PATCOman Posted July 13, 2009 Share #1 Posted July 13, 2009 Someone posted this on another transit message board and I thought it would be a good idea to post it here too. It would be a good idea if a mod stickied this. - Show up! I can't stress that enough, that's why it's the first one. What good is the trip if the person who planned it doesn't even go? - Give notice in case you do have to cancel. By notice, I mean, at least the night before. What good is putting out a trip cancellation notice the morning of if the people who need to read it are already on their way to the trip? - Plan sensible connections. 5 minutes or less is pushing it for a connection. Additonally, what fun is a trip where you are constantly running from train to train or bus to bus? Nice layovers give time for photos, or grabbing a snack. - Trips involving NYCT should not be scheduled using intervals, but instead length of time. Example... We are going to take the 5:14 G train out of Court Square and connect to the 5:45 A train to Far Rockaway at Hoyt Street. No! Here is the right way... We are going to board a G train by 5:15, and get to Hoyt by 5:45 to get on an A train to Far Rockaway. - Keep the price reasonable. I aim for $20 or less including the $7 fun pass. You'll attract more people with a trip that gives bang for the buck. - Plan trips around interesting GO's, service advisories, new equipment deliveries, or other transit events of interest. Normal railfanning is fun to a point, but then you have to make it interesting. - Do your homework! Sometimes things don't appear as they will on the map, and then you will be scrambling to find a bus stop or train station. Additionally, scout out nice places to take photos, and places to eat lunch. - Design trips so that people can meet en route. We don't all live near your home station. If the trip is going east into Queens, have a place for people from that area to meet you, so they don't have to come into Manhattan to go back into Queens anyway. - Saturday is preferred, but days where there is universally no work or school are good too. When you schedule a trip on a Tuesday morning, you get the turnout that you deserve. - Do a little bit of politicking. If you have someone with a request, accomidate them if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maserati7200 Posted July 13, 2009 Share #2 Posted July 13, 2009 I agree with these. There are some rail fan trips plans on this board (I won't mention which ones) where its obvious that there was poor planning for it. And another tip, be diverse! Don't do the same lines over again and don't stop for pictures at too many stations on one line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1447 Posted July 13, 2009 Share #3 Posted July 13, 2009 I agree with this. Plan before you go into clonclusion. Also do other places of course Rather then the same area. Many people on this forum only do Southern Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. I see hardly any1 doing the Bronx, Northern Manhattan and Staten Island. I do as much as I can of course, and I also see others doing the same thing, a few I know of course, but not all. if its becuz you "believe" a certain area is bad, well its false, everywhere in NYC and all over the world is bad, I know some people blame the Bx for certain things but its not the only boro with problems, problems are everywhere. Dont be scared to access certain towns or so.. Its how the world is. Besides doing NYC, expand if you can too, for something new not old. I do some old stuff myself, but trying to expand as much as I can of course Anyways good tips R32 Train =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PATCOman Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share #4 Posted July 13, 2009 Thanks, but I did not come up with those lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted July 13, 2009 Share #5 Posted July 13, 2009 if its becuz you "believe" a certain area is bad, well its false, everywhere in NYC and all over the world is bad, I know some people blame the Bx for certain things but its not the only boro with problems, problems are everywhere. Dont be scared to access certain towns or so.. Its how the world is. Plus if you have a big group, like 10 people, noones gunna mess with a large group like they might if you were alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1447 Posted July 13, 2009 Share #6 Posted July 13, 2009 Plus if you have a big group, like 10 people, noones gunna mess with a large group like they might if you were alone. Thats still not an excuse tho not to go to certain areas. Alone or not tho.. So if 1 person doesnt wanna go but a person sets up a group then they wanna go only cuz sum1s going.. I myself go to areas alone, and I dont need to go in a group. Rly doesnt make sense tho. But i do understand your point tho bro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maserati7200 Posted July 13, 2009 Share #7 Posted July 13, 2009 Thats still not an excuse tho not to go to certain areas. Alone or not tho.. So if 1 person doesnt wanna go but a person sets up a group then they wanna go only cuz sum1s going.. I myself go to areas alone, and I dont need to go in a group. Rly doesnt make sense tho. But i do understand your point tho bro. lol i couldn't give a crap how "bad" the area is. I railfan where I want. I've railfanned every part of the subway more than once, and no one bothered me. From the rich areas of the upper east side to the poor slums of Brooklyn. I could see why people get intimidated by people there, but they usually mind their own business. You are right Mark, the Bronx is really under appreciated. The Dyre line, Jerome Ave line, and the in the Bronx are some of my faves. In fact the Jerome line is my 2nd fave after the Brighton line. The WPR and Pelham are great too. The only line in the Bronx I don't like so much is the concourse. The Bronx IRT is one of the best places to railfan in the system. I noticed that people usually have a bias in their favorite lines. They like the ones near their homes the best b/c they ride it a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted July 13, 2009 Share #8 Posted July 13, 2009 the in the Bronx :cool: Most neighborhoods are fine by day, really. While i'd be a little apprehensive venturing out to New Lots at 11 AM, you wouldn't catch me dead over there around 11PM (well, maybe you would...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1447 Posted July 13, 2009 Share #9 Posted July 13, 2009 lol i couldn't give a crap how "bad" the area is. I railfan where I want. I've railfanned every part of the subway more than once, and no one bothered me. From the rich areas of the upper east side to the poor slums of Brooklyn. I could see why people get intimidated by people there, but they usually mind their own business. You are right Mark, the Bronx is really under appreciated. The Dyre line, Jerome Ave line, and the in the Bronx are some of my faves. In fact the Jerome line is my 2nd fave after the Brighton line. The WPR and Pelham are great too. The only line in the Bronx I don't like so much is the concourse. The Bronx IRT is one of the best places to railfan in the system. I noticed that people usually have a bias in their favorite lines. They like the ones near their homes the best b/c they ride it a lot. Phew! I could of sworn i was going to get bitten lol Hey the Bronx isn't popular to all, but give it a chance like the others. Hey I'm from the Bx but i dont RF there only, I expand as much as I can. Brooklyn, Queens, downtown where ever. Now of course SI i rarly do since its way too far and to get to SIR you need the ferry or S53/S79/S93LTD But still, rail fan in other places. Don't be scared. I'm so far the only person who covers the Bx as much, with a few others. And of course too me NYC is getting a bit old in boring, no offense for us New Yorkers, This is why i wanna get out of NY and do some other places, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey during the summer. =) Thats why when I see members who don't live in NY and don't know much of NYCT, post there own images, its kinda nice to see new things ya know :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maserati7200 Posted July 13, 2009 Share #10 Posted July 13, 2009 Phew! I could of sworn i was going to get bitten lol Hey the Bronx isn't popular to all, but give it a chance like the others. Hey I'm from the Bx but i dont RF there only, I expand as much as I can. Brooklyn, Queens, downtown where ever. Now of course SI i rarly do since its way too far and to get to SIR you need the ferry or S53/S79/S93LTD But still, rail fan in other places. Don't be scared. I'm so far the only person who covers the Bx as much, with a few others. And of course too me NYC is getting a bit old in boring, no offense for us New Yorkers, This is why i wanna get out of NY and do some other places, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey during the summer. =) Thats why when I see members who don't live in NY and don't know much of NYCT, post there own images, its kinda nice to see new things ya know :cool: I want to railfan the SIR too but i wouldn't know how to get from the SI Ferry dock to the nearest SIR station. And do they accept metro cards? Or is it free? I heard some stations you have to pay and some its free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted July 13, 2009 Share #11 Posted July 13, 2009 On the other hand its harder for guys without all the street-smarts to venture into these neighborhoods, Im sure most of the stations are fine on the platforms, especially midday where theres a station attendant. Now dont take this the wrong way, I do feel that it depends on who you are and where you from does play a hand into whos more likely to be robbed. Unfortunately its a problem with society. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1447 Posted July 13, 2009 Share #12 Posted July 13, 2009 I want to railfan the SIR too but i wouldn't know how to get from the SI Ferry dock to the nearest SIR station. And do they accept metro cards? Or is it free? I heard some stations you have to pay and some its free SI Ferry is free, like a 25-30 Min ride from SI to South Ferry, Manhattan. (ferry runs every 30min between terminals and 60mins late night aka the waiting time) The nearest Station is St. George SI Ferry Term. And you have to pay. Unless you wanna "Avoid" the payment you would have to walk to Tompskinville Station which is like 10min away, but don't count on that station for long as the is installing Fare Control there(For far beaters who don't use st. george), which is currently not open so its free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
via White Plains Road Posted July 13, 2009 Share #13 Posted July 13, 2009 I want to railfan the SIR too but i wouldn't know how to get from the SI Ferry dock to the nearest SIR station. And do they accept metro cards? Or is it free? I heard some stations you have to pay and some its free St. George Terminal you have to pay....the inb/w stations of Tompkinsville and Tottenville are free! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1447 Posted July 13, 2009 Share #14 Posted July 13, 2009 St. George Terminal you have to pay....the inb/w stations of Tompkinsville and Tottenville are free! Yes but Tompkinsville is getting Fare control if you remember, since people over there are avoiding entry to St. George as they don't wanna pay there. It was on the news late last yr. Now they would have to us Steplton instead. Which is like 30min from St. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted July 13, 2009 Share #15 Posted July 13, 2009 Now dont take this the wrong way, I do feel that it depends on who you are and where you from does play a hand into whos more likely to be robbed. Unfortunately its a problem with society. Of course. In the 80's if you were a white guy and you got mugged on the , the attitude you'd get from most is "you're white, you should know better than to ride the (J)". Fortunately the infamous 70's and 80's (even the early 90's) is a thing of the past. You're far safer riding the rails now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted July 13, 2009 Share #16 Posted July 13, 2009 Thats the main reason Im a bit worried about riding the train up to the Bronx and the Rockaway Shuttle. Personally the only times ive ever been in teh Bronx was on I-95 going to either Jersey or Connecticut. If I knew more about the area around the (H)/(S) and the in the Bronx, I would try to go. Is there even a way to assemble a non-offensive list of stations and neighborhoods in NYC to be careful in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted July 13, 2009 Share #17 Posted July 13, 2009 Is there even a way to assemble a non-offensive list of stations and neighborhoods in NYC to be careful in? Your comfort zone isn't the same as the next guys'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1447 Posted July 13, 2009 Share #18 Posted July 13, 2009 Thats the main reason Im a bit worried about riding the train up to the Bronx and the Rockaway Shuttle. Personally the only times ive ever been in teh Bronx was on I-95 going to either Jersey or Connecticut. If I knew more about the area around the (H)/(S) and the in the Bronx, I would try to go. Is there even a way to assemble a non-offensive list of stations and neighborhoods in NYC to be careful in? Hey welcome to NYC, problem is everywhere, but saftey is everywhere too. Don't worry about certain areas. Ill be honest, sometimes I get scared of being in the Rkways too, especially when cops find you suspicious of using your cam. But thank god i don't get picked on.. Its better to do things in the day then at night. Night maybe fun to catch trains that are not in normal service. Like you can catch an R33 train car running in 5 to 10 set, when people are not using the subway as much at night.. Day is much safer tho, more people around you.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted July 13, 2009 Share #19 Posted July 13, 2009 Your comfort zone isn't the same as the next guys'. Yea, well I have been branching out slowly I got to the Franklin last time I was in NYC. The most north I have been was 190th on the a few years back. That area honestly wasnt as bad as ive read about. I wanna get to the (Rockaway S) next time im in NYC. I visit NYC usually weekdays in the daytime during non-peak LIRR times because I work on weekends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RokuSix Posted July 14, 2009 Share #20 Posted July 14, 2009 Also, I think a critical portion of railfanning and busfanning is to know where you're going, and have routes well planned in advance, if you so choose to plan your trip in advance. I can't tell you how many times I've been out with people who didn't know where places they wanted to go to were. I ended up doing the navigating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted July 14, 2009 Share #21 Posted July 14, 2009 If I knew more about the area around the (H)/(S) and the in the Bronx, I would try to go. Is there even a way to assemble a non-offensive list of stations and neighborhoods in NYC to be careful in? The in the Bronx is definitely on the safe side. It's kind of a line of its own... The Pelham Bay area and the park are very safe places to be in. You can ask Roku, she'll tell you I'm not lying! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forest Glen Posted July 14, 2009 Share #22 Posted July 14, 2009 Whenever I go on railfan trips I try to incorporate multiple modes of transportation. For example, if I take an express bus to Staten Island then I always take a local bus to the ferry on the trip back to the city. I never railfan in dangerous areas. A R62a pic isn't worth my life. If I railfan a commuter railroad then I have a plan A and a plan B in case something goes wrong (you don't want to be stuck in Yaphank after you missed the last train). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1447 Posted July 14, 2009 Share #23 Posted July 14, 2009 Whenever I go on railfan trips I try to incorporate multiple modes of transportation. For example, if I take an express bus to Staten Island then I always take a local bus to the ferry on the trip back to the city. I never railfan in dangerous areas. A R62a pic isn't worth my life. If I railfan a commuter railroad then I have a plan A and a plan B in case something goes wrong (you don't want to be stuck in Yaphank after you missed the last train). But how would you know if the area is dangrous? Besides the media of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forest Glen Posted July 14, 2009 Share #24 Posted July 14, 2009 Not to start a flame war, but it's basic common sense. If people are loud and cursing then that's a red flag. I generally avoid areas with public housing (there are exceptions to the rule). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1447 Posted July 14, 2009 Share #25 Posted July 14, 2009 Not to start a flame war, but it's basic common sense. If people are loud and cursing then that's a red flag. I generally avoid areas with public housing (there are exceptions to the rule). lol theres no flame war of course.. Of course Welcome to NYC, thats how it is.. of course thats found everywhere in the city, Manhattan, bronx, queens, brooklyn everywhere. Especially the subway. Talk about entertainment on the subway, where it gets annoying sometimes.. Especially downtown on the Lex.. For me.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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