Defining Characteristics of Each Route

[CenSin]

The New York City Subway routes have changed a lot over the decades, but some things have been very consistent. I was wondering what characteristics define many of the routes we have. Here are my thoughts:

• : 7 Avenue local; from Van Cortlandt Park to South Ferry
  
• : White Plains Road local, 7 Avenue express, Eastern Parkway local; from Wakefield to Flatbush Avenue
  
• : 7 Avenue express, Eastern Parkway local; from Harlem to New Lots Avenue
  
• : Lexington Avenue express, Eastern Parkway express; from Woodlawn to Crown Heights
  
• : White Plains Road express, Lexington Avenue express, Eastern Parkway express; from Eastchester or Nereid Avenue to Flatbush Avenue
  
• : Lexington Avenue local; from Pelham Bay Park to City Hall
  
• : from Flushing to Times Square
  
• : 7 Avenue skip-stop local; from Van Cortlandt Park to South Ferry
  
• : Central Park West express, 8 Avenue express, Fulton Street express; from Inwood to Ozone Park or the Rockaways
  
• : Central Park West local, 6 Avenue express; 145 Street to Broadway–Lafayette Street (portions of the line lying beyond these endpoints vary)
  
• : Central Park West local, 8 Avenue local, Fulton Street local; 145 Street to World Trade Center (portions of the line lying beyond these endpoints vary)
  
• : Grand Concourse express, Central Park West express, 6 Avenue express; Norwood to Broadway–Lafayette Street (portions of the line lying beyond these endpoints vary)
  
• : Queens Boulevard express, 8 Avenue local; from Jamaica (approximate geographical location) to World Trade Center
  
• : Queens Boulevard express, 6 Avenue local, Culver express; from Jamaica (approximate geographical location) to Coney Island
  
• : Queens Boulevard local, Crosstown local; from Forest Hills to Smith–9 Streets (portions of the line lying beyond these endpoints vary)
  
• : local; various endpoints in Brooklyn to the Rockaways
  
• : Williamsburg express; Jamaica (approximate geographical location) to Broad Street
  
• : Canarsie local; 8 Avenue to Canarsie
  
• (Mx): local; from Middle Villiage to Broadway–Myrtle Avenue (and various other endpoints in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn)
  
• : Broadway express (part-time), via Manhattan Bridge (part-time), 4 Avenue express, via Sea Beach; Queens (approximate geographical location) to Coney Island
  
• : Broadway express, via Manhattan Bridge, via Brighton; Midtown to Brighton Beach
  
• : local; from Queens to Bay Ridge
  
• : Williamsburg skip-stop express; Jamaica (approximate geographical location) to Broad Street

Some routes have "variable" segments and so I cut back to the most extreme endpoint that would still define the line. Hence, the lists Brighton Beach rather than Coney Island as one of its endpoints, the lists Broadway–Lafayette Street, and the and just lists Queens as an endpoint. Other routes are defined by their consistently local character, and so I simply listed them as locals. As for the : while it had many long term service changes requiring it to be local along various portions of its route, I'd say it's an express in spirit (versus the , which has been consistently local for the entire length of its various routes for decades).

[NX Express]

Didn't the always wind up in Brighton, CI, or Church Av (only until 1950s/60s)?

[CenSin]

Didn't the always wind up in Brighton, CI, or Church Av (only until 1950s/60s)?

Yes, but the southernmost common station is Broadway–Lafayette Street. Depending on the time period, the would have headed to Lower East Side, Church Avenue on the Culver line, via Brighton Beach, or via 4 Avenue to Coney Island. At the very least, it runs from Norwood as an express via Grand Concourse, Central Park West, and 6 Avenue.

[error46146]

in the 90s there was no broadway express everything was local on the broadway line. also during that time the broadway side of the manhattan bridge was closed off and the N/R went through the tunnel and both were 100% local (even in brooklyn, where the B & M would be express and the N&R ran local iirc)

 

the Q's only characteristics imo would be the fact it runs on Brighton and over the Manhattan bridge as also during the 90s the Q was orange and ran up the 6th Ave line to 21st-Queensbridge

[CenSin]

in the 90s there was no broadway express everything was local on the broadway line. also during that time the broadway side of the manhattan bridge was closed off and the N/R went through the tunnel and both were 100% local (even in brooklyn, where the B & M would be express and the N&R ran local iirc)

 

the Q's only characteristics imo would be the fact it runs on Brighton and over the Manhattan bridge as also during the 90s the Q was orange and ran up the 6th Ave line to 21st-Queensbridge

Yes, but it was only operationally sensible to run the local due to construction work. You could say running as a Broadway express and 4 Avenue express, via the Manhattan Bridge and Sea Beach from Queens is the (N)'s signature characteristic as a route.

As for the : while it had many long term service changes requiring it to be local along various portions of its route, I'd say it's an express in spirit (versus the , which has been consistently local for the entire length of its various routes for decades).

 

To accommodate the (Q6Av), I would say that the route is anchored to the Brighton line, and Midtown Manhattan. Geographically, the and (Q6Av) are two routes that closely resemble each other.

[SubwayGuy]

Considering the current system of letters and numbers was not used on many routes previous to the unification of New York's subways, it's important to distinguish that those "names" so to speak were not always used to identify the respective train services.

 

For example, in the BMT days, "1" identified a Broadway-Brighton train, today the .

[checkmatechamp13]

The New York City Subway routes have changed a lot over the decades, but some things have been very consistent. I was wondering what characteristics define many of the routes we have. Here are my thoughts:

• 1: 7 Avenue local; from Van Cortlandt Park to South Ferry

• 2: White Plains Road local, 7 Avenue express, Eastern Parkway local; from Wakefield to Flatbush Avenue

• 3: 7 Avenue express, Eastern Parkway local; from Harlem to New Lots Avenue

• 4: Lexington Avenue express, Eastern Parkway express; from Woodlawn to Crown Heights

• 5: White Plains Road express, Lexington Avenue express, Eastern Parkway express; from Eastchester or Nereid Avenue to Flatbush Avenue

• 6: Lexington Avenue local; from Pelham Bay Park to City Hall

• 7: from Flushing to Times Square

• 9: 7 Avenue skip-stop local; from Van Cortlandt Park to South Ferry

• A: Central Park West express, 8 Avenue express, Fulton Street express; from Inwood to Ozone Park or the Rockaways

• B: Central Park West local, 6 Avenue express; 145 Street to Broadway–Lafayette Street (portions of the line lying beyond these endpoints vary)

• C: Central Park West local, 8 Avenue local, Fulton Street local; 145 Street to World Trade Center (portions of the line lying beyond these endpoints vary)

• D: Grand Concourse express, Central Park West express, 6 Avenue express; Norwood to Broadway–Lafayette Street (portions of the line lying beyond these endpoints vary)

• E: Queens Boulevard express, 8 Avenue local; from Jamaica (approximate geographical location) to World Trade Center

• F: Queens Boulevard express, 6 Avenue local, Culver express; from Jamaica (approximate geographical location) to Coney Island

• G: Queens Boulevard local, Crosstown local; from Forest Hills to Smith–9 Streets (portions of the line lying beyond these endpoints vary)

• H: local; various endpoints in Brooklyn to the Rockaways

• J: Williamsburg express; Jamaica (approximate geographical location) to Broad Street

• L: Canarsie local; 8 Avenue to Canarsie

• M: local; from Middle Villiage to Broadway–Myrtle Avenue (and various other endpoints in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn)

• N: Broadway express (part-time), via Manhattan Bridge (part-time), 4 Avenue express, via Sea Beach; Queens (approximate geographical location) to Coney Island

• Q: Broadway express, via Manhattan Bridge, via Brighton; Midtown to Brighton Beach

• R: local; from Queens to Bay Ridge

• Z: Williamsburg skip-stop express; Jamaica (approximate geographical location) to Broad Street

 

Some routes have "variable" segments and so I cut back to the most extreme endpoint that would still define the line. Hence, the Q lists Brighton Beach rather than Coney Island as one of its endpoints, the D lists Broadway–Lafayette Street, and the N and R just lists Queens as an endpoint. Other routes are defined by their consistently local character, and so I simply listed them as locals. As for the N: while it had many long term service changes requiring it to be local along various portions of its route, I'd say it's an express in spirit (versus the R, which has been consistently local for the entire length of its various routes for decades).

 

A couple of comments:

 

The IRT used to run the following pattern:

137th Street-South Ferry via 7th Avenue Local

242nd Street/Van Cortlandt Park-New Lots Avenue via 7th Avenue Express (Sundays, trains used to run to Flatbush Avenue)

145th Street/Lenox Avenue (before 148th Street was built)-South Ferry via 7th Avenue Local

241st Street/Wakefield-Flatbush Avenue via 7th Avenue Express (Sundays, trains used to run to Flatbush Avenue)

 

So the train hasn't always been the same.

 

Also, the and have alternated terminals between New Lots Avenue and Flatbush Avenue, so the common portions are everything west of Franklin Avenue, since the southern terminals weren't consistant. The same thing with the and .

 

The hasn't always gone to the Rockaways. There were times when all trains went to Lefferts Blvd and the was the train to the Rockaways. Also, at certain times, it was the at was the Fulton Street Express, not the .

 

Also, at the times when the Fulton Street Line wasn't completed (it originally was built as far as Rockaway Avenue, then Broadway Junction, then Euclid Avenue, then the Rockaways), the couldn't run the full route. Also, in the beginning, since there was no Fulton Street Line, the ran to Church Avenue on the Culver Line.

 

Because of the Manhattan Bridge reconstruction project, the has been cut back to 34th Street-Herald Square twice.

 

I believe at some point, the was the 8th Avenue Express.

 

The hasn't always run to Coney Island. Before 1967, the ran to Coney Island and the terminated at Broadway-Lafayette Street.

 

The started out running between Nassau Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue. Once the full line opened, the only common portion can be between Court Square and Smith/9th Streets, because of the service reductions.

 

I have an old map that shows the terminating at 57th Street-7th Avenue, so it didn't always go to Queens.

[EE Broadway Local]

During the 1970's the 70(QB) was a Broadway express as it is now but it was weekdays and rush hours only.

 

Pretty much, the 70(QB) was supplemental to the 70(N) on Broadway and to the 70(M) on the Brighton Local.

 

The 70(D) was both: it was the Brighton Express weekdays when the 70(M) and 70(QB) ran and the Brighton Local at all other times.

 

Until Monday December 17, 2001, the GG/G was THE Queens Boulevard Local.

[T to Dyre Avenue]

A funny thing about the being "an express in spirit" is that, since 1976, there has consistently been some sort of daytime local service in Manhattan. Initially when the 70(N) was extended to Forest Hills to replace the 70(EE), the 70(N) ran local in Manhattan with service to Coney Island and Whitehall. That was during rush hours when the 70(QB) ran. Then in 1986, that local service was expanded to weekdays with all service to CI. That was done to accommodate the split B and D services and the expanded . Only from May 1987 to September 2002 and from 6/28/10 until today has the operated as a full-time local in Manhattan.

[Guest lance25]

I thought the became the Broadway Express in 2004 after the north tracks were reopened. I know it became the Fourth Avenue express when Coney Island was rebuilt and the became the only line stopping there.

 

EDIT 14:36 - Apparently, the ran express along Fourth Avenue except in '95 when both sides of the bridge were closed periodically.

[traildriver]

When the BMT first came onto the Queens Blvd. IND line through the new connection from the 60th street tunnel to Queens Plaza, the service was provided by the Brighton Local using the BMT 'Standard' cars. It was always interesting to see these relatively big cars among all the R-1 to R-9's on the E, F, and GG trains at Forest Hills. The platform dispatch office used to have a separate sign for BMT crews telling them when to open vents, or turn on fans, or heaters.

Later on, when new cars replaced them, the route was lettered as the 'QT' or Brighton Local via Tunnel. Shortly this was replaced by the 'RR' 4th avenue local. These were the first cars with sealed beam headlights and flourescent ceiling lights regularly seen on the Queens Blvd. line. Looked very modern in comparison. The R-10's were usually only on the A trains.