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OTOL Big Apple RailFest 2006 update 1/4/06


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 04 January 2006 - 08:39 PM

OTOL Big Apple RailFest 2006
January 14-15, 2006

Meeting Places

I have been to Herald Square, and have confirmed that the best place for us to meet on Saturday is in the subway concourse outside the paid area of the 33rd Street PATH station, north end of the PATH platform. This will provide quick access to our first subway segment, the N to Astoria. This will protect us from potentially cold or snowy elements outside, and it avoids the unnecessary walk from New York Penn Station, unless you are arriving there by rail. Those coming from New Jersey should take PATH directly to this location. Those coming from points within New York City should take the D, F, N, Q, or R subways to 34th Street/Herald Square, and then follow signs for PATH (but don't enter the PATH faregates). If you are arriving from New York Penn Station or on foot, enter the subway from the corner of Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue) and 32nd Street, and then follow signs for PATH (but don't enter the PATH faregates).

There is a McDonald's on one of the lower levels of Manhattan Mall, adjacent to this location, so you could stop there for breakfast and be a few steps from this meeting location.

We have a relatively late start this time around, 10:22 AM. We will begin to assemble at this location at 10:00 AM. At 10:15 we will begin to walk towards the Broadway Line subway. If you arrive at the meeting location after 10:15, please follow signs to the N train and meet us on the Uptown platform. If by chance you miss us, we will pass through the same station on our way south from Astoria to Coney Island on the Downtown N.

On Sunday morning, we will meet in New York Penn Station outside the LIRR waiting room. This location is near the foot of the escalators that come down from the NJ TRANSIT East Side concourse and Amtrak's main entrance at 7th Avenue/32nd Street. It is also around the corner from the LIRR ticket windows. The location can be pointed out to you on Saturday evening upon completion of that day's activities at Penn Station.

Sunday's LIRR train departs promptly at 9:14 AM. Boarding will most likely begin taking place around 9:05 AM. We therefore should try to assemble at this meeting location around 8:45 AM. If you arrive at the meeting location after boarding has begun, please pay attention to the platform signs and announcements for the Ronkonkoma Branch train. We will try to sit as close as possible to the front of the train, so you can find us there. If coming from Queens, this train can also be boarded at Woodside at 9:25 or Jamaica at 9:36.

Itinerary Changes

One has taken place already. The MTA is doing work on the Fulton Street station complex that weekend, resulting in the termination of 3 service south of 14th Street, and the rerouting of Uptown 2 service to Lexington Avenue instead of 7th Avenue. The 4 train will cover the entire Livonia Avenue line to New Lots, and the Uptown 5 train will cover the Uptown 2 route on 7th Avenue. So for our itinerary, the 4 and 5 have been substituted for the 3. It will involve one extra change of trains at Bowling Green in lower Manhattan. The upside is that we get to ride a small piece of trackage that is not part of the MTA's regular revenue service. See revised itinerary here: http://pages.prodigy...6/itinerary.htm

Contingency plans have been made in the event any other planned routes are taken out of service. In some cases we may just have to skip that line and do it another time. For the two biggest possible problems we would face if rail service was out, I have devised alternate itineraries. If the L line between Myrtle/Wyckoff and Livonia Avenue is not running, we would follow this itinerary: http://pages.prodigy...nerary_no_l.htm . If the M line between Broadway/Myrtle and Middle Village/Metropolitan Avenue is out, we would do this: http://pages.prodigy...nerary_no_m.htm . We will know more about planned service disruptions when the MTA publishes its next lists on Friday, January 6th and Friday, January 13th.

Ticket pre-purchase

Please let Alan know if you want him to purchase a FunPass or pay-per-ride Metrocard for you. Remember that only the pay-per-ride Metrocard is good on PATH, not the FunPass. PATH will still take their own Quick Card or cash at their faregates.

For the LIRR, if you have not already ordered your Greenport round trip ticket by mail online, I would not do so at this point in time. There are only 10 days remaining until the fest. You can get it in person on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday morning if you get to the station early enough before the above meeting time.

More updates forthcoming!


Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ





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