The Redbird Ramble
(photos and info by Jeremiah Cox)

The Redbird Ramble was a farewell to the redbirds and took place on 20 and 21 December, 2003. The day was bitterly cold and it seemed that some of the heat in the cars weren't working. The trip was to benefit the March of Dimes. And used 6 R-36 singles. I went on the 21st Trip only.

The route:
The trip started like most IRT MOD trips on the shuttle track 1 at Grand Central at 10:30AM.
We ran local to 14th Street and then express down the Lexington Avenue line through the Joralemon Street Tubes express in Brooklyn and down to Winthrop Street and then continuing down to Flatbush Avenue.
We ran local trough Brooklyn up on the 2,3 tubes and to 14th Street to use the directional switch then back down again switching onto the local track north of Chambers Street and to the next photo stop Rector Street
The trip ran to Chambers express up to 96th and then via the Middle track (all trains were do to a GO) of the Broadway Line to 181 Street (switching at 137th) which was a 2 minute photo stop. and then running on the normal 1,9 tracks to 242 Street-Van Cortlant Park which was the Lunch Stop.

After Lunch: The train did a run-by (I did not participate) in the middle track back to Dyckman Street. After picking people up we ran down to 96th Street and swiched onto the downtown express track we wanted to go up Lenox, but a 2 (R-142) T/O thinking our train was a three train went beyond the switch to the uptown track but before the crossover switch to the local track. Eventually the train was sent express via the local track. It took a minute for the T/O to accept his strange line-up. We then ran up Lenox, passed 145 Street (3) and swiched back onto the unique Drill Track in the Lenox Yard (This was a surprise and not on the itinerary)
We then ran back down to 135 Street up the 2 tunnel to the Bronx went beyond 149 Street-Grand Concourse where we swiched back to the downtown track and ran up to the center track of the Jerome Avenue 4 line. Then swiched directions again and ran up to Woodlawn which was a drop off point/Photo stop. The only problem was now it was dark outside so a lot of my photos are very dark
I then hopped on a normal downtown 4 train (R-142) to Bedford Park Blvd and got off to watch the run-by. This stop is good because there is a small curve at either end and the Concourse Yard is directly down and next to the end of the downtown platform.
After the run-by I took the next downtown 4 train (R-62) to 149 Street-Grand Concourse, where the redbird train waited for us on the center track. Then the trip then stopped at Grand Central running down the Lexington Avenue Express, I got off. The train then ran Local around the City Hall loop to Brooklyn Bridge which was the Last Stop. And then light to the White Plains Road Yard.