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Riding the IRT Rockaway trip 6/19 (long) (726076)

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Posted by Flatbush41 on Sun Jun 20 01:03:19 2004

Started out by taking R68A 5074 on the Q to Times Square and at Dekalb there was tile work so R trains were diverted over the Manhattan bridge. Then I arrive at 10am and take some pics of the 7 trains and a few had <7> Express signs =P. A little statement before I get down to details on the trip: While it was very good, some of the timing needs to be adjusted so that we don't get stuck behind revenue trains and cut down on the long waits between stations and such, however the trip was a success. Also keep in mind that this was a 9 hour trip! It will make sense, trust me. And my thanks goes out to Subdivision C for making this possible. Here was the trip route:

Leave Times Sq, switch to the N/W track at Queensboro Plaza heading north to Ditmars, Ditmars to QP via express track, 60 St tube, Broadway to City Hall lower, Broadway to 63 St connector, switch to 6 Av at Lex, switch at W4 via Fulton, via Rockaway (A) branch, Rockaway Park, Liberty el/Fulton, 8 Av then switch to 6 Av line to 21 St, Queensbridge then through 63 St to Broadway, north through 60 St to QP then via Flushing to Junction Blvd and end.

The consist: 9017-9016-9011-9010-9068-9069-5760-6239-6609-9306

Now onto the trip. So as expected there were many Subtalkers and regular rail buffs in general so it was a big turnout. I was at Times Square with oter people for a good while then around 10:45am the MOD train arrives and it included the Greenbird car [9068]. So I notice that all of the single unit cars are coupled consecutively and the married pairs after them so with the big turnout, then settled in 9306 & we depart at 11am and run through the 7 train route to Queensboro Plaza then switch over to the Astoria branch and head northbound on the local track and we arrive there and decided to take the train ahead to get photos of the run by via M track. At 30 Av I got a few shots then it was off into R68 2883 and take it to QP to wait for the MOD train but another N train gets in front of it then right afterwards we get into 9017 and the car is cool and we do about 40 [grrr....] through the 60 St tube and proceed to go through the 63 connector then down via Broadway local to Canal upper level then we switched over to the "express tracks". It gets interesting 8-).

So then we arrive at City Hall LL around 12:40pm and since there were storage trains [a few R40 W trains] we walked through that train to an R40 W parked at the platform then made our wat to the exit and it was surprisingly clean down there although the signs are now gone :-(. So we get some lunch at Blimpies then we collect some souvenirs from Samsung doing some promos so anyway we head back down to the LL and wait for the train to depart so we leave at 2:10pm and head north and switch to the Broadway express track and head northbound to the 63 connector at Lexington [the back], had to wait a good 15 minutes and switched over to 6 Avenue local followed by a switchover to West 4 St so we head down the A train via Fulton express and it was ok but we were stuck behind a R38 A, ruining the chance for good speed. As the trip went on, the laughter, jokes, discussion and such was just too damn funny and there were loads of comic relief in the cars we chilled in.

By time we reach Rockaway Blvd, it was just past 3:45pm and we still had some gound to cover so some photo stops were cut due to time and we stop at Howard Beach, got the pic and decided to ride the run on the flats but first we switch over to the center track so we can let the incoming A go in front and seeing A headways on weekends when its to either terminal you know its infrequent :-\. Two A's going to Brooklyn come before a Far Rock bound A goes by about 20 minutes later then we do pretty good down the flats but have to stop when there is a shuttle in front of us. Then we take a turn onto the Rockaway Park branch and its all good until we went BIE twice within one stop and the stops were HARD! So that was cleared up and arrived at Rockaway Park around 4:25pm and this was a second break to get a drink or whatever and the train parks on the side track for good photo shots. At first they switched the shuttle; now using 8 cars again; into the track next to it and making a pic shot useless for now [but got success later anyway].

Used the restroom and it had no paper towels but hey lets be thankful that it was even open lol. Waited nearly an hour for the train to get back to the track and we left at 5:40pm [keep an eye on the times!} to make our way north towards Junction Blvd so had to wait for an A to cross in front of us again! while waiting at Beach 90 and made a stop at Broad Channel and of course we continued with our 'mischief', practical jokes, the disses, going at each other with the Samsung balloons and such but man it was no joke :-D. Went through the flats at 39mph then arrived at Rockaway Blvd so the train went to 80 St to switchover to the Queens bound track so the fellow railfans had their cams ready to get their shots and it switched just east of Rockaway over going all the way to Lefferts, saving some time seeing we are already going on 7 1/2 to 8 hours. Went back on the tartar red R33's and we made our way via Fulton express, switched at W4 to run via 6 Avenue local.

This time after going through the 63rd connector again we went down to 21 St/Queensbridge then went back towards Manhattan and we were held on a curve for a good 10 minutes and it was almost 7:30pm then we run down to 57 St and briefly wrongrail on the n/b express track so we don't have to go down to 34 St to relay and go north again. Meanwhile the barrage of hits, 'mischief', jokes, etc. continues between some fellow railfans and then everything finally settled down after a day of having a very good and memorable experience, maybe in the wrong way in some instances [you had to be there to see it for yourselves] ;-D. We get moving once again by going through 60 St tube and again we hit no more than 40mph after a early slowdown and afterwards switched to the 7 train tracks and went via Flushing local and had to trail a 7 in front of us after 52 St to Junction Blvd and finished our marathon of a trip there at 8:15pm! Had a great time alright.

Now going home some of us rode R62A 1719 to 74 St to transfer to the G or R at Roosevelt so 5 minutes later a G arrives and its going good then at Norhtern Blvd we have long delays and persists until Court Square. The thing is when we get to 36 St, there was a F that was in the express track so it seemed like there were signal problems due ot the fact that all E's run to 2 Avenue this weekend so 53 tube is closed. Then we had more delays at Queens Plaza and by time we reach Court Sq the G in front of us went out of service and nearly cursh loaded our train so this causes a 20 minute delay in service and instead of the staying on the 7 then take the Q [which would of been better] I just decide to take the F at Smith/9 and finish my trip.

The list of Subtalkers:
The 795
Sci Guy 1904
VCP R62 #1516
Jehuty V2
NJ Coast Exp
A 8 Av Fulton Exp
Thru Express
Chris R27-R30
Amanda
New Look Terrapin
Aznboy4305
Boriqua
Bombardier
Sonic Express
R62A #1979
Newkirk Plaza David
Kingsbridge4bd
Joe C
Clayton
Broadway Junction
Second Avenue Stubway
Larry Redbird R33
SINY_R143

I know that I forgot some names since there were so many Subtalkers there so my fault if I left ya off the list, just include yourselves.

Pics to come later.

R68A 5074 (Q)
R33WF 9306 SPECIAL
R68 2800 (N)
R68 2883 (N)
R33 9011 SPECIAL
R33 9010 SPECIAL
R33 9017 SPECIAL
R33 9016 SPECIAL
R12 5760 SPECIAL
R62A 1719 (7)
R46 5954 (G)
R46 5960 (F)


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