Home Service Advisories A final Nostalgic weekend

A final Nostalgic weekend

by Benjamin Kabak

The 2007 version of the Nostalgia Train sits at Second Ave. (Photo by Benjamin Kabak)

As 2008 is coming to an end, so too are the MTA’s holiday Nostalgia Train trips. This Sunday is your last opportunity to catch the vintage subway cars as they travel up the V line from Second Ave. to Queens Plaza.

Luckily, the MTA has taken the guess work out of the journey this year. They’ve posted the departure times on their website. For your info, here it is:

From Lower East Side 2 Ave
10 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
1 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
4 p.m.

From Queens Plaza
10:45 a.m.
12:15 p.m.
1:45 p.m.
3:15 p.m.
4:45p.m.

If you can’t make it, flickr has loads of Nostalgia Train photos.

Anyway, on with the service alerts for the weekend. The NYC Transit press office didn’t send out the release this week with the changes. So some of these may not be accurate. Check the signs in your station before you travel.


Free shuttle buses replace the 2 between 96 St and 149 St-Grand Concourse. 5 trains replace the 2 between 149 St-Grand Concourse and 241 St.
Weekend, 12:01 AM Sat to 5 AM Mon, Dec 27 – 29


No 3 trains running. The 2, 4 and free shuttle buses provide alternate service
Weekend, 12:01 AM Sat to 5 AM Mon, Dec 27 – 29


Woodlawn-bound trains stop at the Utica/New Lots Avs-bound platform at Bowling Green
Late night, 12:01 AM to 5:30 AM Sat and Mon, Dec 27 and 29
Late night, 12:01 AM to 7 AM Sun, Dec 28


Lefferts Blvd/Far Rockaway-bound A trains run express from 168 to 125 Sts
For service to 163, 155 and 135 Sts, take the to 145 or 125 Sts and transfer to a 207 St-bound .
For service from these stations take a 207 St-bound to 145 or 168 Sts and transfer to a Lefferts Blvd/Far Rockaway-bound .
Weekend, 12:01 AM Sat to 5 AM Mon, Dec 27 – 29


A trains run local with the following exceptions:
Free shuttle buses replace trains between Jay St and Utica Av
Transfer between the shuttle bus and the A at Jay St-Borough Hall and Utica Av.
Retain ticket to transfer at Jay St, Franklin or Utica Avs.
Weekend, 11:30 PM Fri to 5 AM Mon, Dec 26 – 29


No C trains running
Weekend, 12:01 AM Sat to 5 AM Mon, Dec 27 – 29


179 St-bound F trains skip 14 and 23 Sts
Weekend, 12:01 AM Sat to 5 AM Mon, Dec 27 – 29
For service from these stations, take a Coney Island-bound F to West 4 St and transfer to a 179 St-bound F.
For service to these stations, take an F to 34 St and transfer to a Coney Island-bound F.


No trains between 8 Av and Union Square.
Use the M14 or shuttle bus instead.
Late night, 11:30 PM to 5 AM Fri to Mon, Dec 26 – 29
Transfer between the M14 or shuttle bus and the L at Union Square, 3 Av or 1 Av.
At Union Sq, 3 and 1 Avs Canarsie bound L trains leave from the 8 Av bound platform.
Note: Trains operate in two sections:

  1. Every 24 minutes between Union Sq and Bedford
  2. Every 24 minutes between Bedford Av and Rockaway Pkwy.

Transfer at Bedford Av to continue your trip.

You may also like

5 comments

Adam G December 26, 2008 - 3:44 pm

WTF is going on with the 4?

Reply
Benjamin Kabak December 26, 2008 - 3:46 pm

It seems that Bronx-bound 4 trains are pulling into Bowling Green on the Brooklyn-bound platform. That is confusing.

Reply
Angus Grieve-Smith December 27, 2008 - 1:50 pm

Last weekend we tried to ride the Nostalgia Train. Got to Queens Plaza shortly before 3PM and sat there until 4:15. It never showed up. There were a bunch of other people who were similarly disappointed. We did have plenty of time to watch a cop scold and then write up an “African American juvenile” for saying “fuck” to him, though.

Reply
Benjamin Kabak December 27, 2008 - 1:51 pm

Ah yeah, last weekend the trains weren’t running to do the very inclimate weather. The MTA doesn’t like to roll out the Nostalgia Trains in the bitter cold, and apparently, they don’t like to tell anyone this either.

Reply
Angus Grieve-Smith December 27, 2008 - 2:50 pm

Really! That’s funny, since they’re all underground.

A number of people who were waiting asked various conductors on the E and R trains if they knew about the nostalgia train, but they were uniformly clueless. One conductor said, “that’s the museum’s project, we don’t have anything to do with it.”

Anyway, thanks for clearing things up, Ben.

Reply

Leave a Comment