N/B homeballs prior to Main Street/Flushing on 7 Line

[+Young+]

Hello~

 

   From looking at some Youtube videos, I am having a hard time understanding something, which I am hoping someone on this site can help me out with.

 

   First of all, from looking at http://nycsubway.org/wiki/Subway_Signals:_Home_Signals I understand the basics 100%.

 

   However, when looking at YouTube Clip #1, at 1:45, I notice that the T/O takes a bottom yellow and diverges to the left and not to the right. Should the T/O take 3 yellows to diverge to the left?

YouTube Clip #1:

 

   In addition, when looking at the second YouTube Clip, I notice that at 6 minutes & 15 seconds, the T/O again takes a bottom yellow and diverges not only once, but twice. Therefore, should the T/O take 3 yellows if he is diverging twice?

YouTube Clip #2:

 

   Finally, in the third clip, at 29 minutes & 7 seconds, I notice that the T/O takes a bottom yellow and diverges to the right, just as expected, which is a little confusing because this is the same signal to diverge to the left:

Clip #3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmaLggM73a0

 

  If someone can help me understand this I would truly appreciate it.

 

  Thanks!

[Around the Horn]

Maybe the bottom yellow means diverging but doesnot specify the direction.Are the any videos showing the TO taking a bottom yellow and staying on the same track?

[pjbr40]

i agree with around the horn. i never see any traffic light that had more then two light to make switch. it just warning light to go slow in speed to diverge off to the left or right. it probably same procedure in the train yard as well. 

[+Young+]

@Around the Horn - in addition to other videos, I have personally seen myself sometimes the T/O taking a bottom green and staying on the same track into the station.

 

@pjbr40 - In this fourth YouTube clip, between 8 minutes and 8 minutes & 19 seconds, you can clearly see the T/O taking "3 yellows" as the Nostalgia Train goes into the Westchester Yard.

Clip #4:

 

Finally (for now), in this fifth clip, at 47 seconds (http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/topic/24345-video-r1-r9-train-december-26/), we see the Nostalgia Train taking three {3} yellows to proceed with the second diversion into the relay @ Queens Plaza. 

[Eric B]

Do the signals into main St. use track number indicators instead? (It looks like there's something lit in white below the yellows, though that could just be the number plate reflecting the light).

[Snowblock]

Who taught you where to read signals??? A bottom green means "proceed on main route", bottom yellow means "proceed on diverging route" (which means you can diverge either to the left or right, or in some cases go straight if the "main route" has you going left or right)  and if you have a three aspect homeball and the bottom aspect is yellow, then you're either being given a call-on (which would be red/red/yellow) or being lined up for a yard lead (which means that all future signals on that route MAY be yard signals, so proceed with caution). There is only one mainline home signal that gives you yellow/yellow/yellow if you are continuing onto mainline track (going from B/L to Essex), and that's only because they never bothered to change that signal when it became revenue trackage again. Regardless, three yellows NEVER specifically means "diverge to the left"

There's no signal to tell you what track you are arriving at Main St, you need to "read the iron" to be able to tell (and also assume, hopefully correctly, that you aren't being lined to a track which already has a train on it). Those white lights are timer aspects.

[RTOMan]

Who taught you where to read signals??? A bottom green means "proceed on main route", bottom yellow means "proceed on diverging route" (which means you can diverge either to the left or right, or in some cases go straight if the "main route" has you going left or right)  and if you have a three aspect homeball and the bottom aspect is yellow, then you're either being given a call-on (which would be red/red/yellow) or being lined up for a yard lead (which means that all future signals on that route MAY be yard signals, so proceed with caution). There is only one mainline home signal that gives you yellow/yellow/yellow if you are continuing onto mainline track (going from B/L to Essex), and that's only because they never bothered to change that signal when it became revenue trackage again. Regardless, three yellows NEVER specifically means "diverge to the left"

 

There's no signal to tell you what track you are arriving at Main St, you need to "read the iron" to be able to tell (and also assume, hopefully correctly, that you aren't being lined to a track which already has a train on it). Those white lights are timer aspects.

 

 

That sums it up nicely...  

[Eric B]

Three yellows is used as "second diverging route" on the mainline. At the Chrystie cut, it's not a matter of them "never bothering to change it"; it already was changed. The cut used to be two yellows, while the 2nd Ave. middle tracks were three yellows or a call-on. When service began, they changed it, so that 2nd Ave. (now upgraded to "mainline" stutus) became two yellows, and they just made Chrystie three yellows.

Before that, there was 3 yellows used as "second diverge" somewhere else, but I forget where.

[RTOMan]

Three yellows is used as "second diverging route" on the mainline. At the Chrystie cut, it's not a matter of them "never bothering to change it"; it already was changed. The cut used to be two yellows, while the 2nd Ave. middle tracks were three yellows or a call-on. When service began, they changed it, so that 2nd Ave. (now upgraded to "mainline" stutus) became two yellows, and they just made Chrystie three yellows.

Before that, there was 3 yellows used as "second diverge" somewhere else, but I forget where.

 

Actually the older signals at Main Street  one homeball Had three Yellows, You would go from M track to 2 track just north of the station.

[Eric B]

So they changed it so that now, either diverge is two yellows, and you just have to read the iron? (I guess it doesn't matter, since there's no "wrong route". I posted over there once, but that's it). 

[Snowblock]

There is no "three yellows for second diverging route" homeball anywhere on the Flushing line. If there ever was, it's gone now, and isn't in any of those videos. In fact, the one at Broadway-Lafayette is the only one I am aware even exists in the system, and my route guide book agrees with me. 726 ball at 168th St has a "bottom yellow with illuminated A4" line up for the local 's and layups going towards 207 (as a bottom green puts you onto A2 into 174 yard and bottom yellow puts you on A1 into the yard, both tracks used for relaying trains)  .... I'll have to keep an eye out for that one.

[+Young+]

@Snowblock - Thank you for clearing this up!

[RTOMan]

There is no "three yellows for second diverging route" homeball anywhere on the Flushing line. If there ever was, it's gone now,

 

Of Coruse its Gone! It was there up until the early 2000's Before you came down here...

 

I should Know seen it myself...

 

@Snowblock - Thank you for clearing this up!

 

LMAO what did he Clear Up?