R10 2952

Well, the shit definitely hit the fan. This one of those times that call for a well-thought commentary. @SubwayGuy where you at?

Honestly, ever since Vision Zero has been implemented, I've been skeptical of any plan to improve bus service. I mean, how much can you improve when a bus driver is stuck navigating through an archipelago of pedestrian plazas, built-in bike lanes, deliberately mistimed signals, and arteries like the Grand Concourse being reduced to 25 mph?

Figured this would be the most relevant thread to ask this, so... When the overhauled Redbird R27/30s ran on the BMT Eastern Division (roughly 1987 to 1990), were any of those trainsets regularly assigned to the ? Browsed through SubChat and historical car assignment sheets, but couldn't find anything significant. Seems odd, especially considering they were well-documented on the . On a side note, I never understood the TA's rationale for assigning the vast majority of R42s to the Eastern Division after GOH, considering the issues with door controls and uneven (5+3) C/R board placements. In that sense, the R32s would've been a better fit.

Not necessarily; back in 2007-10 the TA scrapped retired SMEEs as fast as they could before they realized it was the R44s that needed to go. That mentality reduced the spare factor- ten years later and we're still dealing with the fallout of that.

Jesus, why do the side windows keep getting smaller with each new order?

Never saw all 10 GE cars operate as one consist; I get the impression that was intentional. In the mid-to-late 2000s, most MK R42s were better than the CI R42s. The CI R42s were terrible; I rode them, I know people who operated those cars- crews hated them. Coney Island cheaped out on the overhaul and those cars did not age well. Word through the grapevine back then was that next to Phase I R32s, MK R42s were the least bad of a bunch of worn-out car classes. It makes sense, considering that in 2008 MK R42s were sent from East New York to Jamaica Yard to bump the Phase II R32s off of Queens Blvd.

Just jogged my memory of those things; yeah, they were definitely "non-standard". One of three fleets that the agency was desperate to get rid of first. The other two being CI-rebuild R42s (structural rot) and Phase II R32s (mechanical shitshows).

The inconvenient truth the TA will never admit is that the Concourse Line should simply have been built as 4 tracks, out of sheer convenience for future capacity. The current 3-track incarnation has always been a pain in the neck service wise. Not expecting it will ever be rebuilt in this lifetime, though- about as hopelessly idealistic as having the moved over to University Avenue to better serve Highbridge and Morris Heights...

Both the R38s and R40s were in bad shape towards the end. Extensive roofline corrosion, leaking during rainstorms; the frames under the bonnets didn't look too great at that point either- General Electric and Sumitomo just didn't do as solid a job as Morrison-Knudsen with rebuilding. If more SMEEs had been kept, likely would've been more Phase I R32s and MK-rebuild R42s. Everything else (or so I was told back then) was already dead or dying at that point.

Not so much bored as tired- of all the BS that goes on. Kamen Rider has a point; not the only one who's noticed. Just look at what's been going on in the Subways section lately, it's the same few people dominating discussions and putting down anyone who has a remotely different opinion. Like 3-year-olds in a damn sandbox...

Switched my name from R10 1989 to R10 2952 some time ago (before the site update), but now it's reverted back to 1989 for some reason. Requesting it be changed permanently to R10 2952; been wanting to make this change since at least 2014-15... Thanks.

Too tired to bother with posting on the Subway part of the forums anymore, thought I'd dwell on NJ Transit instead... Used the 194 bus to travel for stuff in North Jersey on-off for about 16 years, and the Boonton Rail Line for about 9. Probably not the first person to say this, but: 1. The North Jersey bus network sucks, plain and simple. Non-linear routes, infinite number of variants for one line, mind-numbingly difficult to get from Newark to points north of Willowbrook (and vice-versa). Ridiculous crowding at PABT/Midtown because too many buses terminate there when they could be running to GWB/The Heights or destinations in Fort Lee, Weehawken, Hoboken and Jersey City instead. Also not every route needs an MCI- the 75 from Butler to Newark Penn had no use for them whatsoever, the route carried air. 2. The rail network- too much single tracking in places that should have been upgraded to double years ago, and commuter rail service is spread unevenly throughout the region (service/scheduling/infrastructure). Not enough effort to restore viable corridors to passenger service- not saying all abandoned lines should be brought back from the dead, just saying it's odd how Jersey City has all those ferries, but you still have to use an overcrowded train station in Hoboken. Or you listen to politicians in Passaic County talk about restoring at least partial passenger service on the Susquehanna line for 20 years, but nothing ever comes of it. Still think NJT has a lot of potential in terms of sheer volume and areas served, just regret that all the potential energy dissipates through inaction.

Was content to take a back seat to most discussions in the last few weeks, till someone had to bring up Lower Montauk... Oh boy, where do I even begin.... 1. I've said it before and I'll say it again- operational flexibility is always a good thing. The Montauk Cutoff is one of the last remaining direct connections from Long Island to points north of the city (Upstate NY, New England). Seems pretty useless now, but there's been talk on the Island for years now about revitalizing freight rail service to get more tractor trailers off the Expressway and the county arteries; granted, the focal point for the last 10-12 years have been plans for a "Cross-Harbor Tunnel" from LIRR Bay Ridge Branch, but I believe freight service via Hell Gate has also been talked about. Incredibly short-sighted on the MTA's part to tear the Cutoff down when increased freight movement to/from LI is foreseeable 15-25 years down the road... especially if the plan to construct a tunnel under the Long Island Sound ever becomes a reality. 2. The Lower Montauk should NOT be at the bottom of any list involving rail priorities and regional planning for the future, even when it comes to passengers. The current "Manhattan-only via Main Line" mentality at the LIRR has to go; the glacial pace of ESA and the various problems that have been occurring at Penn Station in the last few months have shown that the Railroad needs to be prepared to send trains to alternative terminals and lines throughout the City if need be- you can't just dump everybody at Jamaica and expect them to pile onto the already-overburdened . But no, the MTA continues to pre-emptively shoot itself in the foot. I grew up on the Lower Montauk Branch; one of the reasons I'm suspicious as to their plans for the Atlantic Branch is that it mirrors their tactics on the Montauk- spend X amount of years disincentivizing people from using the service, then claim it died of natural causes. SMDH. I agree with Union that the Branch and Cutoff could (and should) be better utilized- glad to see I'm not the only person who sees through the MTA's fallacies. (now I go back to watching the hilarity unfold in the R179 thread...)

The R32s and R42s being worn out is no secret to me, but I am more intrigued about the other data: -Like the 28% drop in R46 performance. -The 30% decline in R160 performance. -The fact that despite being transferred to Westchester, the R62As still manage to perform better than the R142As. -The R62s, despite their age, having a MDBF of almost 200,000 compared to the R142s having 60,000 less. -The R143s being barely more reliable than the 45+ year-old cars that ran on the before them. Compared to the SMEEs, I doubt the NTTs will last 40 years (let alone 30 for that matter).

But that's the thing; the R44/46s also looked 'good' according to contemporary standards of the day, yet turned out to be mechanical shitshows. And given CRC's history of poor quality, I genuinely doubt they can be trusted. http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2016/07/crrc_which_is_building_a_springfield_pla.html https://www.hongkongfp.com/2015/08/07/70-of-chinese-train-components-fail-safety-standards-chinas-railway-operator-reveals/]https://www.hongkongfp.com/2015/08/07/70-of-chinese-train-components-fail-safety-standards-chinas-railway-operator-reveals/ And normally I can't be bothered to pay attention to the fools in Congress and other legislative bodies in this country, but once in a blue moon they seem to have a moment of clarity and do something sensible for a change: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/07/19/urged-probe-chinese-company-building-mbta-subway-cars/wRTd80HIyx3oDxT1o2KheK/story.html http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/07/55_members_of_congress_urge_tr.html For once I agree with the legislators- CRC needs to be investigated and awarding contracts to a foreign state-owned enterprise is most certainly a national security issue.

Lot of rumors I've been hearing about the R211s-The TA isn't seriously considering China Rail Corp as a potential bidder, are they? It's bad enough the Chicago and Boston systems got duped into awarding contracts to these shysters; given CRC's history of shoddy build quality. Won't be surprised if their contracts turn out like the Flxible-Grumman 870s...

Disappointing to see the R32 and R42 MDBF continue to slide, but it's still not as bad as the R46 (-28%). And -30% for the R160s? In only 12 months? Wow...

Funny you should mention that; I thought I was the only one who noticed. The tracks+bed on that stretch are noisy because they haven't been replaced in an eternity; they still have the standard gaps instead of welding and the concrete's probably deteriorated. The third rail arcing on that stretch is also insane. The good news is they've already begun replacing the stretch between 168th and 157th southbound. Now the wheels starts off noisy, then suddenly become silent just south of 168th. It's about time too; for the longest time, that stretch was enough to make anybody go temporarily deaf.

Rumors are exactly that- rumors. Not grounded in fact. Lately there's been so much misinformation and nonsense coming from people who don't know what they're talking about, that you shouldn't believe anything about the R42s unless it's coming from actual TA employees or forum staff who happen to have inside knowledge (shout-out to ENY). Personally, I highly doubt that all R42s will go at once, but again, I'm not RTO, I haven't heard anything from RTO, and there haven't been any announcements from insiders. So I have no idea.

Thanks for the info! I used Canal Street on the a lot back in the late '90s and it always got on my nerves that the only exit from the Nassau Line platform was that cramped stairway on the west side of Centre Street- practically a chokepoint. I've been searching for info on the east exits and extra west entrance for years, but never found anything. All I know is that the extra passages were closed off sometime before 1996, but after 1992.

Does anyone remember why the MTA purchased those ex-Liberty/Bee Line Orion Vs? I remember riding them a few times after they showed up in 2009, but then most were retired by 2013. What was the point of purchasing used buses, not maintaining them, and retiring them after 4 years? Or was defying logic as usual?

For how long?

There were several signal incidents during the first ten days of operation or so. Most likely nothing more than teething troubles.

About 5-6 R33 WF cars have been spotted in front of the car barn at 207th Street Yard. Is this for repairs or scrapping, anyone know?