A moderate to heavy downpour greeted me as I left Newkirk Ave/BMT for the MOD trip, and I was looking forward to it. Armed with two cameras, I headed off to City Hall then walked over to BB/CH for a small contingent of foamers (hehe) waiting for the MOD train. The train finally showed up a bit late, at 10:45 AM and the consist was the SBK diesel (D1???), D-Type #6112abc, then SBK Locomotive #6. Quite the contrary for those who thought the only one set of Triplexes could handle the crowds; there were a few open seats. We also missed a few Subtalkers who couldn't attend, like Bill Newkirk and his calendars, in addition to John S., Choo Choo, David J. Greenberger, Thurston Clark, and Jeffery Rosen. Still it was a good crowd and we were off at 11 AM, armed with our cameras. We had to relay north of Chambers then back down, in the process of re-entering Chambers St, we had to pick up a couple of more guests on the trip that missed the train (now they were REALLY late.).
So we were off and our first uneventful photo stop was Broad St, one of two closed stations we had all to ourselves. Plenty of room for me to run around (I never ran so much like that, read on.). After leaving Broad St, we got word that the rain has lifted and we were informed that the Brighton express tracks were available for our use. Instead of a mediocre photo stop at Avenue M (not much platform width to move around), we got Church Ave as a drop-off point, take next Q to any stop to Kings Highway and do a run-by. The train will pick up those who went ahead at Kings Highway. I elected Newkirk Ave for some photos, the train passed by me as a NYCT worker saw me taking pictures, and I told him I was on the MOD excursion train. I managed to run into the newsstand outside the station entrance and got a Toasted Almond ice cream pop because I was hungry and went back in. At the station I saw a friend who later on was hard-headed at Kings Highway. I told him who was with his daughter and saw the train passing by , specific instructions NOT TO BOARD THE TRAIN if he saw it, but when we got to Kings Highway he saw the consist and attempted to board it anyway. He was escorted out but not before he started yelling and cursing at the crew. My apologies for this matter, it should never get out of hand like that and goes to show why some people don't listen. Soon we went to Ocean Parkway and did photos there, and then we were of to Stillwell. Lots of work is still needed at the largest single station in the system but the newest addition is a web like dome towering near the closed off overpass. We went directly to the West End line, did not pass by CI yard until later on. Lots of track workers at the track switches under the Belt Parkway leading to the Stillwell yard side. We stopped at 25th Avenue for the next photo stop and I took advantage of the S/B platform. Soon as I went down the stairs, everyone else was following me for photos. More track workers were at the middle track, (every other W train ended at Bay Parkway) watching the consist and us in action. We took off on the local track to 9th Ave for a drop-off point, the train will loop around 38th St Yard and pick us up back at 9th Ave, middle track. I stayed on the yard run and saw mostly diesels and work trains there, along with a school car in the distance. Also saw the outside of Jackie Gleason bus depot next door. Looped back to 9th Ave upper level, we did not use lower level, and then headed up to Whitehall for lunch. Me, Chris R27/30 and another Subtalker headed to Burger King on Broadway to surf the internet and I posted the lunchtime report at that point. Not to mention checking my email too.
After lunch, I made a dumb mistake; I tried to go UP AN ESCALATOR WHICH ONLY GOES DOWN. That's what you get for viewing attachments on you web site you use, darn it. We all went back to Whitehall but it was going on 4 PM when we had the second half of the trip to cover. First order was the Subtalk group photo then hitting the Sea-Beach. So we quickly went via. Sea Beach line as follows: Drop-off at 59th st/4th Ave, take an N train to any stop between 8th Ave and Kings Highway, then pick up at Kings Highway (assuming you took the next N train there after the runby.). I elected Fort Hamilton for the runby, and I had the N/B platform all to myself (I'd figured everyone was using the curved 20th Ave station.). I tried the overpass across the street from the station entrance; the concrete wall was too high for me. I went back to the N/B platform and took photos on a R68 N that was in service along with the usual slants while waiting for the runby. After the runby, I took the next N train to Kings Highway and made a daring move, I stood at N/B platform at the train was coming in on the S/B side. But the train stopped AT THE SOUTH END OF THE STATION BY THE CREW OFFICE, which forced me to run up and over then the entire platform length just to catch it.
Now for some more good news, hate to rub this in but it was 5:30 already and the Culver portion was scrapped for what else? ANOTHER RUN UP THE BRIGHTON LINE AFTER CI YARD. We looped around yard and Belt Parkway and saw all the trains we drooled over, many of us had 3 to 4 trains in one picture. Saw some museum trains in which one person said to a TSS that the Low-V outside the CI barn needs "some work", YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING "the Low-V needs A LOT of work" the TSS replied. Went up the flyover to the West End line, split left for the direction to Stillwell and passed by Stillwell station again. Then the best part (but the night killed off some of my pictures) was TWO runbys on the Brighton line as follows: 1st drop-off at Brighton Beach, take a Q train ahead to Sheepshead Bay, Neck Road or Avenue U for the first runby. After runby, take next Q ahead of the MOD train sitting at Kings Highway to your SECOND runby, which will now sit at Church Ave as a pick-up point. I did Sheepshead Bay and Cortelyou Road, but it was so dark at Cortelyou that the shot from the side stairs was killed off but the flash. But I got back on Church Ave and stayed on till the end at Whitehall, now our revised drop off point, and said good-bye to everyone and went on the Q train home.
What a trip, it's been 20 years (no kidding) since I rode the Triplex as a kid and she is beautiful. But a big, gaping hole by one of the doors prompted a big step ladder to block it for safety reasons. Great trip, great run.