"Sea Beach EXP" On R160s For "N"

I just noticed on the "N's" R160s that it states that the "N" runs the Sea Beach Exp?? I've never known that the "N" runs express anywhere below 59 Street at any time. The destination goes as follows:

CONEY ISLAND
BROADWAY EXP
Then the infamous: SEA BEACH EXP

Can someone explain to me, why this is so?

I haven't ridden the N line for more than 15 years, having moved to metro Chicago in early '90s, but N trains DID run express under Broadway from 57th St to 59th St/4Av in Brooklyn for quite a long time. I have a 2004 map that refers to the "N Broadway Express", but if you follow the route in Brooklyn you'll see "Sea Beach Line" above the yellow route line, hearkening back to BRT/BMT days when it was called the "Sea Beach Express".

NJTKid01 wrote:I just noticed on the "N's" R160s that it states that the "N" runs the Sea Beach Exp?? I've never known that the "N" runs express anywhere below 59 Street at any time. The destination goes as follows:

CONEY ISLAND
BROADWAY EXP
Then the infamous: SEA BEACH EXP

Can someone explain to me, why this is so?

The N is express before 59th but whoever was responsible in the MTA for the decision as to what to program didn't want ot put "4th Av Exp" or "Sea Beach Lcl" as too many route indicators would just confuse people.

Example:
Coney Island
Broadway Express
4th Av Express
Sea Beach Local

Anyone who rides the N regularly knows that it is a local below 59th. Besides once they see the N they don't even care about the rest.

After many years of using the Montague Tunnel the N got the best part of its express run back in recent years - from Canal over the Manhattan Bridge to Dekalb or even Pacific. Of all the former BMT lines the N, then and now, is a true BMT express. The Q is the only other. All the other lines still operating are mostly, if not entirely, local - and some are painfully so. The R is a great example. It has dozens of stops and never sees the light of day, from Forest Hills to Bay Ridge. The N is the fastest route to Coney Island, and even the NX of the 1960s was through routed to the Brighton Line for local service from the Sea Beach inner tracks, the only regular service to run there - ever!

I mean, regular "N" riders could really give a damn what the signs say but it struck me to be interesting. Regardless of whatever history dictates, to me, the "N" has never run express below 59 unless of a diversion.

I saw this and assumed that I might try riding the N express to Coney Island. I'm somewhat of an outsider I suppose, but this one threw me regardless... should probably not say what it does.

I think the sign should be read as:

CONEY ISLAND
BROADWAY EXP
UNRELIABLE SERVICE

No matter the sign says, the "N" runs as a local anyway with the speeds during Rush hours.

Actually I have always thought the sings should read:

-N-
ITS GOING
TO BE
A WHILE

Of all the former BMT lines the N, then and now, is a true BMT express.

Then why does it have to make ALL stops from Penn Station to Ditmars Blvd? Some of us would appreciate a faster trip between Midtown and Astoria.

Just for clarification - the only true Sea Beach Express to ever run in normal service since the 1960's was called the NX. It ran for about a year or so around 1966-1967 as follows:

Brighton Beach to 57/7Av via - south to Coney Island with local stops and running Express out of Coney Island on the Sea Beach express tracks with no stops until 59th street/4th AV. From there, it made express stops only to 57/7th AV.

Trains ran with typical rush hour pattern - to Manhattan in AM rush and to Brighton PM Rush.

I'm not sure that the NX was significantly faster than the Q of that time which ran express via Brighton, over the Bridge and under Broadway. And from what I know, the NX was lightly patronized. The TA cancelled the service blaming light ridership.

Seems to me that by missing every local stop on the Sea Beach line between Coney Island and 4th Avenue, it missed to many opportunities to help passengers get to work. And so it was too much of an express and therefore - a failure.