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About how fast can subways go in NYC?


Johnny Cocker

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I know this probably depends on the cars itself and the model. Since a lot of stations in NY are close to together and even on express segments I've never really seen a train go past 45mph.. Is it because of the age of the system that it'll be unsafe for trains to go 60-70 mph?

 

Virtually every single possible fast/dangerous segment has timers, which force the train to slow down to 55 mph (maximum) to as low as 5 mph. Also, the newer trains are capped to not accelerate past 55 mph. It's mostly the fault of the old signal system.

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Virtually every single possible fast/dangerous segment has timers, which force the train to slow down to 55 mph (maximum) to as low as 5 mph. Also, the newer trains are capped to not accelerate past 55 mph. It's mostly the fault of the old signal system.

 

The (N)(Q)(R) sometimes go even faster than that (fasest I've seen was 60) through the 60 St Tubes, but there is a timer at the approach. Although the maximum is 55, it can go faster on a downgrade thanks to gravity

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Yea the fastest in the system in on the 60th St Tube run where trains can hit 60-65mph,I've been on a 68A that hit 66mph.Now imagine how a Slant going through there again.Other than that trains roughly hit 50mph but in the Rutgers tube (F) East Broadway-York they can hit 55mph.And the flats easy 50.Another hot spot maybe the Lexington Av line N/B from Bklyn Br to 14th St its so smooth on the curves thats 45mph right there and theres no timers on that stretch surprisngly.

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Yea the fastest in the system in on the 60th St Tube run where trains can hit 60-65mph,I've been on a 68A that hit 66mph.Now imagine how a Slant going through there again.Other than that trains roughly hit 50mph but in the Rutgers tube (F) East Broadway-York they can hit 55mph.And the flats easy 50.Another hot spot maybe the Lexington Av line N/B from Bklyn Br to 14th St its so smooth on the curves thats 45mph right there and theres no timers on that stretch surprisngly.

 

Unless you can get over 60 MPH on an R160, what ever it says on the speedo on an R68 or what ever means next to nothing. They are really just there for show.

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what ever it says on the speedo on an R68 or what ever means next to nothing. They are really just there for show.

 

i saw a speedo on a R62A that said the train was going 99mph and the train was going no more then 20mph. Speedos on those R62/As and R68/As cant be trusted. Now on the NTT I would trust those, since they are computerized and can show a slow down rate.

 

Those R142/As and R143s and R160B/A1/A2, are topped at 55mph, so if you see 60mph then you are a lucky sob. Dont let a "fast ntt" fool you, they are topped but just feel fast, just like some cars feel fast but actually arent.

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The (4)(5) Brooklyn Bound in the jerolemon tube is extremely fast.

 

1.Is it the fastest in the system?

2.How fast has someone seen one go through that tube?

 

I ride through both tunnels going to school. I've seen 63 MPH max in the 60th St Tube but only 54 in the "Joralemon tube".

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Yea the fastest in the system in on the 60th St Tube run where trains can hit 60-65mph,I've been on a 68A that hit 66mph.Now imagine how a Slant going through there again.Other than that trains roughly hit 50mph but in the Rutgers tube (F) East Broadway-York they can hit 55mph.And the flats easy 50.Another hot spot maybe the Lexington Av line N/B from Bklyn Br to 14th St its so smooth on the curves thats 45mph right there and theres no timers on that stretch surprisngly.

 

Another good stretch is on the (4)(5) between 59 & 86 Sts and going through the 14 St tunnel on the (L)

 

I see.... and that pic of the accident on the Williamsburg bridge has brought up another question, NY subway cars aren't prone to telescoping are they? They seem to be built rather strong....unlike another subway systems railcars which will remain nameless....

 

Im not sure if it can still happen (the odds are probably super ultra low) but all cars dating back to the R1s have what is called an anticlimber. Its a giant slab of steel that's on the ends of every subway car (work cars included) that takes the impact of a crash and prevents the car from climbing up on the other. Its the piece of steel you walk across whenever you walk between the cars (don't go out and do it though)

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1.No,answer is 60th St tubes.

2.At least 40-45mph!

 

the fastest ive seen was the express track btwn gun hill rd and just outside of bronx park east they go at least 50 if the motormen knows what he is doing and not slow down lol. another spot i know is the express line on the (2)(3) btwn 72nd st and 50 that is real fast 45 or more

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Although it wasn't in service I just want to tell you guys this one fact. A R44 on an LIRR track in 1973 actually traveled at 78 mph. It burnt out almost every single one of it's motors. When they stopped the train they manage to check the speedometer or something like that and figured that it was still acclerating so the R44 could have ran even faster then the speed of 78 mph, and even though it was travelling at 78 mph it broked the World Record to become the fastest subway car ever.

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Thats pretty slow unless of course that Slant had a few dead motors.

52 is not slow in the 50th St. tunnels. Yes 60th St. is the fastest tunnel in the system but if you ride trains through there regularly you realize that trains usually level out around 45-50 depending on the T/O. If you have a really good T/O, and/or if train traffic is permitting, then you can hit speeds of 50-55+ MPH. However, we're only talking about the fastest stretches. The vast majority of subway cars average between 1-35MPH in between stations, going from 35-45MPH on average in river tubes.

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