08-11-25 VIDEO: Let's Ride NYC Subway: Episode 1 - E Train Queens Boulevard

Well, the Railfan Window Era in New York is almost at an end. If you want to experience the thrill of standing at the front of a subway train as it barrels through the tunnel you'll either have to shell out $50 for a Museum Train ticket or an equal amount for a set of Rich Green's Railfan DVD's...or will you?

That's right, as the cool cars were slowly thrown to the bottom of the ocean I stepped into the breach to preserve a video record of the best runs in the city and they are all available for free on the You Tube. So sit back for the first Episode of Let's ride New York City Subway. Today we ride the E Train in an Budd R32.

We begin at Times Square 42nd Street where the E splits off on its trip to Queens taking the diverging route from the local track and descending to the lower level 50th St station.



Skipping ahead a bit to the Lexington Ave station there our train journeys under the East River to 23rd and Ely. Note the crossover interlockings on either side of the tunnel.



It's a short local hop from 23rd Ely to Queens Plaza where we are joined by the G Train. The Queens Plaza area has been re-signaled under the Queensboro Master tower with new US&S signals replacing the old GRS units.



Now we're turning up the heat as the E train goes express between Queens Plaza and Roosevelt Ave. This takes us through the new 63rd St junction and under the separate 2-track express tunnel under Northern Boulevard. We re-join the local tracks and then finish up at Roosevelt Ave. We also pass a G or R train and meet an F train at Roosevelt. The interlocking around Roosevelt Ave is controlled by the local interlocking tower.




Skipping ahead due to a bad video here we take the short express run from Forest Hills to Union Turnpike. Both stations feature interlocking towers on their east end with US&S Model 14 machines. These two junctions allow access to Jamaica Yard.



Our E train departs from the F and loses its express status as it takes the switch to the new tunnel to Jamica Van Wick from Union Turnpike. As we round the bend we pass an F train that is making a stop at the Van Wick Blvd station.



On the return trip westbound we begin with a special local run from Union Turnpike to 75th Ave due to construction on the express track.



Continuing on the diversion route my R32 E train switches back to the express track between 75th Ave and Forest Hills. An eastbound F train meets us at the Forest Hills platform.



The segment between Forest Hills and Roosevelt was a real bogeyman and I wasn't able to get it westbound either, but we'll just have to pick things up at Roosevelt Ave for the trip to Queens Plaza.

You will notice that sometimes I cut off my video as the train enters the platform. This is to not only save on space sa the train crawls through the station, but also to avoid arising the suspicions of any employees or cops who might happen to be on the platform.

My fear was justified when a pig in the pen at the west end of the Queens Plaza spotted me and pulled me off the train for a bitch out session. Rich Green was with me on this little ride and left me hanging by STAYING ON THE TRAIN AND GOING HOME. I suspect he was hoping to keep out competition for his lucrative RFW DVD business.



And that's it for this episode of Let's Ride New York City Subway.