine days allowed. Additionally, the Council voted unanimously to issue identifying decals to licensed commuter vans, to differentiate them from illegal gypsy cabs. A bill also was introduced that would fine the employers of bike messengers and food delivery workers who ride their bicycles illegally on city sidewalks instead of streets, creating a hazard for pedestrians. Maura Yates covers transportation news for the Advance. She may be reached at myates@siadvance.com.
  6. you caught that too Pablo?!!! nice man! lol
  7. Harry, im not 100% sure, but this could be the "re-railer" ( word is used in model railroading, to get cars back on the tracks), but this could be used for SIR's work operations when the "trucks" drive along the route..
  8. As a former Staten Islander for 22 years, I was always puzzled by that feature. For everyones Information, the SIR R44 Cars have been modified to meet the regulations of the FRA- Federal Railroad Administration, however, I believe these 2 plates are known as "cow catchers", and / or "side plates" The way steam engines have that big black ramp set in the extreme lower front, ; these plates are supposedly used to clear animals ( if not already crushed by impact), and garbage out of the way of the wheels, so the train can have an easy ride along the rails
  9. Awesome shots Harry.. Is that infamous 432?, in the first picture?:cool: That car always sounded like an R-68 every time it would accelerate.. That used to be one of my favorite cars to catch
  10. SIR, used to be a freight railroad back in the earlyyyyyyy days lol.. Thats basically why theres only 1 sharp curve North of Clifton station.. everything else is wide turns or a straight run; hence for excessive speeding trains. SIR , i believe is under the FRA- Federal Railroad Administration; which i think they have to oby by there rules or sumthing. The SIR R44 Cars were rebuilt and were added some diff. features then subway cars have.. There are currently 64 R44 cars on staten island car numbers range from 388-440, THEN 440-464 Even. cars 388-399 were transfers from coney isl yard ( used to run on the F train i believe) back in the 80's or sumthing. Signaling is entirley dif on SIR Then the subway. Actually the signaling was just updated in the past 2-3 years.. The SIR used to be part of the B and O railroad ( Baltimore and Ohio) until 1972, when MTA took over operations. The B and O signals until almost Jan 2004, from a number, and i mean a number of years ago. I cant really explain the signaling. its kinda weird.. The signals basically lit each other up. There used to be a signal between Bay Terrace and Oakwood Heights ( my old stop), when the train ran over the fishplate ( rail joint) next to the signal, the signal north of oakwood lit up, then wen the last car of the train past the signal, the signal would be basically shut off, or go blank, until the next train was comming / or hit the signal previous to that one. The unions are diff. Some of there operations are dif. i never saw anyone, wear anything that states MTA on it ( except track workers) they have the 0range vests. but T/O wear any clothing they want, i dun think they have a uniform policy. C/R wear a blue get up with a C/R hat , that actually may Say "M" Staten is railway. 4 Car trains regularly 2 cars, late nites hope this helps a lil
  11. Staten Island Railway (SIR) Important information about your MetroCard during rehabilitation of the Staten Island Railway Terminal at St. George All Times, beginning Monday, August 27, 2007 Due to construction of a new terrazzo floor to replace the 57-year old floor, all MetroCard Vending Machines are being removed temporarily for approximately one month. During this period, please purchase or refill your MetroCard at the Whitehall Terminal at South Ferry or other stations in Manhattan. The service booth at St. George remains open for MetroCard transactions involving cash. All the vending machines will be back in service with the addition of two new MetroCard Vending Machines in about 30 days. We apologize for any *imconvenience* you may experience. ** I guess the MTA doesn't have spell check **
  12. I lived in staten island for 22 years. I rode SIR my while life. I remember when the R44'S still had there blue stripe! lol... SIR is ehh okay. Nothing special at all. The Great Kills Express runs are pretty cool. They start at St George and run Express all the way to Great Kills; about 12 stops bypassed... I always, always, HATED THE 30 min headways. Thats one thing SIR needed; IMO; every 20 min minimum. It usually runs 4 car trains. 2 cars during overnight hrs. Summer of 2000, they ran 5 car trains... The Clifton yard is cool to look at. Tottenville , the southern most MTA rail station, offers a great view of the "Kill Van Kull", the dirt lol bay that divides NJ with Staten Isl. Nice view of the Outerbridge Crossing too. Otherwise, I might as well just get a 4-4-0 Generl Steam Locomotive, and hook up 3 coaches behind it, and feel like ( ur NOT IN NYC ) lol ! Enjoy SIR Dude, u give us feedback lol...
  13. in the 70s/8os it was known as S.I.R.T.O.A. "Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority then changed to SIRT Staten Island Rapid Transit then to MTA SIR MTA Staten Island Railway hope this clarifies things hehe
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