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Question about a set of tracks at IRT Brooklyn Bridge


mark1447

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When ever I'm on a Brooklyn bound (4) or (5) I notice south of Brooklyn Bridge there are two unused(?) tracks with dead end signals.

 

Does anyone know what these tracks are or were for? The (J) relay tracks?

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When ever I'm on a Brooklyn bound (4) or (5) I notice south of Brooklyn Bridge there are two unused(?) tracks with dead end signals.

 

Does anyone know what these tracks are or were for? The (J) relay tracks?

 

Those used to be tracks to connect the (6) to the (4)(5) in case the switch after worth street was messed up or there is a problem at City Hall. They used to keep a (S) made up of R62 on that track idk why.

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When ever I'm on a Brooklyn bound (4) or (5) I notice south of Brooklyn Bridge there are two unused(?) tracks with dead end signals.

 

Does anyone know what these tracks are or were for? The (J) relay tracks?

 

They used the one to the far right to connect to the (4) and the one closer to the revenue track to store the 42nd Street (S) I think or any other trains. It does fit about 10 cars.

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Those two tracks from the NYC Subway.org track maps suggest they don't lead to anywhere. They dead end underneath the tunnels for the (2), and (3).

 

See for yourself.

 

 

That ROW had to be used for something. And from the looks of the map it shows the loop tracks lead to it, but when I use to ride via loop, I did't see it.

 

Those used to be tracks to connect the (6) to the (4)(5) in case the switch after worth street was messed up or there is a problem at City Hall. They used to keep a (S) made up of R62 on that track idk why.

 

So it was a junction? I'm guessing the current (4)(5) tracks are not original?

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Those two tracks from the NYC Subway.org track maps suggest they don't lead to anywhere. They dead end underneath the tunnels for the (2), and (3).

 

See for yourself.

That ROW had to be used for something.

 

 

 

So it was a junction? I'm guessing the current (4)(5) tracks are not original?

 

Actually come to think of it they're not because in 1904 it ended at Brooklyn Bridge where would those tracks go into a concrete wall, those were stacking tracks that did exist during that time.

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That ROW had to be used for something. And from the looks of the map it shows the loop tracks lead to it, but when I use to ride via loop, I did't see it.

 

 

 

So it was a junction? I'm guessing the current (4)(5) tracks are not original?

 

I've seen them when I rode the (6) into city hall but you gotta look quick cause the train makes a sharp right.

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Layup tracks. The one closest to the Lex express tracks just north of Fulton used to tie into the line but when the curve was done and regraded with a superelevation to allow faster operating speeds, track connection became impossible and the siding was disconnected.

 

They are currently used to store trains temporarily if need be.

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The southbound local track does. From Brooklyn Bridge the track splits between the aforementioned layup tracks and the City Hall loop track.

 

This I gotta see as I seem to have missed it then. Thanks Guys for answering!:tup:

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Layup tracks. The one closest to the Lex express tracks just north of Fulton used to tie into the line but when the curve was done and regraded with a superelevation to allow faster operating speeds, track connection became impossible and the siding was disconnected.

 

They are currently used to store trains temporarily if need be.

 

About time a decent answer appeared, and yes the switch was taken out due to derailment issues (in Grand Central tower there's a plate over the modification to the tower machine where the switch used to be). The other track stores stuff (work train from time to time, shuttle swap if need be but usually the shuttle just goes down and crosses over to 2 track and on into Brooklyn going to Livonia yard). There used to be a put-in years ago out of Brooklyn Bridge and a crew or two signed on there (double-end the train) but with dwell times reduced in the loop this job was taken out and moved uptown.

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The Brooklyn Bridge station of the original IRT subway in 1904 was the terminal for the express trains, while the City Hall Station was the terminal for the local trains. At the south end of the station were 4 layup tracks - two that were the uptown/downtown express tracks, and two tracks that formed from the local tracks. There were switches between these tracks to allow trains to return uptown. At that point in time these tracks were train storage tracks.

 

Just before what is now the Fulton Street station of the #4 and #5 lines was a concrete wall where the tracks ended. Just as the local trains leaves the platform the track makes a sharp right turn to head to the City Hall station, just as the track makes that sharp turn a switch is issued that forms the two layup tracks.

 

When the subway was extended in 1905 further south to Bowling Green and Brooklyn, the two tracks that lead directly to the downtown/uptown express tracks were used. The two tracks that lead off from the local tracks used to connected to the south bound express track just before the Fulton Street station however later renovation of the trackage removed that switch. Those two tracks now dead-end. At several points in the history of the subway those tracks were used to layup trains.

 

Mike

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