official Subway - What If?

[Sparen of Iria]

The reason why other lines such as the , , and being affected is because none of the trains in Jamaica Yard and none of the trains stored on the express tracks east of Forest Hills can be used - effectively, the , , , and lines cannot access part of or most of their fleet. Jamaica Yard is one of the biggest and most important yards in the subway system.

[CenSin]

The reason why other lines such as the , , and being affected is because none of the trains in Jamaica Yard and none of the trains stored on the express tracks east of Forest Hills can be used - effectively, the , , , and lines cannot access part of or most of their fleet. Jamaica Yard is one of the biggest and most important yards in the subway system.

This is just me musing on what could have been:

If folks will look at the track maps, there is also a lot of built-in redundancy with two tracks each going east and west for a total of 4 connections to the mainline. None of that will help, however, when the only way out to Manhattan is blocked.

 

Had the Fulton Street line been extended as planned and with the LIRR Rockaway right-of-way fully utilized for subway use, Pitkin Yard would have beaten Jamaica in this regard with 5 connections—2 from Euclid Avenue, 1 to Grant Avenue, and 2 to 76 Street. Euclid Avenue station itself could collapse without too many ill effects as all of the trains would be able to run around the obstruction via Queens Boulevard. (This still would not help Jamaica Yard in the case where 67 Avenue collapsed though as the connection to the Rockaways would have been further west of the station.)

 

The most fail-proof yard that currently exists is probably Coney Island Yard with 2 track connections to the West End Line, 2 to the Culver Line, 1 to the Sea Beach line, and 3 just outside of the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue station. With 8 yard leads connected to 3 separate mainlines, it'd be pretty hard to screw up service with any single or even triple yard lead failures.

Edited March 24, 2015 by CenSin

[MTA Dude]

A sinkhole develops near Broadway Junction and destroyes the complex AND the yard. At the same time, Fresh Pond and Canarsie are undergoing construction to build emergency repair rooms, so all trains are trapped in ENY Yard. 

 

BONUS #1: Reroute the buses as well.

BONUS #2: An R46 malfunctions after leaving the station, and all brakes are out of order, causing it to run at a steady 15 mph (they quickly realized they were without brakes). It somehow doesn't trip, and makes its way to Myrtle Av, derailing at the junction.

 

Now this is a little harder because this yard is responsible for the and not a lot can actually substitute for it. 

[LegoBrickBreaker101]

A sinkhole develops near Broadway Junction and destroyes the complex AND the yard. At the same time, Fresh Pond and Canarsie are undergoing construction to build emergency repair rooms, so all trains are trapped in ENY Yard. 

 

BONUS #1: Reroute the buses as well.

BONUS #2: An R46 malfunctions after leaving the station, and all brakes are out of order, causing it to run at a steady 15 mph (they quickly realized they were without brakes). It somehow doesn't trip, and makes its way to Myrtle Av, derailing at the junction.

 

Now this is a little harder because this yard is responsible for the and not a lot can actually substitute for it.

 

There's no way a 75 foot car can fit inside the Chrystie St Connection

[MTA Dude]

There's no way a 75 foot car can fit inside the Chrystie St Connection

 

Is it that sharp? Besides, it is going like 10-15 mph.

[CenSin]

That R46 would simply get stuck in the tunnel. But before that, the train would be marooned somewhere within a trough. If acceleration is not applied, the train will naturally slow down due to physical forces like friction and gravity. A simple way to handle a runaway train is to clear the troughs up ahead and let it die there, or turn off the power, or arrange the switches so that it runs right up to a bumper block. Few places have them, but the southbound track from the 63 Street tracks to 6 Avenue has a bumper block.

Edited March 24, 2015 by CenSin

[MTA Dude]

If you don't think it is realistic, you can skip it (since it is just a bonus).

[P3F]

A train is hijacked during late night hours and is driven off the bumper block at Franklin Avenue, and it falls onto the street, causing the IND Fulton Street Line to collapse at that point.

 

Lines Affected:

Franklin Avenue Shuttle north of Park Place is unusable.

Fulton Street Line is unusable at Fulton Street.

 

How are the and affected?

[Fresh Pond]

A train is hijacked during late night hours and is driven off the bumper block at Franklin Avenue, and it falls onto the street, causing the IND Fulton Street Line to collapse at that point.

 

Lines Affected:

Franklin Avenue Shuttle north of Park Place is unusable.

Fulton Street Line is unusable at Fulton Street.

 

How are the and affected?

How would a train get up there in the first place without running into the ? With only 1 track the entire way up except for that small stretch at Botanic Garden, the odds of that happening, let alone getting the cleared signals to get that far is slim to none. But since this is the what-if thread...

 

Utica Av to Far Rockaway, Euclid Av to Lefferts Blvd as a shuttle, 207 St to Hoyt-Schermerhorn

168 St to 2 Av (when it starts running)

suspended

[Wallyhorse]

A train is hijacked during late night hours and is driven off the bumper block at Franklin Avenue, and it falls onto the street, causing the IND Fulton Street Line to collapse at that point.

 

Lines Affected:

Franklin Avenue Shuttle north of Park Place is unusable.

Fulton Street Line is unusable at Fulton Street.

 

How are the and affected?

A bit bizarre to say the least, however:

 

is split as follows:

207 Street in Manhattan to Jay Street in Brooklyn.

Lefferts Boulevard or Far Rockaway in Queens to Utica Avenue in Brooklyn, running local on the Fulton Street line.

 

runs normal route to West 4th Street and then via the and then to the Broadway Junction station.  Passengers coming from or going to points east of Utica Avenue are encouraged if at all possible to take the to/from the Broadway Junction station and change to/from the there. 

 

Franklin Avenue is truncated to between Prospect Park and Botanic Garden.

 

Shuttle buses operate as follows:

 

Between Prospect Park and Jay Street OR Utica Avenue, making all stops on the Shuttle Line before going via the Fulton Street Line to their respective terminals.

 

Between Jay Street and Utica Avenue.

[BxM4Woodlawn]

elephants are mating on the line right where they go above ground, just north of the 149th St-3rd Ave Station.

Lines affected:

[MTA Dude]

elephants are mating on the line right where they go above ground, just north of the 149th St-3rd Ave Station.

Lines affected:

 

 

WTF? Please be more realistic next time...

 

No service between Jackson Av and 3rd Av-149th St.

 

trains runs as a shuttle in the Bronx.

trains terminate at Jackson Av and run express towards Wakefield until E180th St.

[P3F]

A smoke condition at Roosevelt Avenue causes both levels of the station to be unusable for a couple of hours.

 

Where do the go?

[CenSin]

A smoke condition at Roosevelt Avenue causes both levels of the station to be unusable for a couple of hours.

 

Where do the go?

I would have been on the fence on this scenario if I hadn't just experienced the same thing today. There was the smell of something burning down at the 8 Street–NYU station at around 3:45 today. I got off at Union Square and made my way out of the station at the very northern exit. The smoke was there too and I could see much of it coming from a tall building southeast of where I was.

[RollOver]

A smoke condition at Roosevelt Avenue causes both levels of the station to be unusable for a couple of hours.

 

Where do the go?

- Jamaica Center to Forest Hills

- 179 Street to Forest Hills & 21 Street-Queensbridge to Coney Island

- Rerouted to and from Chambers Street Station

- 57 Street-7 Avenue to Bay Ridge

- Queensboro Plaza to Times Square

[Fresh Pond]

I would have been on the fence on this scenario if I hadn't just experienced the same thing today. There was the smell of something burning down at the 8 Street–NYU station at around 3:45 today. I got off at Union Square and made my way out of the station at the very northern exit. The smoke was there too and I could see much of it coming from a tall building southeast of where I was.

There was a building fire on 2 Av & 7 St earlier today

[CenSin]

- Jamaica Center to Forest Hills

- 179 Street to Forest Hills & 21 Street-Queensbridge to Coney Island

- Rerouted to and from Chambers Street Station

- 57 Street-7 Avenue to Bay Ridge

- Queensboro Plaza to Times Square

I wonder if the could terminate at Queens Plaza using the outer pair of tracks and the switches further west of the station. The or would also be able to terminate at Queens Plaza using the center pair of  tracks and the switches east of the station. But of course, the being the less important of any of the lines, it should get truncated to Manhattan.

[RollOver]

Oops, I should have also added that the southern runs between Queens Plaza and World Trade Center.

[Wallyhorse]

A smoke condition at Roosevelt Avenue causes both levels of the station to be unusable for a couple of hours.

 

Where do the go?

runs in two sections:

Chambers Street to Queens Plaza

71st-Continental to Jamaica Center

 

runs in two sections:

Coney Island to Northern Boulevard (via local after Queensbridge Plaza)

71st-Continental to 179th Street.

 

runs in the following manner:

Some trains run normal route to Northern Boulevard and terminate there.

Some trains run normal route to Queens Plaza and terminate there.

Some trains run normal route to 47th-50th and then run via the to Queensbridge Plaza OR after Queensbridge via normal route to Northern Boulevard and terminate there.

 

is re-routed to the and replaces the in Queens, running to Ditmars Boulevard 

 

is truncated to 57th Street-7th Avenue and fully run express in Manhattan

 

runs from Queensboro Plaza to Times Square with LIMITED express service in both directions to/from 61st-Woodside

 

shuttles also runs Main Street-Flushing and Junction Boulevard (one single track express shuttle and two single-track local shuttles)

 

LIRR honors all Metrocards between Jamaica and BOTH Penn Station and the Atlantic Terminal as well between Flushing or Willets Point and Penn Station.

 

Shuttle buses operate as follows:

Queensboro Plaza to 71st-Continental (also stops at Queens Plaza)

Queensboro Plaza to Main Street-Flushing (local and express, also stops at Queens Plaza)

Queensbridge Plaza to 71st-Continental

Queensbridge Plaza to Main Street-Flushing

 

The extra shuttle from Queensbridge is to accommodate those who normally switch to/from the to/from the at 74th-Roosevelt.

[RollOver]

Chambers Street to Queens Plaza

 

You know, you can't turn trains at a through station, as you'd be holding up the and ...

[P3F]

You know, you can't turn trains at a through station, as you'd be holding up the and ...

Pretty sure that he meant World Trade Center. Edited March 27, 2015 by P3F

[Wallyhorse]

Pretty sure that he meant World Trade Center.

Yes, I meant the normal station at Chambers-WTC.

[MTA Dude]

There was a building fire on 2 Av & 7 St earlier today

 

I heard it was on 125th St-2nd Av.

[CenSin]

Let’s assess the situation and have a look at what’s available in this scenario…

 

The entire complex made up of Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue and 74 Street–Broadway is unavailable. The nearest stations with switches to turn trains are:

• Northern Boulevard for trains coming from Manhattan with just 1 track for turning trains.
• Queens Plaza for trains coming from Manhattan with 2 tracks for turning express trains to the east at 36 Street and 2 tracks for turning local trains coming from Broadway (in Manhattan) to the west for a total of 4 tracks.
• 21 Street–Queensbridge for trains coming from 6 Avenue in Manhattan with 2 tracks.
• Queensboro Plaza for trains coming from 42 Street in Manhattan with 3 tracks for turning trains to the east.
• Forest Hills–71 Avenue for trains coming from eastern Queens with 1 track for turning trains to the east. Switches west of the station between the Manhattan-bound local and express tracks may also be utilized to store 3 trains, but only the Manhattan-bound express track has track connections to the Queens-bound express and local tracks.
• Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike for express trains coming from eastern Queens with 1 track for turning express trains to the east.

The is an easy one to deal with: turn them all at Queensboro Plaza. There are no switches north of 74 Street–Broadway that will allow for meaningful service beyond, so there is only 1 segment. The LIRR can be accessed from Hunterspoint Avenue which can take passengers to Woodside, Flushing–Main Street, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, and Jamaica.

 

With 4 tracks for turning trains at Queens Plaza, the can turn using the local tracks and the switches west of the station en route to Manhattan, and the can empty out at Queens Plaza, turning using the express tracks at 36 Street.

 

With a high frequency of service required, it’s obvious that the 1 track at Northern Boulevard shouldn’t be used to turn trains, which means they will turn back to Manhattan at 21 Street–Queensbridge using the 2 available tracks. The will be truncated (as usual) to Chambers Street to get out of the way of the which has to empty out at Queens Plaza. can be extended to Northern Boulevard instead to provide local service. It doesn’t run that frequently anyway.

 

To the east of Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue, the 2 stations that are able to turn Manhattan-bound trains can only turn trains on 1 track each. That means one of the trains will turn at Forest Hills–71 Avenue and the other one will have to turn at Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike. Forest Hills–71 Avenue is also the only station that can turn local trains. The is the train that usually runs local there, so it will terminate at Forest Hills–71 Avenue. The gets Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike. Trains pulling into Forest Hills–71 Avenue on the local track will have to be emptied out first before relaying.

 

Bus service can take over for the stations not served by subway.

 

In summary:

Times Square–42 Street to Queensboro Plaza

World Trade Center to Queens Plaza and Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike to Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer

Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue to 21 Street–Queensbridge and Forest Hills–71 Avenue to Jamaica–179 Street

Middle Village–Metropolitan Avenue to Chambers Street

Bay Ridge–95 Street to Northern Boulevard

Local and express shuttle buses 21 Street–Queensbridge and Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike.

Local and express shuttle buses Queensboro Plaza and Flushing–Main Street.

Local and express shuttle buses Queens Plaza and Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike.

 

It’s a simple plan with much of the service changes confined to only the routes that must be affected. Affected routes are minimally altered by this service change, except the which needs to be removed from Queens entirely to not exacerbate congestion due to the crowds getting off at Queens Plaza for the shuttle buses. Everything else is simple truncation. No trains serve stations not normally served, and service is not altered for other routes like the .

 

 

runs in the following manner:

Some trains run normal route to Northern Boulevard and terminate there.

Some trains run normal route to Queens Plaza and terminate there.

Some trains run normal route to 47th-50th and then run via the to Queensbridge Plaza OR after Queensbridge via normal route to Northern Boulevard and terminate there.

is re-routed to the and replaces the in Queens, running to Ditmars Boulevard 

 

is truncated to 57th Street-7th Avenue and fully run express in Manhattan

I don’t know why you always have to complicate things.

 

 

runs from Queensboro Plaza to Times Square with LIMITED express service in both directions to/from 61st-Woodside

 

shuttles also runs Main Street-Flushing and Junction Boulevard (one single track express shuttle and two single-track local shuttles)

The express service would get in the way of local trains turning east of Queensboro Plaza. Folks should be getting the LIRR at Penn Station or Huntspoint Avenue. Edited March 28, 2015 by CenSin

[MTA Dude]

Let’s assess the situation and have a look at what’s available in this scenario…

 

The entire complex made up of Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue and 74 Street–Broadway is unavailable. The nearest stations with switches to turn trains are:

• Northern Boulevard for trains coming from Manhattan with just 1 track for turning trains.
• Queens Plaza for trains coming from Manhattan with 2 tracks for turning express trains to the east at 36 Street and 2 tracks for turning local trains coming from Broadway (in Manhattan) to the west for a total of 4 tracks.
• 21 Street–Queensbridge for trains coming from 6 Avenue in Manhattan with 2 tracks.
• Queensboro Plaza for trains coming from 42 Street in Manhattan with 3 tracks for turning trains to the east.
• Forest Hills–71 Avenue for trains coming from eastern Queens with 1 track for turning trains to the east. Switches west of the station between the Manhattan-bound local and express tracks may also be utilized to store 3 trains, but only the Manhattan-bound express track has track connections to the Queens-bound express and local tracks.
• Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike for express trains coming from eastern Queens with 1 track for turning express trains to the east.

The is an easy one to deal with: turn them all at Queensboro Plaza. There are no switches north of 74 Street–Broadway that will allow for meaningful service beyond, so there is only 1 segment. The LIRR can be accessed from Hunterspoint Avenue which can take passengers to Woodside, Flushing–Main Street, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, and Jamaica.

 

With 4 tracks for turning trains at Queens Plaza, the can turn using the local tracks and the switches west of the station en route to Manhattan, and the can empty out at Queens Plaza, turning using the express tracks at 36 Street.

 

With a high frequency of service required, it’s obvious that the 1 track at Northern Boulevard shouldn’t be used to turn trains, which means they will turn back to Manhattan at 21 Street–Queensbridge using the 2 available tracks. The will be truncated (as usual) to Chambers Street to get out of the way of the which has to empty out at Queens Plaza. can be extended to Northern Boulevard instead to provide local service. It doesn’t run that frequently anyway.

 

To the east of Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue, the 2 stations that are able to turn Manhattan-bound trains can only turn trains on 1 track each. That means one of the trains will turn at Forest Hills–71 Avenue and the other one will have to turn at Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike. Forest Hills–71 Avenue is also the only station that can turn local trains. The is the train that usually runs local there, so it will terminate at Forest Hills–71 Avenue. The gets Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike. Trains pulling into Forest Hills–71 Avenue on the local track will have to be emptied out first before relaying.

 

Bus service can take over for the stations not served by subway.

 

In summary:

Times Square–42 Street to Queensboro Plaza

World Trade Center to Queens Plaza and Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike to Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer

Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue to 21 Street–Queensbridge and Forest Hills–71 Avenue to Jamaica–179 Street

Middle Village–Metropolitan Avenue to Chambers Street

Bay Ridge–95 Street to Northern Boulevard

Local and express shuttle buses 21 Street–Queensbridge and Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike.

Local and express shuttle buses Queensboro Plaza and Flushing–Main Street.

Local and express shuttle buses Queens Plaza and Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike.

 

It’s a simple plan with much of the service changes confined to only the routes that must be affected. Affected routes are minimally altered by this service change, except the which needs to be removed from Queens entirely to not exacerbate congestion due to the crowds getting off at Queens Plaza for the shuttle buses. Everything else is simple truncation. No trains serve stations not normally served, and service is not altered for other routes like the .

 

Very nice explanation! I can never do this well!