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Ride The R42s While You Can


Daniel The Cool

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Thats right guys we should try to ride the R42s while we can due to only few sets left and retiring. They normally run on the (J)(V)(Z) lines and sometimes the (R) line. Here's some stations I recommend you do while hunting for R42s

 

Jamaica Center

71st Avenue

Jackson Heights Roosevelt Avenue

Queens Plaza

W 57th Street-7th Avenue

53rd Street- Lex Avenue

W 47th-W 50th Street

W 42nd Street

W 34th Street

W 4th Street

Broadway Lafayette Street

2nd Avenue

Canal Street

Chambers Street

City Hall

Whitehall Street

Pacific Street

36th Street

59th Street Brooklyn

95th Street

 

Now what you guys think of my suggestion?

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47-50th Sts I've found is pretty good for photographing them, theres a railing at the end of the platform on the Queens-bound platforms which can help steady the shot. Its also lit well.

 

34th St Herald Square is also a good photo spot.

 

I hope theres a few running somewhere next summer when I can get out to the city again.

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There should be anywhere from 50 to 90 R42s left at Jamaica so you should really try to get them before they're gone. The (V) still runs them at about a 1:2 ratio (R42:R46) so it's not hard to find one. Here are the stations I'd recommend for catching it:

 

Forest Hills / 2 Ave. (if you like to wait at terminals)

Queens Plaza

Lexington Ave. - 53rd St. (island platform, enables you to catch it in either direction)

34th St. - Herald Sq.

West 4th St.

 

The (V) also runs 2 R32s (I saw them so many times this week, at least 5-7), so you should be on the lookout for those as well. Not hard to find at all, especially if you wait at Lexington - 53rd. The (V) can be nice to railfan, since it goes through the Queens Plaza complex, 53rd St. tunnel, connection to 6th Ave., West 4th area, etc.

 

The (R) runs R42s much more rarely, only a few sets (2-3). Here are stations I'd recommend:

 

Forest Hills

Lexington - 59th St.

Canal St.

City Hall (island platform)

DeKalb Ave.

36th St./59th St.

 

The (R), while a rather slow line, is pretty fun to railfan because of the old BMT trackage in lower Manhattan, Montague St. tunnel, Brooklyn interchange tracks, 60th St. tunnel, Broadway local tracks (personally one of my favorite sets of tracks to railfan), etc.

 

(J)/(Z): This line is also fun to railfan at times, though parts of the line can be boring (mainly the Fulton/Jamaica stretches). Personally, my favorite parts are the Williamsburg Bridge, the trackage in Manhattan, and east of 121st St. Places I'd recommend catching one:

 

Jamaica Center/Broad St./Chambers St. (if you're that terminal person)

Delancey St. (nice station for photos)

Marcy Ave./Myrtle Ave. (overdone, but also a nice station for photos)

Broadway Junction (halfway point)

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I've never liked how the R42's ride. I got one on the R a few months ago and when the operator took off from the station, the train would come alive with a huge jerk! Same thing happened with the E train one time. They're nice and roomy, plus the rainfan window is huge (I admit that looking out that window was interesting) but.. they're old.

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I've never liked how the R42's ride. I got one on the R a few months ago and when the operator took off from the station, the train would come alive with a huge jerk! Same thing happened with the E train one time. They're nice and roomy, plus the rainfan window is huge (I admit that looking out that window was interesting) but.. they're old.

If the t/o would allow the brakes to release first that wouldn't happen.

 

The R42's have a tendency to have very slow releasing brakes.

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If the t/o would allow the brakes to release first that wouldn't happen.

 

The R42's have a tendency to have very slow releasing brakes.

 

Exactly...

 

I let the brake release frist then i take power....

 

Those R42's on the (J) can be herky jerky sometimes...

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You must have summoned a R42 on the (R) to meet you.

 

Ahh yes...my SMEE summoning incantation is very effective :cool:

 

Exactly...

 

I let the brake release frist then i take power....

 

Those R42's on the (J) can be herky jerky sometimes...

 

LOL yeah I've seen people completely fall over when it happens.

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Exactly...

 

I let the brake release frist then i take power....

 

Those R42's on the (J) can be herky jerky sometimes...

 

Good move RTOMan, that's better to do instead of releasing power before letting the brake, thet'll enable the train to move right away from the station or anywhere after being stopped.

 

I've also been on some R42 on the (J)(L)(M)(N)<Q>(F)(A) lines but mostly in the 1990s when most of them were active, I like them too, they have the RFW for us with the corner cab. And I've also been on a few R40Ms which are identical in appearance to the R42s

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so is anyone going to ride them?

Yeah, most of us were planning to ride them before they were gone anyway. Are you going to ride the R32/R42 (at the RFW) on the (V) on its full route? You also should ride the R32/R42 (R) at the RFW for as much of the route you can.

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Yeah, most of us were planning to ride them before they were gone anyway. Are you going to ride the R32/R42 (at the RFW) on the (V) on its full route? You also should ride the R32/R42 (R) at the RFW for as much of the route you can.

 

I was going to try and ride it from E 53rd Street to W 4th Street.

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