3–Seventh Avenue Express Overnight Efficiency

[2exuber8]

From an efficiency standpoint, how worthwhile is it to run trains between Harlem and Times Square versus 148th Street and 135th Street?

[4 via Mosholu]

On 5/3/2022 at 7:00 PM, 2exuber8 said:

From an efficiency standpoint, how worthwhile is it to run trains between Harlem and Times Square versus 148th Street and 135th Street?

There was once a Lenox Shuttle that ran on Sunday mornings from about 6 to 10, when full service from 148 Street Lenox Terminal to New Lots Avenue ran. It was an inefficient terminal since it affected Bronx bound trains so much and there was no way to cross over to the other side without paying an additional fare or talking to the booth clerk at the downtown platform (since both platforms at 135 Street do not have crossovers to switch between directions). To counter the delay, the Authority ended up resuming night owl service on the train to 42 Street Times Square as the Lenox Local/Broadway Express every night back in 2009. So it is much better to run the train down to 42 Street at night than to run it to 135 Street, like it used to do for Sunday mornings after September 11, 1995 and every night before September 11, 1995.

[biGC323232]

On 5/14/2022 at 5:11 PM, 4 via Mosholu said:

There was once a Lenox Shuttle that ran on Sunday mornings from about 6 to 10, when full service from 148 Street Lenox Terminal to New Lots Avenue ran. It was an inefficient terminal since it affected Bronx bound trains so much and there was no way to cross over to the other side without paying an additional fare or talking to the booth clerk at the downtown platform (since both platforms at 135 Street do not have crossovers to switch between directions). To counter the delay, the Authority ended up resuming night owl service on the train to 42 Street Times Square as the Lenox Local/Broadway Express every night back in 2009. So it is much better to run the train down to 42 Street at night than to run it to 135 Street, like it used to do for Sunday mornings after September 11, 1995 and every night before September 11, 1995.

Exactly how they did it..I remember those days....Me personally i would run the  to 14 st not Times Sq late nights....34st and 14 st has key connections that would make sending it there more useful...My Personal opinion

[4 via Mosholu]

4 hours ago, biGC323232 said:

Exactly how they did it..I remember those days....Me personally i would run the  to 14 st not Times Sq late nights....34st and 14 st has key connections that would make sending it there more useful...My Personal opinion

34 Street is a better turnaround point, in my opinion.

[Lil 57]

1 hour ago, 4 via Mosholu said:

34 Street is a better turnaround point, in my opinion.

 

8 hours ago, biGC323232 said:

Exactly how they did it..I remember those days....Me personally i would run the  to 14 st not Times Sq late nights....34st and 14 st has key connections that would make sending it there more useful...My Personal opinion

I agree, remember that GO that resulted in  trains terminating at 34th. That should be permanent.

[Trainmaster5]

1 hour ago, 4 via Mosholu said:

34 Street is a better turnaround point, in my opinion.

I've operated the Lenox Shuttle as a C/R and upfront from 148th St to 135 St. In my opinion the extension was long overdue. The excessive moves one needed to relay at 135, 9 cars south of the station, relay north to 135 middle, proceeding 9 cars north of the station, wrong railing back into the station on the n/b track. Time consuming to put it mildly. They finally cut the shuttle back to 5 cars but that introduced it's own set of problems. Five cars or nine cars the doors only opened at the two cars at the C/Rs position. Many Saturday nights there would be delays on the s/b  at Allerton Avenue. There was a skating rink up there that always had problems, especially at closing time. IIRC it was called the "Skate Key". There were times that the  was so delayed that the Command Center would tell us to take our consist south to 96th St where riders could transfer to the  or even down to Times Square. We'd discharge, relay south of the Times Square station on the middle track and head back north to 135th St and pick up from there. That Times Square relay made things easier than the alternatives. Plus it's a whole lot easier than going down to 14th St and relaying back north. Just a little background. Carry on.

Edited May 17, 2022 by Trainmaster5
additional thought

[biGC323232]

39 minutes ago, Trainmaster5 said:

I've operated the Lenox Shuttle as a C/R and upfront from 148th St to 135 St. In my opinion the extension was long overdue. The excessive moves one needed to relay at 135, 9 cars south of the station, relay north to 135 middle, proceeding 9 cars north of the station, wrong railing back into the station on the n/b track. Time consuming to put it mildly. They finally cut the shuttle back to 5 cars but that introduced it's own set of problems. Five cars or nine cars the doors only opened at the two cars at the C/Rs position. Many Saturday nights there would be delays on the s/b  at Allerton Avenue. There was a skating rink up there that always had problems, especially at closing time. IIRC it was called the "Skate Key". There were times that the  was so delayed that the Command Center would tell us to take our consist south to 96th St where riders could transfer to the  or even down to Times Square. We'd discharge, relay south of the Times Square station on thedblem middle track and head back north to 135th St and pick up from there. That Times Square relay made things easier than the alternatives. Plus it's a whole lot easier than going down to 14th St and relaying back north. Just a little background. Carry on.

Whats so easier ending 3 trains at times sq rather than 14st...when the wtc got crushed and the Mta decided to send 1 trains to new lots 3 trains had no problem terminating at 14st...Why times sq at that time wasnt the southern term for the 3 being that going to 14 will be such overkill and the 2 on the lcl track..i only made the suggestion cause 14st and 34 offer key connections

Edited May 17, 2022 by biGC323232

[Mtatransit]

For a while passengers were bused to 135th Street from 148th. I believe the extended train shuttle was only brought back slightly prior to the service reductions

[Lex]

10 hours ago, Trainmaster5 said:

I've operated the Lenox Shuttle as a C/R and upfront from 148th St to 135 St. In my opinion the extension was long overdue. The excessive moves one needed to relay at 135, 9 cars south of the station, relay north to 135 middle, proceeding 9 cars north of the station, wrong railing back into the station on the n/b track. Time consuming to put it mildly. They finally cut the shuttle back to 5 cars but that introduced it's own set of problems. Five cars or nine cars the doors only opened at the two cars at the C/Rs position. Many Saturday nights there would be delays on the s/b  at Allerton Avenue. There was a skating rink up there that always had problems, especially at closing time. IIRC it was called the "Skate Key". There were times that the  was so delayed that the Command Center would tell us to take our consist south to 96th St where riders could transfer to the  or even down to Times Square. We'd discharge, relay south of the Times Square station on the middle track and head back north to 135th St and pick up from there. That Times Square relay made things easier than the alternatives. Plus it's a whole lot easier than going down to 14th St and relaying back north. Just a little background. Carry on.

While that may be true, I'm of the opinion that Times Square is a stub.