Historical minimum train lengths

[Passenger]

I'm curious about this.

I've seen 3 R-44s on the SIRT.

I have been around since the early 1960s and never personally saw less than 4 other than on the SIRT. Likewise the shortest allowed for by the signs for where to stop has always been 4 during that time.

The older cars could in principle be run as single units.

So what was the shortest? The shortest other than shuttles?

Thanks.

[orangeline]

I have several VCR tapes of the New York transit system and one scene from the early 1960's has several 5-6 car #6 trains running on the elevated in the Bronx. Another tape has 3 car BMT elevated train sets taken in the late 50's or early 60's. Then again the JFK Express ran 3 or 4 car R44/R46 sets between Manhattan and the JFK stop.

[Paul1705]

I've seen pictures of two-car trains on the Second Avenue el and some of the other elevated lines:

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?45944

Single car trains were run on the Fifth-Third Avenue el in Brooklyn during the Depression, and may have been be used elsewhere.

Since World War II, the only line to have two-car trains was probably the Polo Grounds shuttle. Although, the Bowling Green-South Ferry shuttle must have been pretty short too.

[Kamen Rider]

The Franklin Shuttle runs 2 car trains. anything less than two and you're gonna gap and get stuck.

[Passenger]

The Franklin Shuttle runs 2 car trains.

Currently?

[Kamen Rider]

For the last 10 years. a dedicated R68 fleet. They pulled out the roll signs infavor of perminate plastic signs.

[Trainmaster5]

Back in the early '80s the IRT ran 5 car trains on the New Lots-White Plains Road (#2) and Van Cortlandt-South Ferry (#1) lines on the midnights. The Bowling Green-South Ferry shuttle used 2 modified cars during it's hours of operation.

[railfan365]

The Franklin Shuttle runs 2 car trains.

Currently?

Yes. Two single cars coupled narrow cab to narrow cab with a wide cab at each end and OPTO.

[frankie]

It was common to see two car "gate" cars on the Myrtle Ave line during the off-peak late evening hours back in the '50's.

Frankie

[R36 Combine Coach]

#7 ran 6 cars off peak and weekends during the 1970s and early 80s. By 1984 11 cars of R33/R36 WFs were standard at all times (the R36s also received AC by then).

For the last 10 years. a dedicated R68 fleet. They pulled out the roll signs in favor of perminate plastic signs.

The R68s have been assigned to Franklin Shuttle since 1988, when they replaced R27/30s.

[Crabman1130]

SIRT ran borrowded LIRR 2500 passenger cars in 2 unit trains.
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?66767]