5 Looped
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On the Weekend after Thanksgiving on the 27-28 November, 2004. Due to track work on the Clark Street tubes (2 and 3 tubes into Brooklyn) in the Manhattan-bound direction, 2, 3, and 5 trains ran different and unusual service patterns:
1
 Normal Service
2 Downtown normal service except trains ran non-stop between 3 Avenue-Grand Concourse and East 180th Street (This was because of a different GO) and local in parts of the 7 Avenue Line (I don't know the exact location, downtown express track at 34 Street was taped off)
Uptown-via Lexington Avenue Line Express (4/5) between Nevins Street and 149 Street-Grand Concourse, might have ran express in Brooklyn
2 Lexington Avenue EXP
3
Between 148 Street/Lenox Terminal and 42 Street-Times Square only.
4
Ran Local in Brooklyn and extended to New Lots Avenue. 4 To New Lots Avenue
5
Ran Looped service: From Dyre Avenue downtown to East 180 Street, running non-stop to 3 Avenue-149 Street (This was because of a different GO), normal downtown service to Bowling Green (all trains destination signs were the normal 5-"To Bowling Green"), then around the South Ferry Loop, switching to the outer West Side Line track and up to Chambers Street (Bypassed South Ferry and Rector Street to avoid), via 7 Avenue Express and Lenox (replacing 2) to 149 Street-Grand Concourse, then all normal local stops back to Dyre Avenue.
6
 Normal Service except on Saturday downtown trains ran express between Grand Central and Brooklyn Bridge (This GO must have been a late addition since it wasn't on the MTA's website)

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How I rail fanned this:
Even though vintage trains were running in revenue service on the 7 and Broadway Line I skipped them, I had to do this rare G.O.
I started by taking the Bx35 Bus (Orien-7 CNG) from 181 Street (It was the first bus to the 4 that I saw and also probably the fastest) to 167 Street where I switched to a New Lots Avenue-bound R142 4 train and took that to 149 Street-Grand Concourse.
I switched to a Wakefield-bound 2 train that had been via the Lexington Avenue Line. The police booth at the end of the Bronx-bound platform was empty. I was going to take pictures of the train entering the station at the end of the platform going around the curve from the Lexington Avenue Line entrance, as the train began to enter the train operator (T/O) started to blow his horn and stopped his train briefly where I was (I thought to yell at me), I immediately put my camera down and turned my camera off (No one else on the slightly crowded platform noticed anything, not even a man standing about 3 feet away from me).
I got in the last car of the Wakefield-bound R142 2 train and took it to West Farms Square-East Tremont Avenue, one of my favorite rail fanning spots, since there are 2 large curves at either end of the station. The station itself is curved also. I made a point of photographing the back of the train. I took a quick stop and photographed both a 2 and 5 train which were running express in the downtown direction, in the time it took for the next 5 train to come.
I took this train (an R142 of course) one stop north to East 180th, used the cross under with everyone else and switched to a Manhattan-bound Express 2 train, after I got on I immediately decided that I should have waited for the 5 in order to get a slightly more complete 5 Looped diary.
I got off at 3 Avenue-149 Street, walked to the back of the station and waited and got on the next 5 train. This was the train my diary is from.
While I was writing my diary my cameras batteries ran out (I had never turned it off when I was recording the announcements going down Lexington, my fault).

I finished my diary of the Looped portion of the 5 by getting off at 149 Street-Grand Concourse (I didn't have the extra hour nor the patents to complete more by going up to Dyre Avenue). I transfered to a Woodlawn-bound R142 4 and was planning to get off at 170th Street, but my absent-minded self missed my stop and used the free cross under at Mt. Eden Avenue to hop on a New Lots Avenue-bound R142 4 down to 170th Street.
I transfered to the Bx12 bus, It was having a case of bus bunching with two empty Orien-7s running right behind one another. I took Longer then the 167 Street Bx35, since it takes a slightly indirect route to 181 Street, where I went home.
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5 Looped Diary
Time
 Station
 Notes
My 5 train ran express (all 2 and 5 trains were because a G.O.) down from Dyre Avenue, stopping at: Baychester Ave, Gun Hill Road, Pelham Parkway, Morris Park, and East 180 Street
1414
 3 Avenue-149 Street
 I boarded the train here, got into R-142 #6740
1416
 149 Street-Grand Concourse
 We are held by the trains dispatcher for 3 minutes (Leave. 1419). Train is referred to as by both human and computer as "5 to Bowling Green"
1421
 138 Street-Grand Concourse
1423
 125 Street
 Doors recycled twice because in a couple dropped something: The women held the door for the man as he picked it up, they were barely able to get off the train
1427
 86 Street
 Doors Recycle Twice
1430
 59 Street
 Doors Recycle 4 times
1433
 Grand Central-42 Street
 "6 trains are running express to 14 Street, take this train"
1437
 14 Street-Union Square
1442
 Brooklyn Bridge
1444
 Fulton Street
1444
 Wall Street
1445
 Bowling Green
 Train said "Last Stop, ect."--"This train will be running via the West Side Line, the next stop will be Chambers Street"(This same announcement was heard over the stations public address system.) Train waited until 1449, the platform was very crowded with Brooklyn-bound passengers waiting for the 4. When the train left my car and the car in front of mine at least were completely empty. (My camera/voice recorders batteries run out)
(1451)
 South Ferry Outer Loop
 Bypassed: Passengers on platform were trying to figure out what was happening.
On train near station: "The electronic strip maps are not in service" recording, then "The electronic Strip maps are in service, The next stop is Nevins Street" (All signs say were are at Nevins Street).
(1452)
 Rector Street
 Bypassed "The electronic strip maps are not in service" "This is"/ding/"Stand clear of the closing doors please" LED signs say This is Borough Hall. "Transfers are available for 4,N and R trains"
1455
 Chambers St/West Side Line
 "The electronic strip maps are not in service", Correct announcements, On Local track, held until 1456. See workmen on express track and signs saying that during late nights 2 trains stop on the downtown track meaning they use one track to Brooklyn
1500
 14 Street/7 Avenue
 Conductor made announcement in station manually and included "No 2 and 3 trains you must take this train". Others get in car
1502
 34 Street-Penn Station
 Normal recordings and also "There is no 2 or 3 train service, you must take this train". The other Express platform is taped off, downtown 2 trains must have been running local here
1504
 Times Square-42 Street
 R-62 3 train terminating on downtown express track (they were running between 148th/Lenox and Times Square only) Normal Recording then"There is no 2 or 3 train service, you must take this train" (this is incorrect, 3 trains were begging here)
1508
 72 Street/Broadway
 Recording then: "There is no 2 or 3 train service, you must take this train, 96th will be next" (incorrect)
1511
 96 Street/Broadway
 Recording then "There is no 2 or 3 train service, only 1 across platform" (incorrect) An awful piano player played a bit she said "She had just been layed off from her job and could anyone help"
1515
 Central Park North-110 Street
 "This is a Bronx-bound 5 Express train via"-- "There is no 2 or 3 train service, you must take this train"--"Stand Clear of the closing doors please" (there is 3 train service)
'This is"--"There is no 2 or 3 train service, Passengers for 3 train service transfer here for free shuttle buses upstairs" (This is completely incorrect, wonder if anyone fallowed the instructions.)
1518
 116 Street/Lenox
 Before station "For 3 service to 149 Street you must transfer at 135 Street for free shuttle bus service"-entered station and doors opened-"For uptown 2 or 3 train service you must take this is train--there is no 2 or 3 train service" (There is 3 train service)
1519
 125 Street/Lenox
 No 2 or 3 train service ect.
1521
 135 Street/Lenox
 Entering the station: 'This is"--"There is no 2 or 3 train service, Passengers for 3 train service transfer here for free shuttle buses upstairs" (This is completely incorrect, wonder if anyone fallowed the instructions.)
1525
 149 Street-Grand Concourse (again)
 Before station: "The strip maps..."-ding-"Listen up: This is a 5 train to Dyre, transfer at any stop between Grand Concourse and East 180th to 2 trains to 242nd-241st Wakefield.." (repeated this twice) Before station ding. "We have congestion ahead please remain patient" When we got to the station I got off and transfered to the 4 train.
The 5 train I was on, I assume, made all local stops to Dyre Avenue

I didn't/couldn't get the car numbers of the train: I was in the Last car R142 #6740
Total Time of the Looped section (149 Street-Grand Concourse to 149 Street-Grand Concourse): 67 minutes
5 train scheduled time between Bowling Green and 149 Street-Grand Concourse: 28 minutes (scheduled lists to 3 Ave only, as 30 minutes)
2 train scheduled time between Chambers Street and 149 Street-Grand Concourse: 26 minutes
-We made good time, going around the loop only took six minutes (we had to sit in Bowling Green for 4), it was so fast since we ran non-stop and didn't have to have the long time at South Ferry because of the moving platforms.
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This Page Was Last Updated: 27 November, 2004
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