116 years of service. I wonder if the original IRT planners, who were at work before the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk, ever dreamed that their design would still be in daily use over a century later. It would be like a railroad line being designed today still being in use in 2136.

Although it is sad to see the old equipment go, it needed to happen. The old signals and track equipment were most prone to breaking down on the entire network due to their age.

RIP Track 3 1904-2020. Going to join its fellow buddy Track 2 in the grave.

Great video! Thanks for documenting this, I would've loved to do so myself, but I was there, lol. Too bad you missed my final Track 3 announcement leaving Grand Central on that last trip. It was very cool operating the final revenue half back from Times Square. 💙GCS

Great documentation of a bit of history here. Looking forward to flying over and riding the NYC subway again one day 🇬🇧

Oh how I regret not taking some more time to observe that shuttle. Who knew there was such fascinating history behind it.

Thanks for the history lesson as well as the documenting of the end of an era.

Is sad to se things from MTA to be abandoned like track 3 for examples or stations that we never see before

Man, this is unusually sad to see. RIP 42nd Street Stations Track 3, and long live tracks 1 and 4.

Well times change, but it's videos like these that make sure memories live on forever! Thankfully however tracks 2 and 3 will be referenced on the new platform.

That was both (S)ad & (S)pecial for the shuttle R.I.P Track 3

I've been running on this track as long as I remember, since 1904. i have had many (some weird) memories on that track, and I will very much miss track 3. and i also saw you riding me.

Oof nice and sad to see it go glad I got stuff of it before it went

This is a great video. IMO it should be displayed at the transit museum for historic reference.

I haven't used the shuttle in years. I remember mostly how it was in the 50s, 60s and 70s and used to have a reoccurring dream about a guy who had a living room on the mezzanine and gave out subway info to anyone who asked while he sat in a Lazy Boy watching MLB on his T.V.

Aight, the switch equipment being used in the gap filler is a real foam fact I never knew that... I applaud the informative nature of the videos bro

As a trackman during the 80s what a fantastic job it was. Now living in Belize.

R.I.P. Track 3 | 1904 - 2020 | 116 Years

RIP TRACK 3 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

I love your tour videos! Please do more, I miss them!!! Rip track 3, gone but not forgotten :(

Thank you for taking the time to document this.

Thank you for capturing this moment and sharing!

Barley anybody lives that long. There are only 3 people alive today who existed before the subway.

Thank you for cataloguing this - I'm a daily shuttle user, and will miss Track 3.

Track 3 of the IRT 42nd St Shuttle is no more after 116 years in service, I'll be damned!!!

Great video! The Times Square Shuttle is truly an icon of the city. Hope this is the right direction.

This is very cool. Thanks for documenting this in such detail.

RIP Track 3: 1904-2020 Thank you very much for your dedication of service to the people of New York City 🇺🇸🍁🍰🥧

Thank you for your time! Go network. I love New York!🤠🤠🤠👍

Thank you great video. Really appreciate your work. 👍👍❤️

I can't get over how much this guys knows about the NY Subway.

Going to miss the old track

Thanks for the video! Great information! I remember when the Myrtle Avenue el had its last run. We watched it from a window in our fraternity house. It was PACKED!!!

Another excellent video. I'll miss the character of the old Shuttle with its vintage signal equipment.

I did the Shuttle when I was In the A Division . Track 3 was the easiest one to do because on the Time Square side there isn't a bumper block staring right next to you like on track 1. It was enough length to reach the punch for the gap filler. It was much easier on the Grand Central side. You can get up to a good speed before the timers. Nice video DJH!! RIP Track 3!! (1904-2020) Well think of this way track 3 didn't suffer from COVID in this case.😂🤣😂

RIP TRACK 3 1904-2020

I’m actually kinda crying in the inside.

Love the text history narrative. Reminds me of your earlier videos.

F. We will always remember track 3.

Thanks for the ride and all the interesting background on the Shuttle. Anyone know if it will still be possible to watch 7th Avenue trains going by from the Times Square Shuttle station? Suggestion: It would be interesting to watch a video devoted to bringing trains in and out of a Shuttle station when they need to be serviced.

It's been 2 and a half years since the death of track 2 & 3 plus the old 42 st Shuttle equipment 🪦 😔 they'll never be forgotten

damn that conductor speedrunning the announcements.

Will the original tile work. Still be on 42 street? As well as the old red rails from 1904. Or will that be removed to?

Man for 2.5 years, always used the shuttle coming from Stamford to work in the city. Haven’t used the shuttle since moving to NC in August of 2018.

Where is track 2 then? Is it already under the platform in between track 1 and track 3? If so, the platform they had in 1904 was so narrow!

You know, whenever I see a story like this, I have this crazy idea. They're going to be removing all this interesting old equipment, the signal heads and signage and such. Wouldn't it be cool if rather than just throwing it all in a dumpster, the MTA donated some items to somebody like the NY Transit Museum , and let them auction it off on eBay for charity. The funds could go to the museum or some other worthy organization. They would probably have to make the auctions for the heavy items "local pickup only", and with the current situation they might have to pile the items in a corner somewhere until the pandemic is over. Obviously they would have to make sure whoever they donated the equipment to was willing to put in the time and effort to do the auctions, but they could probably raise a couple thousand dollars that way. (And I might get to display an authentic NYC Transit signal head in my workshop. Yes I'm thinking of myself here too.)

The 42 Street Shuttle will forever be in the hearts of real New Yorkers. One of my favorite memories of the 42nd Street Shuttle was on October 28, 1986. My friend and I ditched school for a half day to go to the Mets ticker tape parade. We took the 7 train from Flushing H.S. from Main Street. Stopped at Shea Stadium then went express to 42nd Street Times Sqaure. We did the bonehaed thing. We got off at 42nd & Lex @ Grand Central to walk over to track 3 of the 42nd Street Shuttle and the cars were painted Blue and Orange (Mets Team Colors). The train numbers where replaced by the Mets Cap insignias. When the shuttle pulled in. The driver hunk the horn three times to be met by cheering passengers awaiting to board the shuttle.

And a new entrance on 42nd & Vandy @ grand central, coming soon.

Also when they add 6 cars will be the same operations one Train Operator operate other gets doors or Conductors will be added?

I hope that they preserve some of that old equipment, like the 1908 equipment box.

Well done video very educational. I remember an old wooded dolly cart at the end of the station in the wide. It looked like it was the early 1900"s

RIP Track 3, it was neat to see the 123 trains from that unique opening in TS Station.

Great posting

Very interesting. thanks for posting this.

Very interesting.. Thank you..

Thanks for sharing 👍

Cool Fact: The shuttle actually had 4 tracks, This was originally part of the 4,5 and 6 lines in the very early days of the subway. Once the Lexington ave lines were extended beyond Grand Central the trains were redirected to the current 4 track upper level. The 4 tracks (now 2) at Grand Central on the shuttle was the original terminus of the 4,5 and 6 lines. That explains why the local and express tracks are segregated by levels at 33rd street. This was because the tracks were and still are leading down as they once did to the original terminus. But they turn and re align with the upper level with the local tracks. That is also why the 6 train takes this hard turn when entering and leaving the station on both sides, it turns to align with the express tracks.. It would have originally terminated on the lower current shuttle level. Yes a lot of work has happened to Grand Central since it's humble beginnings.

That is so sad to see closed. I have never stepped foot on any of these tracks.

It’s been forever since I’ve been on the subway. Was the 1928 signal run with incandescent bulbs? They must have been replaced often. One of the cars looked like it was mostly standing room. There was one other station with big gap fillers that looked like giant metal teeth, I think it was 14th St. is it still around? Must have been extremely advanced for its day.

Reminds me of the tight turning station at 14th St/Union Sq station... the last remains of the original Lenape tribe people dug up and discarded over 100 years ago sadly.

I visited NYC several times between 2002 and 2010. I noticed that track 2 was missing, but didn’t know why. The HBLR tracks at Hoboken Terminal also had a missing number, I think they were numbered H1, H2 and H4, with no H3. Do you know the reason for this? Presumably it wasn’t because a track had been taken out of use because I first used the HBLR to that station soon after it was extended there.

This is like the Waterloo & City line in London

You had me at the word “Abandonment”

Thanks for recording. Will they eliminate one of the connections, either at Grand Central or Times Square?

I hope that all that old equipment that is going to be removed goes to the museum.

Great..... really interesting video 👍

5:45 I just love that the train car number says “1953” lol

wow, that equipment lasted a long time. nothing we make today would last that long

great video but also sad 👍🚇😭

Thank god i got on that track a lot

I'll be sad to see it go. Love the original signalling equipment used down there.

A very lovely video. Is the Franklin Avenue Shuttle still in existence?

I used the shuttle many many years. Its just a train and a track. But sad to see it go.

The second-to-the last one R62A was sad, you can hear it from the door chime

They will, probably?, continue the #1 South Side eastern connection to Lexington and #4 North Side western end connection to B'way-7th?? Will the #1>

Wait track 2 was removed before. Why was that anyway? Edit: with track 3 at both stations being removed are they going to add a new connection between 1 and 4

I always wondered why that service hasn't been converted into a dual way (per track) travelator or outo walkway, considering the distance (.44 miles), maintenance, and manpower ...

I wish I'd known, it would've been so easy to hop the train and pay a visit down there for the final run.

Great video

I wonder if in the future track 3 could be used as a passing siding for track 4. And the same for track 2 and 1. That way you could fit 2 trains on each track, departing the terminals at the same time and passing in the middle. It would be nice to have 4 four-car trains on the line rather than 2 six-car trains.

Can't wait to see the finished result. The renders look promising if they give this place any kind of similar treatment like they did with the Enhanced Station Initiative

This is really sad. Track 3 was my fav.

Someone said there won't be a crossover between track 1 and 4 after work is complete. I'm surprised they didn't think to use a middle track like 3 to be a storage track so as to not rely so much on yards so far from 42nd Street. That means track 4 will have to be supported from the 207th Street Bronx yard on the B'way line and track 1 will be supported by the Livonia Brooklyn IRT yard.

I don't know if anyone asked this. But will there still be that track that track access onto the 7th Ave line, when trains need to be serviced?

I remember riding the (S) on track 3 so many times. I can’t believe it’s the last time it will ever run :(

I remember taking this train all the time to grand central to get buy stuff

quite sad even if I didn't know about till today

The concrete is so clean- it looks like they just re-laid it. Why would they do that if the track was soon to be abandoned?

Could you do a another video on Corona Queens

Oh well, Part's of it's history will be torn down.

With a 6 car consist {6 X 50 ft.} How far will the west end at Grand Central T. be from the east end at Times Square? If they would use [L-0-L] 10 car consists |500 feet| what would be the loci ten. Maybe 1200 feet or 1500? per chance - Madison to 6th Avenue =aka A-o-t-A= who uses that?

I hope the old signals from the 1900s-1920s will be preserved and put in the Transit Museum.

Gosh - I was there only last year.

DJ Why do certain trains have an A in them is that a meaning?

How come they cut it? I guess one and four still there it's been a long time since I've been to New york. I think I remember this short little track. I think it went from times square to Grand Central terminal? I live in Chicago so I'll have to ask one of my New York friends

Well, at least the track 3 cars can be used for the trains on tracks 1 and 4.

the gap remind me of south ferry train station . maybe it's been renovated since i was young since i haven't seen it in yeaaars but i think its the 1 train that has a big curve in the station where these metal grate type things filled the gap

I'm still carrying my old subway map in my satchel that I got from the N.Y. Post over 20 years ago. It's shaped as a metro card. The Post was giving them away for free. Do you think it's time that I should retire it ?

Suggestion: putting durable plexiglass over track 3 and making ppl looking at history.

I am going to miss those gap fillers. At least Union Square still has them