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Discussion relating to the past and present operations of the NYC Subway, PATH, and Staten Island Railway (SIRT).

Moderator: GirlOnTheTrain

 #1447326  by JamesRR
 
On the 8th Avenue line, south of the 34th Street express platform, is a storage/stub track that connects to both express tracks. It runs from the platform at 34th almost all the way to 23 Street.

Does anyone know if this is still connected and is it ever used? I always see it when I leave Penn - seems like a large layup track, though not sure what its purpose really was - I suppose if something is parked there, it's easy enough to exit via 34th Street platform.
 #1447477  by RWERN
 
I cannot comment on the active use, but it would be a likely place for storage or layup. Given the location, it could also be used for short-turning in Midtown.

It's perhaps worth nothing that a similar center track exists on the 7th Ave line between 34th and 42nd Streets, although it lacks the stub portion the 8th Ave line track has.
 #1447497  by rr503
 
This may not be the only reason it exists, but I've heard that that layup was used to turn E trains terminating at the lower level of 42nd st. They'd come up from down there, join the express track, move through 34th, and then slip onto the layup to turn north/back to queens.
 #1447535  by Trainmaster5
 
I've had occasion to use that track when I worked IRT-IND transfers. Coming from Concourse Yard heading toward 207th Yard if there was congestion around 125th St-St. Nick we'd frequently be sent southbound and that spur was an easy, out of the way spot to turn a SMEE transfer. The next out of the way spot was actually Second Avenue on the 6th Avenue side. The 30th St spur always appeared, at least to me, to be a well thought out design choice by the IND planners.
 #1447601  by JamesRR
 
rr503 wrote:This may not be the only reason it exists, but I've heard that that layup was used to turn E trains terminating at the lower level of 42nd st. They'd come up from down there, join the express track, move through 34th, and then slip onto the layup to turn north/back to queens.
Yes, based on the track maps, it appears there were connections to the express tracks at both the northern and southern ends of the spur, allowing for easy turns in either direction. Seems like 34th could easily be used as a terminal station (the express platform) using the spur to change directions.

I can't tell if it's still connected or in use, though, although I can see the bumper block quite well when passing.
 #1447748  by railfaned
 
I must be getting old, as I remember the lower level of 42nd Street being used for the Aqueduct Raceway Special express trains that started there. I would guess that those trains used that layup track. I don't know if the later day JFK Expresses ever used that layup track.
 #1447869  by Allan
 
Just as an F Y I,

I rode by that area on an A train earlier today and can confirm that the connecting tracks from/to the uptown and downtown express tracks are still in place.