marvelousmouse

I am confused. Today C stopped at place it usually doesn't stop- on F line, because F line wasn't running uptown.

So does that mean it was a substitute train running F stops or a C train just adding to its existing itinerary. I thought it was the second but then the announcement made it sound like the first. I would have asked the transit worker but she was ticked by the fact I didn't understand that "no uptown trains" meant no f uptown trains but c trains were running in place of f town trains....
Although this was not posted and just announced- I only catch half of the announcements, I swear every other speaker is broken on the system.

Other than that the subway is remarkably easy to use! And your city is amazing!

IMDonehere

On the weekends and some night they do work on some lines and they are re-routed. Next time check this site.

http://web.mta.info/service/

marvelousmouse

Thanks, imdonehere. Much appreciate the link. So I guess what I'm really wondering is, if they were working on the line, then how can they replace it with another train? Surely neither train can run the line? Or is it that f was diverted so it wasn't running because it would take too long...

I guess it doesn't matter, I've just never seen that kind of replacement on a subway system before.

ellenem

The route of the C and the F don't match for their complete routes but they wanted a train to cover F midtown stops. So, for example, for this rerouting, the C may have just been making F stops in midtown Manhattan, but following the C route otherwise. I'm just guessing.

IMDonehere

The only thing that prevents some trains running on other tracks is track gauge.

They will run some crazy train combos and station stops during weekend work. Believe me it catches NY'ers by surprise also and adds to confusion. Last month we wanted to go Museum of Natural History and we wound up going to 125 st before heading back downtown. The MTA did not explain the changes very well.

BigRuss

No no no. Ellenem is completely wrong.

If a C train is running on F tracks, then the C tracks are being worked on. The C was rerouted to the F track and then routed back onto C tracks.

This depends upon where you were and where the rerouting occurred. It is not uncommon to have a train rerouted (A or C on F track/F on A or C track) from Jay Street/Boro Hall in Brooklyn to West 4th Street in Manhattan.

And the explanation from marvelousmouse in the post is incorrect - there were no uptown C trains. IDH's link shows that the C train was out of service for the stops between Boro Hall and West 4th. http://web.mta.info/weekender/statio...ml?x=577&y=283

marvelousmouse

No it was definitely definitely a c train running uptown from an f station. Maybe we're talking about a different stretch of track? I don't know. I was at Katz deli, walked to the station a block or so away. It was a station for f trains, but no f trains were running uptown. On the track for the uptown f train, was a c train that doesn't normally stop at that station. It took me to 103rd street. Not my usual station- one further away from Amsterdam. Next to the park.

It would make sense though that c trains were being diverted because their track was being worked on.

BigRuss

I don't doubt it was a C train on an F track, but I'm saying it was the C train track being worked on. I said there were no uptown C trains meaning none running on C lines.

marvelousmouse

Yep, sorry, figured out what you meant when I was looking at the map tonight. Hadn't realized how the lines split earlier.

IMDonehere

Sometimes they may "borrow" trains from other lines if there are problems. I often see the Number 2 and 3 trains running on the tracks for the 4 and 5 in Manhattan.

But then they may go back to their normal routes in Brooklyn or the Bronx.

nycguy10002

I have been unavoidably away for a while so I could not put my 2 cents in while the topic was actively discussed.

Anyway I want to address something that IMDonehere said: "The only thing that prevents some trains running on other tracks is track gauge."

The NYC subway tracks are all standard gauge - 4'8 1/2"

The difference is car width (and in the case of the 75 foot cars - length_. The cars on all the numbered lines (including the 42nd St shuttle) are about 8 1/2 feet wide. The cars on the lettered lines are about 10 feet wide.

The 8 1/2 foot wide cars can operate on the lettered lines tracks but there would be a 1 1/2 foot gap between the car and the platform so these cars will not operate in service on those lines. Occasionally you will see a train of the narrower cars on a lettered line but only because the cars are being transported to the main car repair shop down in Coney Island.

The 10 foot cars are too wide to operate on the numbered line routes. If they did they would smash into the platforms (which are wider to accommodate 8 1/2 feet wide cars) and in the case of the original subway line tunnels - totally wreck the cars and tunnels because the tunnels were designed for the narrower cars. Any numbered line tunnel built in 1918 and after were built wider as a standardization.

Many, many years ago something did happen - in the Concourse subway yard in the Bronx, someone (who was not paying attnetion)connected some 10 foot wide cars to some 8 1/2 foot wide cars and sent them up the connection track from the yard to the Woodlawn (4) line. As the result the platform at the Kingsbridge Rd station was badly damaged (and it didn't make the 10 foot wide cars look to good either.

nycguy10002

just want to add to the main part of the topic -

A and C trains (8th Av line) can be rerouted to the F line at 3 places in the system:

1) Via the B & D (6th Av line)from 59th St Columbus Circle to 34th St 0r W4th St where they can switch over to the F line tracks.

2) After W4th St upper level local track to the F line tracks.

3) Just before the Jay St-MetroTech station in Brooklyn.

The F train can run on the A & C tracks if needed from just after the W4th St station to just before the Jay St-MetroTech station (or continue on the A & C line to Euclid Av - which does happen during some track construction work).

Of course all this works in both directions.