Question about the 3 train

[Gorgor]

Well I take the or quite often, but I always realize that between stops some of the lights inside of a train will go off and then go back on a minute later. I've been wondering what's going on and why they're like that.

 

I also notice that it always takes forever to go from 14th street to Chambers on a or train in the morning rush, and sometimes comes to a complete stand still for a minute or two.

[bveguy]

Well, first of all, there are a bunch of timers between 14th Street and Chambers Street. Trains go very slow, and would therefore cause congestion.

The lights on the train go off because of third rail gapping, like the Lo-Vs and Arnines do.

[Guest lance25]

 

1. It could be third rail gaps. If this is one particular trainset, I think I may have been on that set when it was on the . That train flickered at every gap between 42nd Street and the Green.
   
2. It could be anything from bunching to just normal delays on the line. It is 7th Avenue after all.
   

 

[Fresh Pond]

Well I take the or quite often, but I always realize that between stops some of the lights inside of a train will go off and then go back on a minute later. I've been wondering what's going on and why they're like that.

 

I also notice that it always takes forever to go from 14th street to Chambers on a or train in the morning rush, and sometimes comes to a complete stand still for a minute or two.

 

Those are called the battery lights. Those 6 lights are abouve the 6 doorways and are powered by the battery itself. For example, when the power goes out (or in your case, 3rd rail gap) those lights stay on to show where the emergency exits are

[TwoTimer]

Yes gapping, and those are called emergency lights.

[Gorgor]

Oh didn't realize they were just 3rd rail gaps... but why are there so many gaps? And it's not just like for a few seconds, but sometimes it can be at least a minute.

[Roadcruiser1]

It could have had something to do with the construction and track laying of Seventh Avenue. When they built Seventh Avenue they could have ran into some problems and they decided that it would be cheaper to leave the mistakes there then to repair it. Or they wanted to speed up the opening of Seventh Avenue. Or they didn't discover it till it was too late.

[TwoTimer]

also used to go over switches faster than we do now

[PATCOman]

I notice the lights going out on the R62s also, but sometimes it does not happen at a third rail gap a la M1 LIRR or R1. Also, not all R62s lights go off.

[Gorgor]

also used to go over switches faster than we do now

 

The only switches I see are right before Chambers Street, and surely going a little slower there shouldn't make trains come to a complete stop around Houston Street.

[TwoTimer]

The only switches I see are right before Chambers Street, and surely going a little slower there shouldn't make trains come to a complete stop around Houston Street.

 

Congestion I guess. They were doing some slow speed order for awhile in lower Manhattan for the 7Av line. I also believe the timers at Chambers may clear a tad slower than they used to).