My latest NYCTA adventure

All righty, so I decided to invade the NYCTA yet again on July 6th (luckily before the post-London stepped up security), and this is what I did.

I started out at New Haven MNRR station and rode on 8845 all the way down to GCT. I had a nice talk with the train conductor and even the train operator, he was nice and friendly. Then at Grand Central I took the Shuttle to the A train at 42nd street, where I got an R38 Silverbird (yeyy!! corner cab!). That was R38 4073, and rode on board till Broad Channel where I switched to an R44 Rockaway Park Shuttle Train 5410. I was able to see thru the painted over cab-access door window, they cut a hole big enough to see the engineer drive that WABCO controller thing.

Then I left with everyone else at Rock Park itself where I again went to the Rockaway Sunset Diner, grabbed a bite there, and then re-boarded the Shuttle on R44 5438 till Broad Channel where I was met by an R44 A Train, car 5398. Stayed on that train till 42nd Street where I switched to the 7 train and got off at Grand Central, and then I got on MNRR car 8901, the 5:01PM to New Haven (8901 was the middle car of the train) which was packed citing the afternoon rush on a weekday, didn't get a seat till South Norwalk, which was the first stop for that train (it skipped 125th Street and everything else in between) and then got back to New Haven at 6:35, and then drove back up I-95 to my Holbrook home at 9:40 later that evening....

So, not a bad adventure, all done and accomplished in ONE day!

Robert, I'm gonna take pics in my LIRR territory with a little caution on Monday. Yes its gonna be tough, but photo taking is not illegal as long as you don't do any type of illegal trespassing on Railroad grounds. You did have a fun day it looks like.

Yes, I sure did, Mr. Feldman. Have you ever gone on the Rockaways by A train?

Not a bad day's trip at all ! You must have a lot of energy. I think I'd stay overnight for that one. So Rob, you had a good front window view and conversation from New Haven to GCT huh? Great! All that was missing was the old signal bridges on the Park Ave. viaduct. Did you ever see those signals years ago? All 4 tracks reverse signalled; bridges closely spaced; it was great. When they took them down, it was an early nail in the railfans' coffin..............

Not a bad day's trip at all ! You must have a lot of energy. I think I'd stay overnight for that one. So Rob, you had a good front window view and conversation from New Haven to GCT huh? Great! All that was missing was the old signal bridges on the Park Ave. viaduct. Did you ever see those signals years ago? All 4 tracks reverse signalled; bridges closely spaced; it was great. When they took them down, it was an early nail in the railfans' coffin..............

You're darn right! I really had some stored energy in one day. But in this fall's trip, I'll sta a few nights there... Yes, I'm glad I was able to interact with that train operator, I brought up stuff about the MBTA system, and NYCTA comparisons.

I do remember seeing those Park Ave Signal bridges, I miss them, they were really fun to go over them. But in all I got to ride my favourite route, you could say....

Wow! You traveled approx. 450 miles to and from Midtown! I enjoy diners and have never heard of the Rockaway diner. After reading your post, I checked the diner sites and it isn't listed. I guess they simply don't have complete lists. So, Rob, how is that diner? I may have to duplicate your trip. I hope to get back to Gotham after the HHH weather goes away..... Best regards, Ken

Yeap, sort of, I also made a stopover at Naugatuck, CT for more railfanning before coming to NYC. Yeah, the restaurant is not listed, but they do have their own website, www.rockawaysunsetdiner.com. I hope you really do duplicate it, it's nice and the furthest train line too. You're right about the heat wave, You best do it in September when it gets cooler and come back to "Gotham City" as they used to call it in "Batman".