Unusual experience with some parked R-160's

[QM1to6Ave]

I was in the Union Turnpike station yesterday morning to catch the to Brooklyn, and I noticed something odd. On the Jamaica-bound express track, there were 2 R-160's parked back-to-back, as is usual when they are storing trains down there or blocking off the express track or whatever. 

 

The odd part was that 1 of the trains had all of its doors open to the track side (not the platform side), but all the interior lights were off and the sign said "Last Stop". The train in front of it kept making all sorts of noises, especially air hissing, like when a train goes BIE. The interior lights kept flickering on and off throughout the whole train. There was nobody in the T/O or C/R positions, and no MTA employees in sight. 

 

The scene just didn't seem right, so I went to the S/A to tell him something might be wrong, and then caught my train. I'm not sure if anything happened after that.

 

Anyone ever see something like this?

[ttcsubwayfan]

The train is haunted

[trainfan22]

Those 68s from the FS layed up in the station at prospect park make those air hissing noises, I think its the compressor which is normal.

[MTA Dude]

If it was open to the track side, then that is just weird. Maybe the T/O is getting off the train the track side? Is that even how they do it in train yards?

[RTOMan]

I was in the Union Turnpike station yesterday morning to catch the to Brooklyn, and I noticed something odd. On the Jamaica-bound express track, there were 2 R-160's parked back-to-back, as is usual when they are storing trains down there or blocking off the express track or whatever. 

 

The odd part was that 1 of the trains had all of its doors open to the track side (not the platform side), but all the interior lights were off and the sign said "Last Stop". The train in front of it kept making all sorts of noises, especially air hissing, like when a train goes BIE. The interior lights kept flickering on and off throughout the whole train. There was nobody in the T/O or C/R positions, and no MTA employees in sight. 

 

The scene just didn't seem right, so I went to the S/A to tell him something might be wrong, and then caught my train. I'm not sure if anything happened after that.

 

Anyone ever see something like this?

 

 

That was prob the TO doing the Put In Checking the doors..

[QM1to6Ave]

That was prob the TO doing the Put In Checking the doors..

So it probably wasn't some kid messing around with the train? That's what I was worried about.

Weird that the doors were left open for like 10 minutes, though (which is when my train finally came). 

[Union Tpke]

That is my home station and it is usual to have two of them, but I have never seen a sight like this before. This is weird. Nice catch!

[QM1to6Ave]

That is my home station and it is usual to have two of them, but I have never seen a sight like this before. This is weird. Nice catch!

I wanted to take some video of it, but it seemed a bit suspicious so I decided to go to the S/A instead

[Snowblock]

So it probably wasn't some kid messing around with the train? That's what I was worried about.

Weird that the doors were left open for like 10 minutes, though (which is when my train finally came). 

Was it signed up as a to 96 St-Upper East? If not, no worries there.

[QM1to6Ave]

Was it signed up as a to 96 St-Upper East? If not, no worries there.

LOL! Thankfully not

[Bill from Maspeth]

I don't see the big deal.  The train is laid up.............out of service.................no passengers.................on a storage track. 

 

Personnel do maintenance on it.................running repairs...............testing stuff.

 

Stuff like this happening doesn't only have to happen in the barn.

 

There is no reason to start telling the S/A that something is wrong, because there isn't.  Please say something it effects a train with passengers on it.

[QM1to6Ave]

I don't see the big deal.  The train is laid up.............out of service.................no passengers.................on a storage track. 

 

Personnel do maintenance on it.................running repairs...............testing stuff.

 

Stuff like this happening doesn't only have to happen in the barn.

 

There is no reason to start telling the S/A that something is wrong, because there isn't.  Please say something it effects a train with passengers on it.

If I had seen any MTA personnel at all over the 10 minutes, I wouldn't have said anything, but there was nobody in sight. In all my years, I've never seen anything like it, and in this day and age I wasn't going to take any chances since someone could have jumped into those open doors without being stopped. If everything was on the up and up, then there's no harm, no foul, right?  

[Union Tpke]

Was it signed up as a to 96 St-Upper East? If not, no worries there.

if it was it would have attracted MR. Railfan! 

[RTOMan]

If I had seen any MTA personnel at all over the 10 minutes, I wouldn't have said anything, but there was nobody in sight. In all my years, I've never seen anything like it, and in this day and age I wasn't going to take any chances since someone could have jumped into those open doors without being stopped. If everything was on the up and up, then there's no harm, no foul, right?

 

There is a tower there also so somebody was around..... Probably more than one person that's all I'm gonna say...

[Bill from Maspeth]

Was the whole train within your sight?  There could have been a person working in a cab which you didn't see because it was outside the station limits.

 

How could somebody jump into those doors if they were not abreast of the platform?

 

All I'm telling you is if a train has no passengers on it and you see doors opening and closing it means nothing.  Yes, no harm and foul on your part but I'm saying this is nothing to raise your eyebrows about.  Car inspectors regularly check trains on lay up tracks so if you see it again you know what's happening, especially there where trains are scheduled to lay up.

 

Unrelated to your post: We can have trains going down the road with doors opening & closing.  Why?  Because if a train goes out of service for door trouble and the car inspector or TSS gets on, the doors will open and close with the train moving so they can be tested and the train can go back into service if satisfactory repairs can be made enroute.  You could see this at a local station with the train passing on the express track.  No problem, no passengers are aboard, just like when new tech trains get tested they make station stops and the doors open on the opposite side.  No problem, as long as passengers aren't riding it's all good.

[realizm]

This is good info. Thanks TA workers for the valuable information.

 

For the record at OP: Yes I've seen this before as a former Queens resident and I also assumed that prolly because there is a TA worker on it doing maintainance or what not as Bill From Maspeth, Snowblock and RTOman has stated. Never saw it as foul play. I mean why would vandals risk trespassing to vandalize trains with NYPD on the beat at these stations 24/7? Yes it has happened as far as graffiti artists I realize that but not likely or that common, so I figured it must be TA workers or train supervisors again as stated by our RTO division workers here.

 

Matter of fact on the 4th Ave Line Ive seen RTO workers on trains on layup by 45th and 53rd doing spot checks so thats why I know.

 

Keys nowadays are very hard to obtain by vandals unlike back in the 70's I'm sure so I dont think thats the issue tbh.

[QM1to6Ave]

There is a tower there also so somebody was around..... Probably more than one person that's all I'm gonna say...

 

Was the whole train within your sight?  There could have been a person working in a cab which you didn't see because it was outside the station limits.

 

How could somebody jump into those doors if they were not abreast of the platform?

 

All I'm telling you is if a train has no passengers on it and you see doors opening and closing it means nothing.  Yes, no harm and foul on your part but I'm saying this is nothing to raise your eyebrows about.  Car inspectors regularly check trains on lay up tracks so if you see it again you know what's happening, especially there where trains are scheduled to lay up.

 

Unrelated to your post: We can have trains going down the road with doors opening & closing.  Why?  Because if a train goes out of service for door trouble and the car inspector or TSS gets on, the doors will open and close with the train moving so they can be tested and the train can go back into service if satisfactory repairs can be made enroute.  You could see this at a local station with the train passing on the express track.  No problem, no passengers are aboard, just like when new tech trains get tested they make station stops and the doors open on the opposite side.  No problem, as long as passengers aren't riding it's all good.

 

Thanks for the info guys! I never knew that about the en-route repairs. It makes sense, but I would never have guessed that repairs were made outside of the yard. 

[N6 Limited]

When they park trains on the Express track they usually have to key by a signal in order to get them so close right?

[RTOMan]

When they park trains on the Express track they usually have to key by a signal in order to get them so close right?

Not all the time now if there's a train in front yes.