MOD ROUTE: 59th St./CC via. D line to 34/6. Relay to F line to 21st/Queensbridge. Relay again to Lexington Ave, then divert to Broadway line at 57/7. Via Q Broadway express, over S/S Bridge to south of Prospect Park interlocking. Relay and enter FAS into passenger service as 1225 from Prospect Park (one FAS train is taken OOS for this purpose.). Make 3 round trips then put MOD train OOS to allow excursion train to continue. Via. Brighton express to Brighton Beach and lunch. After lunch, via. Spur track to CI Yard, through yard and exit via. Avenue X yard lead. Via. Culver express to 4th Ave, switch to local track to Jay Street. Divert to Cranberry tube and via 8th Ave and CPW express tracks to 207th St. yard. Loop around yard once, then upper CPW local track to express track at 125th St./St. Nicholas and end of trip.
Started by taking the normal Q to 57/7, had to endure a crackhead cursing though most of the trip. Ignoring that pettiness, I walked over to 59th/CC to board the MOD train. The train arrives at 10:45 and we loaded and took off. We did the quick relay at 34th St., then went to 21st St./Queensbridge where a big guy was asking though the window on the MOD train. After we left Queensbridge, Ozzy and Trevor were reading a very dirty and funny book as I took the book and nearly made coconuts on it (LOL). Car #1575 had a very nice floor redo; blue with yellow diamonds (shades of the Q Diamond). David of Broadway’s device ran out of batteries so he asks me for an donation (j/t). Car #484 had the guy with the subway videos again. We went over the Bridge and arrived at PP interlocking for what would be the highlight of the trip, 3 round trips on the Franklin Avenue Shuttle. For the next 35 minutes, riders accustomed to the R68 cars are gawking in amazement as they mingled with the TSS and our railfans on the cars’ history. I took the first trip up to Franklin Ave. Since it was a 4 car train, OPTO was suspended on the train as the run went as follows: Towards Franklin, the north 2 cars were platformed, while back to Prospect Park, the south 2 cars were used. At the S/B trips from Franklin Ave, the customers were asked to move to the front 2 so they can exit at the other 3 stations. The first trip up north was rather uneventful as the T/O overshot the first 2 cars at Botanic Garden station and we had to key out to exit the customers and board new passengers at that station. Most of the railfans went to Park Place while I stood at Franklin. Some of us took pictures while 2 officers stationed near the passageway and escalator watched and enjoyed the show. I let the train go back and took the R68 (2920-2924 was the trainset) to Park Place for the second run-by. Most of the day, the photographers were very cooperative, which was a nice departure from last trips. David of Broadway takes his million dollar shot outside fare control, as I was debating to run to the overpass one block south of Park Place but I took no chances and stood by the south end of the side platform. I took the train back up Franklin, thinking this might be it (the schedule called for only two round-trips), but a switch problem at PP interlocking made us do a third revenue service trip. I stayed at PP for more photos as the train goes back and forth one more time. We came back to PP and took the train OOS and not before we left, a man into his walkman at the Manhattan-bound Q side, was doing the “Beat It” dance, it was so funny as I took pictures of this happening. We glided into Church Ave when a man really had a bladder control problem and left the MOD train (my back was turned when this happened) and he should know better (there were restrooms at Prospect Park). Continuing the trip, I took the Q ahead to Kings Highway where Jehuty and Koi-PTIML were chasing me to the front end for the runby. The train should’ve slowed down but was maintaining full speed, but I managed to get a decent shot anyway. The train experiences homeball (red over red signal) at KH as I exchanged harmless barbs at Chris and Trevor. Train takes off, so I went out at KH for lunch and posted a halftime report on the MOD trip.
Second half was mostly yard visits, I took the Q to Bright Beach were the MOD train was waiting there and saw BMTman and heypaul were there to see the train but not chasing it. Took off at around 3:25 and saw the progress at West 8th St., stunned workers were eyeing the train, and Stillwell (AWESOME)! Me and our Webmaster, David Pirmann were exchanging window space for our photos, teamwork is very important. At the spur track under the Belt Parkway, the train stops there for the TSS crew to inspect the car’s trucks. No problems and we took off for Avenue X. and stayed on the express track, wiping out the 22nd Ave-Bay Parkway photo stop. We arrived at 18th Avenue where I was partially to blame for some miscommunication. We though there were be a run-by for Ditmas Ave, but Bill and another TSS said there will be no runby but we ended up waiting at 7th Ave for the next R32 F train anyway. As we sat there, an F train behind us at Kings Highway was stopped for an unattended package left behind. Overhearing the radio, control asked the crew if they inspected the cars at Avenue X relay but someone could’ve got on at Avenue X or U and left the package there at Kings Highway. We had a long dwell time as I nearly fell THROUGH the platform as a large square of concrete at the Manhattan-bound side was rocking me back and forth. This is a dangerous condition. We had a long dwell time and our run to 207th St yard before sunset was in jeopardy, however we took off from 18th Avenue at 4:30 and still have a chance. Total mismanagement as usual (with a big DUH) when the 34th St. platform was supposed to be closed N/B as the A trains were running local, no one was there to direct people to the local platform. After a so-so run up the CPW dash (timers always kill this run), we arrived at 207th St Yard in time. The photos of the graffiti covered redbird and the R62 wreck were some of the best photo opportunities at the yard. We went back towards 125th St. and the end of the trip where Bill Wall was clarifying with 59th St. master Tower on the final instructions on the excursion train and went as follows (while I overheard on the radio, not the exact words they said)
Bill Wall: 59th M/T come into the excursion train
59th M/T: OK excursion train, what’s your lineup, 125th St. or spur track at 135th St.?
BW: 125th St. (as if the train will discharge at the unused track at 135th St.. DUH!)
59th M/T: OK after 125th St., what is your next move?
BW: Back up to 207.
59th M/T: OK
(Does 59th M/T read the G.O. for the excursion train?)
We discharge at 125th St. at 6:15 PM in time for a homeless man to cause havoc at West 4th St. and disrupt the entire 6th and 8th Ave IND train service. Our D train was turned back at 59th St as a big crowd, including many other Subtalkers piled upstairs for the #1 train. We cheered every time an R142 #2 train zooms by on the express track and crowded the # 1 train. In the process, I accidentally stepped on an elderly woman’s feet and she stared to yell at me. I explained to her that there was a problem at 59th St. and all off us was dumped into this train. We got off at Times Square as someone had a lousy shot trying to deposit a glass bottle into a trash canister and ended up broken glass all over the crowded platform (Ozzy didn’t do it!). We walked over the BMT platform at Times Square, in time for an incoming D train rerouted onto the Broadway Line. Me, I just wanted to get home, so I took the next crowded Q train home. Thanks again for some great fun yesterday.
Partial list of Subtalkers: As always, should leave your name out, please let us know you were there and accept my apologies. Next time, look for the man with a notebook and I will ensure that your name is part of what we call family here.
Nycsubway.org Webmaster, David Pirmann
LincolN (HAPPY BIRTHDAY)
Sir. Ronald of McDonald
David of Broadway
R32/38
Operational Engineer II
MDT Route 29
Chris R27/30
John “Sparky” S. (a.k.a. the Greenpoint Gremlin)
Lou from Brooklyn
Lou from Middleton
Bombardier
Koi-Public Transit is My Lifeline
Jeffery Rosen
Silverfox
Incognito
Thru Express
Jehuty
Transit ChurchGreene
ChurchuBob
NJ Coast Express
T-Broadway/West End
Bill Earland
George Boucher
Boriqua
R33 #9279
Kevin Walsh
Far Rockaway A Train
Kingsbridge 4BD
Clayton
David
R32/R1 lover
Faxman
Mr. Foamer
Henry R32 #3730
Flushing-bound Exp.
Amin Perala
Sci-Guy #6586
Just Visiting: heypaul and BMTman.
Q R68 2797
Museum Train
R4 401
R4 484
R7A 1575
R1 100
D R68 2633
1 R62A 2219
Q R68A 5174