The Battery Run Discussion

[Urbanfortitude]

Ok so I hope this will be the official discussion thread. Anyway, what are your best and worst battery run experiences?

[LRG]

Today I got on a train at Hoyt - Schermerhorn Streets. The line up the tower gave us green over green for express, but it was canceled and the tower gave the train green over yellow for local. By the time we were pulling into Utica Avenue, a train on the Express track caught up to us. I didn't stay to see what train would leave next but it was weird to see two trains side by side on a platform that was bound in the same direction.

[Cait Sith]

 

Battery Run from 179th to 71st-Continental, bypassing every stop between those two stations and we were hauling ass on the express, best battery run I've ever had.

[Abba]

 

from kings highway to prospect park bypassing Newkirk.

[SubwayGuy]

Most in this thread will be fairly standard I'm guessing so here are a few of the "out of the ordinary ones" as well as specific ones that were very helpful to me personally because of their timing.

 

Best:

42nd, 14th, Bleecker, BB (pretty standard)

59th, BB, Fulton, Bowling Green

from 86th to 125th, nothing special, but only because it came in the clutch and the battery run let me catch the MNCR by 1 minute.

125th to 168th, that's a nice run

18th Avenue, Kings Highway, West 8th St (made up so much time)

 

Worst:

After a delay ridden slog through lower Manhattan which included a police investigation at 42nd (perp purse snatcher), missing the gap fillers at 14th (and having each crew door keyed open and shut), then stopping at BB, Fulton, Wall, and the Green (which made no sense b/c those stations are a couple hundred feet apart and take a lot of time), the train is given a skip to Atlantic when I have to go to Borough Hall

[Urbanfortitude]

Today I got on a train at Hoyt - Schermerhorn Streets. The line up the tower gave us green over green for express, but it was canceled and the tower gave the train green over yellow for local. By the time we were pulling into Utica Avenue, a train on the Express track caught up to us. I didn't stay to see what train would leave next but it was weird to see two trains side by side on a platform that was bound in the same direction.

 

I had that happen to me at 125th st. I got an express and there was a local one waiting at 125th. My three best Battery Runs:

 

1: decided to Battery Run from 96 to 125th then to 145th finally ending its Battery Run at 168th St (which was where I needed to go)

 

2: A I was on decided to battery run through brooklyn on the express to Euclid. I was on my way to Rockaway Blvd that day

 

3: train that went battery from Grand Central to Brooklyn Bridge stopping at 14th St Union Sq.

 

I can't say I've ever had a Battery Run go against me yet.

[LRG]

Another interesting battery run:

 

train from Myrtle Avenue to Broadway Junction (2007). We were on the express track and we had green over yellow to switch over onto the local, but because the train was late, we got green over green and ran express to Broadway Junction. It was a one-time experience. Too bad we didn't fly into the station because upon entering Broadway Junction we switched onto the local.

[MattTrain]

I have had 7 battery runs I remember

 

1 Manhattan bound making express stops between Sheepshead Bay-Prospect Park due to delays

2.Manhattan bound between Myrtle-Marcy Avenues, no stops in between

3. Manhattan bound between 71 Avenue-Queens Plaza (only stopping at Roosevelt Avenue)

4. Bronx bound between 14th Street and 59th Street (stopping only at Grand Central)

5. Bay Parkway Bound (M2) not stopping between Pacific-36 Streets.

6. Bay Ridge bound running express between Pacific-59th Streets

7. train to South Ferry running express between 34-14th Streets.

 

Those were fun.

[R44 CNG]

via Local Tracks (between Roosevelt and Queens Plaza) during AM Rush (we didn't stop) when we reached Queens Plaza two trains side by side.

 

skip-stop train ftw :tup:

 

Atlantic Pacific to 36th Street

[Y2Julio]

1.) Coney Island bound did a battery run from Jay Street to 7th Avenue via the lower level Bergen St station.

2.) Canarsie bound from Broadway Junction to East 105th Street.

[iGeMiNix]

Not a full Battery run but a reroute. ran on F between 36 and 47-50St where we switched to the express track and did 6th Ave Express to Grand Street. Went via the Manhattan Bridge to Atlantic and went express to 59 St.

[Grand Concourse]

Most recently the (M2) on 4th av from 36th to Pacific.

A couple of trains from Fb to Church to President St.

 

Not sure if this counts but: in 2001 on the that ran via 'NX' because it was late. I still don't understand why it couldn't have had just ran express on the West End tracks, but the Sea Beach run was nice.

[iGeMiNix]

Most recently the (M2) on 4th av from 36th to Pacific.

A couple of trains from Fb to Church to President St.

 

Not sure if this counts but: in 2001 on the that ran via 'NX' because it was late. I still don't understand why it couldn't have had just ran express on the West End tracks, but the Sea Beach run was nice.

 

Speaking of West End express, it is slow in my opinion, also I never understood why, at least in my experiences, when the is rerouted on West End to Astoria, it is on the local track on Bay 50 St before switching.

[R62A 1991]

Just now, the train I just got off of: goes from Utica to Saratoga to Pennsylvania to New Lots. That's the worst of it. Usually they don't go battery running until Saratoga but the crowding was horrendous. In any case, they always say they skip Van Siclen, my stop, but once in a while they'll stop because New Lots is plugged anyway.

[checkmatechamp13]

The only battery runs I ever recall.

 

(M2): Pacific Street-36th Street

: Woodhaven Blvd-Roosevelt Avenue (We just missed an across the platform so that really didn't help)

[cotb16]

I've been on a few battery runs over the years:

 

Downtown between East 180th St and Simpson St (the previous train went express from East 180th St to 3rd Av-149th St)

 

Downtown between Burnside Av and Yankee Stadium-161st St (this was the best one hands down since it avoided crowds at 170th St and 167th St)

 

Downtown between 125th St and 86th St

 

CI-bound between 7th Avenue and Church Avenue

 

Brooklyn-bound between Court Square and Bedford-Nostrand Avs (only stopped at Metropolitan Av in that stretch).

[TrainFanatic]

 

from Bergen St to Kings Hwy skipping 15 St Prospect Pk, Fort Hamilton Pkwy, Ditmas Blvd, Av I, Bay Pkwy, Av P, and Av N. All because of an idiot who decided to take a glory ride outside of the train at Bergen St. The emergency brakes were activated by the conducter and he did not know how to reset it so the t/o had to do it for him resulting in a five minute delay. Although it was pretty fun hearing that 160 horn blasting through the stations and going 40+ from 18 Av - Kings Hwy.

[Mysterious2train]

As a fair warning, I get off at Beverly Rd (), a consistent skipped stop... So yeah. And a long post...

 

Common train battery runs in Brooklyn:

 

Church Av -> Flatbush Av

President St -> Church Av -> Franklin Av

Franklin Av -> President St -> Church Av -> Flatbush Av*

Atlantic Av -> Franklin Av

 

Once I encountered a SUPER MEGA express:

Atlantic Av -> Franklin Av -> President St -> Church Av -> Flatbush Av

 

My favorite battery run is Church Av -> President St

A nice way to shave a rough minute - 90 seconds off my trip. Alas, it is very rare.

 

* - Once in a blue moon the battery run will start at Franklin Av. I don't why the train even stops at President St.

 

Naturally, most battery runs listed above are Southbound, because the train is late coming off its longgggggg journey. For me, the majority of Northbound battery runs are from Flatbush Av to Church Av, because a train is late coming in from the Bronx and there's lost time to be made up!

 

Roughly two years ago, coming home from my former school, there was a period of time where every Friday trains would consistently be late going to Flatbush Av. This was when the still terminated at Bowling Green. Usually battery runs were Church Av to Flatbush Av, and President St -> Flatbush Av was rare and reserved for the rarest of occasions.

 

My worst battery run was a Sunday night, Christmastime of 2008. The I was on was lagging behind a NIS train the entire trip. The C/R dumped irate shoppers at Church Av, saying another train was right behind us. On a Sunday night. When trains run every 12 minutes. (On a good day) I had time to leave the subway system and come back. I left after several minutes of waiting. I wasn't in a rush. I was walking at my leisure, I even waited on a line in a store! I was tempting fate, I know, but I got back with several minutes to spare...

 

My other worst battery run was when I was returning from a Blockbusters' near Grand Army Plaza. Saturday night, a little after 11' o clock. During a G.O. where Bronx-Bound trains ran via Lexington Ave. I mentally observed that (2)'s to Flatbush always arrived before (4)'s to New Lots. But the came first. My sister brushed off my observation, saying I was wrong. After a long wait, the approached. Guess what happened next. Long story short, a 15 - min trip ballooned into a hour's worth...

 

One day I had to wait a half hour to go home from school, trains were running regularly (The at least...), I was just at the wrong station at the wrong time....

A similar situation happened recently at Bergen St on a Sunday.

 

Last week, I ran into two battery runs, two afternoos in a row coming home at around the same time!

 

Yesterday, a train did a Flatbush Av -> Church Av battery run around 10 in the morning. And you know what? It didn't stop/slow down at all through Beverly Road. It sped through the entire station really fast! One woman even cheered it on! This is how all battery runs should be. One time I didn't mind being skipped....

 

And on the , in the morning going to summer camp last year it was raining cats & dogs, I think we did Rutland Road to Pennsylvania Av or something. It still stopped at Van Siclen Av, so I was good *thumbs up*

 

At least with the running to Flatbush Av, weekday battery runs aren't all that bad... B)

[Joe]

Thursday night I was headed to meet a friend around Astor Place. Planned to take the IRT local from 34 to 14 (to connect with the Canarsie line)...luckily the train that pulled in as soon as I climbed the stairs made a battery run to 14.

[NX Express]

 

from 7 Av to Kings Hwy. At each express station, the C/R yelled the word "express" like 20 times.

[LRG]

One afternoon around last year I got on an train at Bedford Avenue heading towards Manhattan when announcements were made saying that the next stop on the train would be 14th Street. We barreled into the tunnel and through the stations. I got to 14th Street in a record five minutes. Usually the ride is seven minutes with the stops.

 

Another time, back in 2006 when I was a sophomore in high school, I boarded an train at Lorimer Street heading towards Broadway Junction when the conductor announced that the next stop would be Myrtle Avenue followed by Broadway Junction. Fortunately for me it was an R42.

[NX Express]

One afternoon I got on an train at Bedford Avenue heading towards Manhattan when announcements were made saying that the next stop on the train would be 14th Street. We barreled into the tunnel and through the stations. I got to 14th Street in a record five minutes. Usually the ride is seven minutes with the stops.

 

14 Street and what Avenue?

[LRG]

14 Street and what Avenue?

 

Union Square.

[N-Trizzy2609]

I once got a skippin between 86th and 125th. I acutally got a video of that.

 

 

Then there was the I got that skip from Ave M to Newkirk skipping J and H.

The that went from Broad straight to Essex.

My friend even told me the probably had it first battery run with him in it cuz his train was substantially late and skip all stop between Woodhaven Blvd and Roosevelt.

[Bill from Maspeth]

Here's one from a southbound G yesterday:

 

Mertopolitan-Bedford/Nostrand-Hoyt/Schermerhorn.