The Nostalgia Train, shown here in 2007, stops at Queens Plaza as confused straphangers look on. (Photo by Benjamin Kabak)
In the lead-up to the holiday season, the MTA’s popular Nostalgia Train will return. The agency announced earlier this week that the mothballed cars will run every Sunday along the M line from 2nd Ave. to Queens Plaza. It is a continuing holiday tradition at this point.
“For the first four Sundays, subway riders will be able to catch a ride on this classic subway train at stations along the line between Queens Plaza and Second Avenue,” Joseph Leader, MTA New York City Transit’s Senior Vice President of the Department of Subways, said. “They aren’t the first subway cars, but these R 1/9 cars served for five decades and are historically significant as the rolling stock that originally served the IND.”
According to the MTA, the cars were originally in use from the 1930s to the 1970s along the IND and BMT lines. They feature ceiling fans, padded seats and state-of-the-art incandescent lights. Some of the cars were still in service as recently as 35 years ago, and each Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. you can relive that history if you catch the trains.
Meanwhile, to say it is a busy weekend of work would be an understatement. This is one of the last crazy weekends until after Christmas, but there’s bustitution galore. And don’t forget about my upcoming events.
From 6:45 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, November 16 and Sunday, November 17, 241st Street-bound 2 trains run express from 3rd Avenue-149th Street to East 180th Street due to rail replacement at Intervale Avenue and gauge replacement south of Jackson Avenue.
From 3:30 a.m. Saturday, November 16 to 10 p.m. Sunday, November 17, there are no 4 trains between Woodlawn and 161st Street-Yankee Stadium due to track panel installation at Burnside Avenue. Customers may take the D train and free shuttle buses instead.
- 4 service operates between Utica Avenue/New Lots Avenue and 161st Street-Yankee Stadium.
- Transfer between 4 and D trains at 161st Street-Yankee Stadium.
- For service to and from 167th Street, 170th Street, Mt. Eden Avenue, 176th Street, Burnside Avenue, 183rd Street, Fordham Road and Kingsbridge Road, use nearby D stations instead. Walk or take a crosstown bus between 4 and D stations.
Take free shuttle buses to and from Bedford Park Blvd, Mosholu Parkway and Woodlawn. Free shuttle buses connect with Bedford Park Blvd D station.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 16 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 18, 4 trains run local in both directions between Grand Central-42nd Street and Brooklyn Bridge due to signal work at 14th Street-Union Square.
From 7:15 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, November 16 and from 9:15 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, November 17, Dyre Avenue-bound 5 trains run express from 3rd Avenue-149th Street to East 180th Street due to signal work at 14th Street-Union Square.
From 5:45 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Saturday, November 16 and from 7:45 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Sunday, November 17, 5 trains run every 20 minutes between Dyre Avenue and Bowling Green and 5 trains run local in both directions between Grand Central-42nd Street and Brooklyn Bridge due to signal work at 14th Street-Union Square.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 15 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 18, Pelham Bay Park-bound 6 trains run express from 3rd Avenue-138th Street to Parkchester due to ADA upgrades at Hunts Point Avenue.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 15 to 4 a.m. Monday, November 18, there is no 7 train service between Main Street and Willets Point due to rail and cable work north of Willets Point. Free shuttle buses provide alternate service.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 15 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 18, Brooklyn-bound A trains run express from 168th Street to 125th Street due to track tie renewal south of 168th Street.
From 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, November 16 and Sunday, November 17, Brooklyn-bound C trains run express from 168th Street to 125th Street due to track tie renewal south of 168th Street.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 15 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 18, there are no E trains between Jamaica Center and Van Wyck Blvd due to track maintenance between Jamaica-Van Wyck and Sutphin Blvd-Archer Avenue. E service operates between World Trade Center and Van Wyck Blvd and via the F line to and from 179th Street F station. Free shuttle buses operate between Jamaica Center and Union Turnpike, stopping at Sutphin Blvd-Archer Avenue, Jamaica-Van Wyck and Van Wyck Blvd.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 15 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 18, Manhattan-bound E trains run express from Forest Hills-71st Avenue to Queens Plaza due to tunnel lighting rehabilitation from 36th Street to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue.
From 11:15 p.m. Friday, November 15 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 18, Coney Island-bound F trains are rerouted via the M Line from Roosevelt Avenue to 47th-50th Sts due to station work at Lexington Avenue-63rd Street for the Second Avenue Subway Project.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 15 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 18, Queens-bound F trains run express from Church Avenue to Smith-9th Sts due to work on the Church Avenue Interlocking.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 15 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 18, Queens-bound G trains run express from Church Avenue to Smith-9th Sts due to work on the Church Avenue Interlocking.
From 12:45 a.m. Saturday, November 16 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 18, there are no J trains between Essex Street and Chambers Street due to escalator replacement south of Essex Street. J service operates between Jamaica Center and Essex Street. To travel to/from the Bowery, Canal Street and Chambers Street, customers may use the 6 at nearby stations. F and M trains provide connecting service via Broadway-Lafayette Street and Delancey-Essex Sts.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, November 15 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 18, there are no L trains between 8th Avenue and Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs due to track tie renewal at 14th Street-Union Square, Bedford Avenue, Lorimer Street, Graham Avenue and Grand Street. L service operates between Rockaway Parkway and Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs. Customers may use A, F, J and M trains and the M14 and free shuttle buses for alternate service.
- M service is extended to the 57th Street F station during the daytime and evening hours.
- Free shuttle buses operate in two sections:
- Between Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs and Lorimer Street, stopping at DeKalb Avenue, Jefferson Street, Morgan Avenue, Montrose Avenue, Grand Street and Graham Avenue.
- At Lorimer Street, Bedford Avenue, Marcy Avenue (J, M), Hewes Street (J, M), and Broadway (G).
In Manhattan, customers should use M14 buses for station along 14th Street. The M14A serves the Delancey-Essex Sts station.
From 6 a.m., Saturday, November 16 to 12:50 a.m. Sunday, November 17 and from 8 a.m. to 11:45 p.m., Sunday, November 17, M service is extended to the 57th Street F station due to track tie renewal at 14th Street-Union Square, Bedford Avenue, Lorimer Street, Graham Avenue and Grand Street.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 15 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 18, M trains skip Fresh Pond Road in both directions due to station renewal work. Free loop shuttle buses provide connecting service between Fresh Pond Road and Forest Avenue stations.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 16 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 18, there is no Q train service between 57th Street-7th Avenue and Church Avenue due to track work north of Prospect Park. Q service operates between Stillwell Avenue and Church Avenue. Free shuttle buses provide alternate service between Church Avenue and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center, stopping at Parkside Avenue, Prospect Park and 7th Avenue.
- To Manhattan, customers may take the D, F, or N from Stillwell Avenue.
- To Coney Island, customers may take the D, F, and N at 34th Street-Herald Square or the D, N at Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center.
- Between Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center and 57th Street-7th Avenue, customers may take the N or R.
From 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, November 16 and Sunday, November 17, Manhattan-bound R trains run express from Forest Hills-71st Avenue to Queens Plaza due to tunnel lighting rehabilitation from 36th Street to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue.
12 comments
Given the situation with the (E) train AND given the (J) can’t go to Chambers anyway, for this weekend, I would have had BOTH the (J) and (M) trains run to 57th and 6th, the (M) to cover the (L) and the (J) to cover the (E) for those wanting to go between Midtown and Jamaica Center with a one-seat ride. It might have led to a bit of confusion to see the (J) running via 6th Avenue, but for one weekend it would have been worth it (and if necessary, I would have had some (J) trains run to Columbus Circle or 145th Street via CPW local and terminate there).
This would have been one time to have had BOTH the (J) and (M) terminate at 57th/6th if possible.
57th st cannot handle 2 traons terminating. The queens bound F is running normally. It would cause messes on the 6th ave line.
The J work why not they work up at Chambers st? Take advantage!
Wow that makes no sense.
I hope that they are taking advantage of the L closure to do Sandy-related work in the tubes under the river. Given that we’ve been told that future closures are inevitable, I’d hate to see a whole weekend go to waste.
It’s now been over 10 years since the Redbirds were last in official service — along with the R 1-9s on Sixth Avenue, it would be nice to see the MTA pull out the Train of Many Colors one of the years for holiday season service on the 6, between Brooklyn Bridge and the pocket track north of 59th Street (the route they used for the Low Vs when they were in regular service to mark the IRTs 75th anniversary).
Probably more of a logistical problem than running trains on the Sixth Ave Line. The IRT Lex Local (6) has very frequent headways even during weekends. Adding an additional train at very busy 59th Street would be more trouble than it’s worth, whereas the Second Ave terminus on the IND has platform and track space to spare, especially on the weekend. Also, the IND cars have a lot more charm (and room) than the early 1960s Redbirds ever did.
TOMC gets points for, well, for it’s MCs … plus the porthole window side doors on the R-15 and (for me, anyway) the World’s Fair color scheme on 9306.
Logistics at 59th Street would be tight, but on a Sunday morning/afternoon not all that much worse than dealing with the E at Queens Plaza on a weekend, while at the other end the 6 trains hold anyway on the uptown platform going through the City Hall loop. They wouldn’t have their own dedicated platform like the R-1/9s do at Second Avenue, but there would be a break between the time the arrived on the uptown side and the time they departed.
If that is going to be done, the best bet for a (6) nostalgia train would be for it to run it to either the 3rd Avenue Bronx station (three-track station) OR to the 149th Street 4 station OR if you wanted to include Yankee Stadium, the Burnside Avenue 4 station. Any of those would be more logical terminals to do the TOMC under in a holiday situation (don’t forget, 86th Street from 2nd to Lexington Avenue is also a major shopping district).
The Nostalgia Train is just wonderful. A treat for young and old. Very highly recommended.
With the L train shut down for the weekend, they should be running more G trains. I was waiting more than 20 minutes for a NB G train at the Nassau Street station yesterday afternoon. When the train did come, it was absolutely packed to the gills. While it’s nice they have the M train running all the way to Midtown, that doesn’t do much for those of us in the Bedford Ave/Lorimer/Graham Ave area.
Q not running north of Church was a pain this weekend. 4 tracks & all of them had to be outta service?
It would be fun to change up the routing of the Holiday Train instead of doing the same thing every year. How about:
2 Av to 145 St
Whitehall St to Queens Plaza
2 Av to Queens Plaza via 8th Avenue