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Trainmaster5

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Everything posted by Trainmaster5

  1. Where, exactly, is the busiest railroad station in Suffolk County ? I’ve been traveling out there since 1981 and in my experience Babylon and Ronkonkoma have always been the top priority. Mineola and the surrounding area do have many different workplaces in Nassau but so does the strip in Melville in Suffolk along Broadhollow Road from Huntington southward towards Sunrise Highway. Is there actually that large a gap eastward towards the terminals on either the Babylon or KO branch ? Just curious. Carry on.
  2. The layout was as follows An island platform on the southbound side with the Canarsie line on the outside and the Fulton local on the inside. An island platform with tracks for the north and south Fulton express service which joined together where they would cross over the Canarsie line tracks south of the station. An island platform with the northbound Canarsie line on the inside and the Fulton local on the other side. North of the station was trackage and switches leading to the Fulton, Canarsie, Broadway-Brooklyn lines and East New York Yard. Hope this helps. I’m old enough to remember when all those tracks were in use. Carry on.
  3. Actually it's about 5 stops and Euclid Avenue gives the the option to get ahead of the regular service. The train to the Plane was more about exclusiveness compared to the regular . Even those of us who were employees, even on duty, had to pay the fare to ride that train. Transit PD enforced that rule. i always remember a basic rule from RTO school car. the only difference between an express and a local train in RTO is that the express makes less stops. I've never forgotten that maxim. Carry on.
  4. Damn, the subway system has operated for almost 120 years with all types of equipment. Some dumb ass does something stupid and someone's supposed to feel sorry for him and mom ? I've been around for a long time but I don't recall someone doing something this stupid with people seemingly defending this type of action. Must be a generational thing I guess. My opinion. Carry on.
  5. When I recall the I'm sure that it ran ahead of the service along the Fulton St corridor from Hoyt- Schermerhorn. I don't recall any complaints about delays. Just my memories. Carry on.
  6. You’re right about going up for the shuttle as the subway came along after the shuttle. The point was trying to convey is the difference between the grades on the underside of the Parkway itself..From Franklin to the east there’s a noticeable rise as you get to Bedford Avenue which starts to drop down from Rogers Avenue as you approach Nostrand Avenue. The significant difference we were taught in school was the Franklin-Bedford-Rogers-Nostrand stretch under the Parkway itself. That’s what our geology/ Earth Science was focused on. I’ve walked the stretch underground from Franklin Avenue to Nostrand, especially the southern side as a miscellaneous work train operator installing signal cables from the old tower at the junction to the present location at the Utica Avenue station. My road job during cold weather plans was the Nostrand 1 layup located on the n/b express track adjacent to the Nostrand Avenue station where the Flatbush line joins Eastern Parkway. Right at the switch. What I’m trying to convey is that underground it’s a completely different thing that even though we once had rail fan windows most people had no idea what they were passing through. Signal Maintainers quarters, storage rooms, staircases between the n/b and s/b trackage and the like. That’s why I think the time and expense of construction will be a hindrance to any project in that area. I’m not saying that it can’t be done but there will probably be some fierce opposition. My take. Carry on
  7. Excuse me if I'm forgetful with the name (s) of the rock underpinning the south side of the Parkway ( Junior High was over 60 years ago ) but the sediment that remained was due to the fusion of the remnants of the Ice Age we were taught. If you know the topography of the area the line rises from the southern end (Empire Blvd) up to the Parkway and then it recedes as you head farther north toward Atlantic Avenue. That's why the Franklin Shuttle runs below the IRT and Eastern Parkway. It's why Mount Prospect stands out behind the Museum and into the Botanical Gardens. Head eastward along the Parkway past Utica toward Lincoln Terrace Park where the Livonia Avenue line rises to become an El and you can get an idea of the below ground situation. As an aside to the poster who asked about the IRT and Pitkin Avenue due east along that avenue were 2 major obstacles, namely the LIRR Bay Ridge Branch and the BMT Fulton Street El. Note in my first post I mentioned the " original " Eastern Parkway on the eastern end. Thats because it ended at the slope to Pitkin. Everything past that point to Bushwick Avenue is/was Eastern Parkway Extension. I went to grade school in the area in those ancient days and our teachers stressed certain things. Even my old school instructors in school car stressed certain points like that and the fact that DeKalb Avenue station in downtown Brooklyn is NOT located on Flatbush Avenue and neither was the abandoned Myrtle Avenue station. The street from the Manhattan Bridge to Fulton St is Flatbush Avenue Extension. I know I went off topic there but I was trying to point out how much we were taught back then. The big piece of the puzzle IMO is $$$ and politics. Carry on.
  8. You and Lex are both missing the bigger issue, IMO. Eastern Parkway is the major east-west thoroughfare in that part of Brooklyn. The section from Grand Army Plaza to the original end at Pitkin Avenue wasn’t built with a subway line in mind. Think Prospect Park and Ocean Parkway and you’ll understand where I’m coming from. Those of us who were raised and educated in the area were also taught about the geology of the Parkway, especially the area where the subway was constructed. I foresee open warfare between the reconstruction plans and the residents and the drivers who travel along the Parkway. The only other east-west routes are Empire Boulevard to the south and Atlantic Avenue to the north which is always congested with commercial traffic. I’m not forgetting about the bus traffic on the B44, B48, and B49 which also run across the Parkway. I’d love to see how things unfold between the competing sides. Carry on.
  9. Now you understand why some old time RTO posters left the forums completely. They called some present day posters “ Little Lionels “because of the unrealistic proposals that were prevalent back then. I’ve learned to live with them or ignore them on a case by case level.
  10. Time out for a little history lesson. All trains can access Crown Heights-Utica and onward to New Lots. The was the main line running from Utica Avenue on weekdays during the rush hours when I was a C/R and when I got promoted. Mid day and trains terminated at Atlantic Avenue at first. We laid up trains between Utica and Franklin on the express tracks during those hours. In 1984 the southbound.destinations changed in Brooklyn with the and swapping terminals among other things. The went to Atlantic at first and all service looped at Bowling Green mid days. My first picked job as a M/M on the started at Utica Avenue. It used to be and trains through Utica Avenue and and trains to Flatbush. It used to frustrate my colleagues when I first started posting on the forums because we couldn’t get it through that the trains at the junction weren’t late because they were scheduled that way to line up n/b Lexington Avenue service. To some people a train that isn’t moving means that there’s a delay. The trick is to creep up to the junction but never stop. Riders only notice when the train makes a complete stop. When slotted correctly my from Utica, New Lots or Bowling Green will ride my leaders tail to 125th Street. I’ve posted many times that the from the Bridge would arrive at Grand Central with me when we both left the station at the same time. Supervision knew that we were both on schedule. Heck, my mentor, who wrote the schedules , and another supervisor would ride with me n/b every day. It’s frustrating to lose some of my fellow posters but RTOMAN and Kamen Rider are still here to correct me and explain to you how RTO works. As someone who’s experienced wrote in another thread get a job in RTO, rise through the ranks and maybe you can get enough clout to make your own changes. Carry on.
  11. The reason for the shuttle not using the southbound local track is because of the “S” curve entering Prospect Park. The BMT 7 service and subsequent shuttle service used to creep into the station because of the risk of derailment. The B48 bus service has always paralleled the elevated shuttle tracks even when the Brighton Line was connected to the Fulton Street Elevated . The Franklin shuttle does NOT operate on Franklin Avenue but midway between Franklin and Classon Avenues. The Franklin name actually refers to the Franklin Avenue station on the BMT Fulton Street El. The section of the line that is called the shuttle was going to be demolished completely by the and the remnant you have today was built because of political reasons . I can assure you that anyone with authority in the would be fired or allowed to retire if he/she proposed either extending the platforms on the north end of the shuttle or extending a 4 car consist south of Prospect Park with the additional costs of equipment, and payroll for train crews and the dispatchers and tower operators. My take. Carry on.
  12. Care to elaborate? I remember Brighton-Franklin service when it was downgraded to full time shuttle service. When I was in school car and asked about the shuttle operation my motor instructors asked me if I knew about the “S” curve entering the s/b local track at Prospect Park. Since it was my home station for many years I said “yes “and they said that I answered my own question. The only time they used that track was for special operations. There used to be a crew room, dispatchers office and an active tower at the south end of the northbound track when I lived in the neighborhood and when I worked as a Railroad Porter in the late sixties. Last time I looked the tower operation had moved to DeKalb as well as the main dispatcher. I personally think that after the shuttle reconstruction the has washed it’s hands of the Franklin shuttle. Remember that they were forced into the rehabilitation by the politicians. I think the Brooklyn bus redesign proposal has the parallel B48 bus service running south of Prospect Park for a distance. They’re gonna use that as a service upgrade for shuttle riders. Watch for it. Just my thoughts. Carry on.
  13. I'm glad that someone pointed out the obvious problems with this " pie in the sky " dream of a plan. If you add Locust Manor, Laurelton, and Rosedale to this plan where, exactly, does this spur terminate ? It sure as hell can't run to or through Jamaica as you've correctly pointed out the FRA and equipment requirements. Damn sure can't run through/to Valley Stream for the same reason and Valley Stream is located in Nassau County and not Queens. The subway is the property of the City of New York and not the .I can't believe how many folks are not aware of the distinction. I've noticed the same type of confusion with the old Rockaway Beach Branch. Even when the City took over the southern section of the line they allowed the section from Ozone Park station to be operated by the LIRR from the mainline to Ozone Park station. There's still evidence of the severed connection between the and the LIRR at Liberty Junction and that remaining trackage was never connected for a reason. Legalities. Look no further than the between East 180 St and Dyre and the cutoff north of the station. The next stop was in Westchester County. Just wanted to add some background to the conversation. Carry on.
  14. First thing you're doing wrong is not posting this question in the transit Employment subforum.
  15. Should have seen the line back then. Variety in a nine car consist every day.
  16. I have a completely different perspective on this topic. My experience as a rider and as an employee are different than 98% of my fellow posters and the riding public.. Been riding the system alone since 1959 and have seen many changes since then. Was first employed by NYCTA as a RR Porter provisionally 9 years later thanks to some family contacts. I have cleaned stations as varied as Church Avenue on the Nostrand line, Gun Hill upper and lower on the WPR line, Chambers Street Nassau Loop, and the Myrtle Avenue El from Bridge-Jay to Sumner Avenue ( for a whole week ) and Prospect Park on my home line the Brighton. I primarily worked from 8pm to 4am as an extra filling in for the highest seniority guys. No females back then. The Myrtle job was the number one job in the BMT and Prospect Park was the number three job in the BMT. They had three separate seniority lists back then. What I’m getting at is that each station was covered by RR Porters on two shifts daily. Bathrooms, turnstiles, platforms, token booths, stairways. Two shifts ,24/7/365 , and it was the rule and not the exception. Junkies, Gays, whatever. No problemo for us back then. Left the job and came back to Transit a decade later. The motor instructors who knew my history told me what was happening behind the scenes. Bathrooms were being closed for “safety “ reasons they told the public. Actually they were pruning the entire workforce. They kept Times Square, Grand Central, Broadway-East New York and some other big ones open but that was it. Same thing is happening with the RR Clerks, aka “Station Agents” today. The latest announcement is pure manure to someone from my generation. A few bottles of the disinfectant that was used in my day is/was guaranteed to have the homeless on the move. They would never set up camp in the stations or the bathrooms. Your eyes would water and burn. One motor instructor and a trainmaster told me that some advocacy group protested that the chemicals were dangerous and harmful to the public so they stopped using them and that fed into the reduction in porters in the system. I’m approaching my mid seventies now so I guess they can make this announcement and most folks won’t know the backstory. My take. I remember a meeting where someone said “ blind them with BS “ and the people will never know. I’m not too sure about that because a shiny new subway car in a station that smells like feces ain’t gonna fool everybody. Carry on.
  17. I’m aware of equipment swaps at Flatbush Avenue but crew swaps? Must be something new. Carry on.
  18. You seem to be suggesting that instead of the city buying and rebuilding the bridges over the bay they should have kicked the local residents to the curb. Are you saying that the residents of the peninsula would have been better served by taking the LIRR the roundabout way from Rockaway Park eastward to Far Rock and then through Cedarhurst and Valley Stream to Jamaica ? Do you not understand that the LIRR parent built the entire stretch across Broad Channel to avoid your idea and save time ? Does it make sense to you that taking the bus from Beach 116th westbound to Brooklyn to the Nostrand-Flatbush subway is faster than the train from that same LIRR station via Cedarhurst is faster heading towards Manhattan ? The reason why the impacted portion across the Bay was built by the LIRR and its parent Pennsylvania RR was because of the time savings compared to what you could get via Far Rockaway. One stop past today’s connection with the was the Ozone Park LIRR station. Trains leaving there could continue n/b towards Rego Park and the mainline or take the diversion to East New York, Nostrand Avenue and Flatbush Avenue at today’s Atlantic terminal. The bankruptcy of the Pennsylvania RR and it’s orphan LIRR is the primary reason for the connection and the formation of today’s . The elimination of stops in the city limits is a result of the and it’s LIRR and MNRR agenda. Leave the competition between the two railroads and the subway system by the wayside. This is public policy. Your proposals will never see the light of day. I think that Lex and many other members understand what I’m trying to say. My opinion. Feel free to disagree. No hard feelings on my part. I will say that I’ve never read a single post on the forum where someone would say screw another neighborhood. Carry on.
  19. I agree with you 100% .I am going to be very careful about this. I’m old enough to remember when the City of New York purchased the RBB property from the bankrupt LIRR. The line was rebuilt across Jamaica Bay by the city and a more convenient connection was built at Liberty Junction with the line. The City did not abandon the residents of Rockaway peninsula nor the Hamilton Beach/ Cross Bay Area. The Rockaway residents gained a line with cheaper, more frequent service than anything the railroad could offer. There was no comparison between the new connection and the old line connecting to the LIRR at Rego Park. The City allowed the railroad to continue operating service between White Pot and the station at Ozone Park but the ridership numbers declined significantly. In my opinion the takeover of the RBB between the and the peninsula south of there was a success in every way possible. Meanwhile the northern section of the RBB couldn’t justify itself as a component of the railroad or part of the NYCTA. My opinion. Carry on.
  20. Neither the LIRR nor the can retake anything concerning the present day subway service. It, like the NYCTA subway system, belongs to the City of New York. Just letting everyone know. Carry on.
  21. You do realize that the LIRR was bankrupt and had no intention of running service on the line from Hammels Wye northward, period ? Or the riders from Rockaway Park could travel eastward via Far Rockaway and then northward to Jamaica station paying the LIRR fare ? Time wise and money wise only a total waste of both, IMO. Carry on.
  22. Okay I’ll play along. You’ve mentioned Rego Park a few times. Did you know that the Rockaway Beach Branch from Rego Park to Rockaways was severed from the LIRR and the station demolished ? Where is your H line supposed to terminate ? It definitely can’t run via the LIRR. It can’t connect with the NYCT Queens Blvd line without undergoing extensive environmental studies and obtaining access to the funding if such a project were to be approved. What I’m trying to point out is that the rehab costs of this project along with the absence of any clamor from the local community would seem to rule out the need for the project. My opinion. Carry on.
  23. With this Rockaway Line idea you seem like someone who’s never given a thought to the majority of the ridership who are headed for Brooklyn and Manhattan. There’s a reason why the connection was made to the at Liberty junction.I missing something here ? Carry on.
  24. I’m going to side with you on this but not for the obvious reasons. Most, if not all, jobs start at VC on the midnight tour. If I’m lucky maybe my job calls for trips down to Dyckman St. If I’m unlucky I have to ride down to Dyckman and then change to a bus down to 137 St. If the n/b train arrives at 137 St with a finishing crew there’s no one to make a s/b trip. Use a crew to head south until help arrives. I’m just guessing here but I doubt that a finishing can be ordered to make an extra trip. Times have changed but that’s my experience. Carry on.
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