A few questions

[Gorgor]

Hey, just a few questions.

 

1) Why are the on two separate levels after 42nd?

 

2) Besides for the yellow , have any trains ever gone from Broadway to 63rd and then into Queens for their regular service? (Besides for GO's)

 

3) Why were the local tracks on the ( in Brooklyn designed to go off to the Franklin avenue shuttle. Was it supposed to be extended past there? And why is it mostly just 1 track?

 

4) What are all the switches between 125th and 145th on the for? (Not the ones right before 145th that separate the from the

 

5) I was looking at the and I guess that after 34th it switches to the express tracks, then before W4th it goes to local, but wouldn't that cause some train back ups with the constant switching? Also did it just go past Spring and Canal streets in the local tracks? (Referring to this map)

 

6) How did the late night shuttle work? Like did it stay only on one side or did it switch?

 

That's it for now. Thanks in advance for answering these questions!

[IRT Bronx Express]

2. I'm sure the entered that station at least once via the tracks used today.

 

3. The downtown local track will never see revenue service after the Malbone Street accident (now Empire Blvd), so that's why the Franklin uses the uptown local track. I read from one source that the was extended to Coney Island or Brighton Beach during the summertime in the past.

 

5. Heading uptown, yes. But the switched to the express tracks before 34th, heading downtown. And it's possible that it didn't cause delays since the ran every 20 minutes.

 

6. When the used to terminate at 135 during the night, it stopped at the downtown track, leave the station, then use the middle track, reverse back on the uptown local track, and then leave 135th street.

[Roadcruiser1]

I think I can answer your 1) question

 

1.The original Lexington Avenue Line up there was a complete local 2 track line, but they couldn't expand the tunnel walls up there to make it a 4 tracked line for express service. So instead they dug a second tunnel below the local tracks for express service.

[EE Broadway Local]

Today's Franklin Avenue Shuttle was the original Brighton Line. Before the new subway opened in 1920, the Brighton Line had stations at Consumer's Park (very small station), Park Place, Dean Street, and Franklin Avenue.

 

At Franklin Avenue, the Brighton Line connected to the Fulton Street El and ran to Park Row in Manhattan.

 

After the new subway opened, the section between Franklin Avenue and Prospect Park was converted into a shuttle. The Comsumer's Park station became the original Botanic Garden station and was replaced in 1928 by the present Botanic Garden station.

 

The Malbone Street accident of November 1, 1918 was so horrifying, that Malbone Street was renamed Empire Boulevard and only a short section on Malbone Street exists today.

 

2)IIRC, the Lex north of Grand Central-42d Street has to do with the width of Lexington Avenue. There is a short section from just south of 103d Street to just north of 110th Street where the Lex is a standard four track subway. 59th Street was not an original express station.

 

5) IIRC, the JFK Express used the express tracks on Sixth Avenue and on Fulton Street. If you look at Mr. Calcagno's map, didn't stop at 23d, 14th, or Spring Streets and didn't stop at Canal Street-Holland Tunnel. In a way, was a super-express, making only nine stops between 57th Street-Sixth Avenue and Howard Beach-JFK.

[Kamen Rider]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Gorgor]

Thanks for all the responses guys!

 

At first I thought it was two levels because there's such a big demand for those lines (even though they come literally every minute during rush hour it's still so packed), but I don't think there might've been much of a demand at all when it was first built.

[NX Express]

There was demand, just Lex is too narrow for 4 side-by-side tracks.

[Mark 1]

1, 3 and 6 were pretty much answered so onto the others.

 

2. In 1995, when the north side of the Manhattan Bridge was largely shut down, Q trains ran middays, weekends and nights to 21 St/Queensbridge via Broadway.

 

4. There are 2 extra tracks at 135 St and are used as storage tracks for gap and work trains when necessary.

 

5. In addition to the answers mentioned, the JFK trains did in fact skip Canal and Spring Streets on the local since trains can only go to/from 6 Av to 8 Av via the local tracks. Also, trains can switch north of West 4 St on the 6 Av line from local to express and express to local.

[Gorgor]

2. In 1995, when the north side of the Manhattan Bridge was largely shut down, Q trains ran middays, weekends and nights to 21 St/Queensbridge via Broadway.

 

Yes, but it was the (Q6Av) which ran on 6th avenue. I'm wondering about trains going from the Broadway line to there.

 

Thanks for posting though

[EE Broadway Local]

4) I might be off the mark, but I believe the switches have to do with that there are six tracks which pass through 135th Street (a local (©) station.

 

At 135th Street, the two outermost tracks are used by ( and trains (locals), the two innermost tracks are used by and trains (expresses) and the two middle tracks are not in revenue service.

 

By the way 125th to 145th Streets under Saint Nicholas Avenue is homeball alley.

[Jamaica Express]

Hey, just a few questions.

 

1) Why are the on two separate levels after 42nd?

 

2) Besides for the yellow , have any trains ever gone from Broadway to 63rd and then into Queens for their regular service? (Besides for GO's)

 

3) Why were the local tracks on the ( in Brooklyn designed to go off to the Franklin avenue shuttle. Was it supposed to be extended past there? And why is it mostly just 1 track?

 

4) What are all the switches between 125th and 145th on the for? (Not the ones right before 145th that separate the from the

 

5) I was looking at the and I guess that after 34th it switches to the express tracks, then before W4th it goes to local, but wouldn't that cause some train back ups with the constant switching? Also did it just go past Spring and Canal streets in the local tracks? (Referring to this map)

 

6) How did the late night shuttle work? Like did it stay only on one side or did it switch?

 

That's it for now. Thanks in advance for answering these questions!

 

1) Lexington Ave is too narrow for a 4 track line, which is why the express tracks are under the local, samw with the Central Park West Line on the

 

2)The yellow is the ONLY regular service that has operated from Broadway via 63rd St, the operates over the line during G.O.s as well as the which has been sent to Whitehall during construction. Im sure the has operated over the segment as well during the 1990's when it ended at 21st Qns Bridge

 

3) The Local tracks of the Brighton Line originally connected to the Fulton St EL that operated over the Brooklyn Bridge, the Brighton Line was a Branch of the Fulton Street Line that connected via what is today the Franklin Ave Shuttle, when the Fulton St subway opened and the el tracks were razed, the Franklin Ave portion was truncated at Fulton creating the route you see today, in the 50's and the early 60's the operated from Franklin Ave to Brighton Beach or Coney Island on Sundays.

 

4) All the switches between 125th and 145th St are apart of the diverging 3 track Concourse Line to the Bronx and for lay-up and relay tracks for trains terminating at 145th Street

 

5) Im not sure of the exact routing of the JFK Express, but your right about the back-ups, many times the Airport trains would end up getting stuck behind local trains and other trains making normal stops, which is one of the primary reasons why it was eliminated. It took longer to get to Howard Beach than the normal did.

 

6) I wanna say it used the cross over at 145th, but I could be wrong.

[Gorgor]

So Lexington Avenue becomes wider between 103rd and 110th?

 

Why not just leave the tracks at 2 levels for the whole time then?

[Roadcruiser1]

It could be widened to a four tracked line by 42nd Street which I was trying to point out. There isn't enough room to make it a four tracked line so they made it a bi level tunnel instead north of 42nd. Since there was enough room up of 103rd, and south of 42nd it's just a regular 4 tracked line. It's cheaper to widen tunnels then to dig new ones. Another example of such an express configuration would be the express tracks between Bergen Street, and Church Avenue.

[Jamaica Express]

So Lexington Avenue becomes wider between 103rd and 110th?

 

Why not just leave the tracks at 2 levels for the whole time then?

 

I'd assume its cheaper to build one side-by-side four track tunnel, than a bilevel four tack tunnel, which is why as soon as the street widens and allows you to do so, you go back to the one-level quad track design.

 

Yes, but it was the which ran on 6th avenue. I'm wondering about trains going from the Broadway line to there.

 

Outside of Evenings and Rush Hrs (May 1995) the North Side of the Bridge closed, preventing any trains from the Brighton Line to get on 6th Ave, during this time the ran local in Brooklyn and then via Montague Street to Canal Street on the Broadway Line. From there, it ran express to 21st Street – Queensbridge.

[Kamen Rider]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Gorgor]

The line is completely level from 42nd to 125th? When I was waiting for the downtown at 86th street once it looked like it dropped a lot right north of the station.

 

And another question that I have, what were the express tracks on the intended for? Previously trains used them to turn around, but what were they meant for when they were first built? They don't last long and turn into 3 tracks at Church ave.

[Roadcruiser1]

They were built for a future Culver Express even though it wasn't needed at the time. Though in the 1970's and early 1980's the ran express to Coney Island with it being peak express on the Culver Elevated (not the viaduct), and the ran local to Kings Highway or somewhere down there. It was shut down because of low ridership. Many people wanted to go to Manhattan, and the would bring them to nowhere.

 

Though recently residents have been complain about their slow commutes so the Culver Express might make a comeback after the Viaduct is rehabilitated. It won't be done till 2012 though I doubt it would run in the 1970's configuration. There might be a diamond <>, and the local . The original 2007 proposal would have extended the to Kings Highway and would have had made the the express. I don't think that would happen even if the gets money again. The residents around the loves the new midtown service, and they would protest if you take it away.

[EE Broadway Local]

The express tracks between Jay Street-Metrotech and Church Avenue? From 1968 through Friday August 27, 1976, they were used by the 70(F) express. At Seventh Avenue, they diverge and triangulate to Church Avenue.

 

Nice concept but during rush hours this left the 70(GG) as the local. Riders transferring from 9th Street 70(RR) found a 70(GG) which meant to reach Manhattan, they had to transfer at Bergen Street (the 70(F) stopped at the lower level then).

 

South of Church they become three because until October 30, 1954, the IND. ended at Church Avenue. When the connection was opened to the B.M.T. Culver Line, the original Culver Line was turned into the 70(SS) Culver Shuttle between Ninth Avenue Lower Level and Ditmas Avenue. This service ended on Sunday May 11, 1975.

And another question that I have, what were the express tracks on the intended for? Previously trains used them to turn around, but what were they meant for when they were first built? They don't last long and turn into 3 tracks at Church ave.

[PATCOman]

Lexington Avenue is only 2 lanes wide north of 96 Street. South of 96 Street it is 3 lanes wide.

 

Just north of 42 Street (after the curve) the Lexington Avenue line is 4 tracks underneath Lexington Avenue, but only where the switches are at.

[brokecrazy]

I'm pretty sure the JFK Exp. ran express on the local track on 6th ave..