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Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?

Posted by Mitch45 on Thu Dec 19 19:11:06 2024

I distinctly recall seeing subway maps when I was a kid in the early ‘70s showing the (6) going to South Ferry. The former track connection can still be seen north of Fulton Street station? Why was the line cut back to BB?

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(1637919)

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Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?

Posted by gbs on Thu Dec 19 21:51:06 2024, in response to Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?, posted by Mitch45 on Thu Dec 19 19:11:06 2024.


In 1966, the #6 went to South Ferry in the overnight hours, instead of the #5 which went there during the other hours. It looks like only one service went to South Ferry at a time.

1966 Service Guide

Even without the track connection north of Fulton St, trains on the local track can switch to the express track north of Brooklyn Bridge and then proceed to South Ferry if they have to.

Downtown track diagram


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(1637923)

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Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?

Posted by Mitch45 on Fri Dec 20 11:35:13 2024, in response to Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?, posted by gbs on Thu Dec 19 21:51:06 2024.

Your first statement is not exactly true. If you look at the 1966 Service Guide, you'll see plenty of overlap of South Ferry service between the 1 and 6 trains. If you want to tell me that east side IRT service to South Ferry was alternated between the 5 and 6, that's different.

But you didn't answer my question. When was 6 service to South Ferry terminated and why? Did the MTA feel that the Bowling Green-South Ferry shuttle provided adequate service there?

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(1637924)

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Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?

Posted by randyo on Sat Dec 21 02:59:13 2024, in response to Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?, posted by Mitch45 on Fri Dec 20 11:35:13 2024.

Not sure of the exact date, but at some point, NYCT felt that Bowling Green was close enough to the ferry that direct service from the east side lines to So Fy was not needed so it decided to discontinue service there leaving only the #1 and R (N overnight) to service the ferry directly.

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(1637925)

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Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?

Posted by randyo on Sat Dec 21 02:59:43 2024, in response to Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?, posted by Mitch45 on Fri Dec 20 11:35:13 2024.

Not sure of the exact date, but at some point, NYCT felt that Bowling Green was close enough to the ferry that direct service from the east side lines to So Fy was not needed so it decided to discontinue service there leaving only the #1 and R (N overnight) to service the ferry directly.

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(1637926)

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Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?

Posted by zac on Sat Dec 21 06:41:27 2024, in response to Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?, posted by randyo on Sat Dec 21 02:59:43 2024.

It may have been decided when they rebuilt Bowling Green station. Did people really use the shuttle anyway given the stairs involved?

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(1637928)

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Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sat Dec 21 07:25:45 2024, in response to Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?, posted by randyo on Sat Dec 21 02:59:13 2024.

I believe it was part of the August 1976 service cuts that curtailed overnight 6 service to 125th St.

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(1637929)

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Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?

Posted by irtredbirdr33 on Sat Dec 21 09:51:37 2024, in response to Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?, posted by Mitch45 on Thu Dec 19 19:11:06 2024.


I distinctly recall seeing subway maps when I was a kid in the early ‘70s showing the (6) going to South Ferry. The former track connection can still be seen north of Fulton Street station? Why was the line cut back to BB?

Mitch: No 6 service to South Ferry ended on May 23, 1976. Hereafter No 6 trains would terminate ay Brooklyn Bridge.

During the later 1960's and up until May 1976 Lexington Avenue Line service to South Ferry was provided by three routes. The Bowling Green Shuttle ran on weekdays from 6 AM to 7 PM. The No 5 ran from 7 to 9 PM and the No. 6 for the rest of the time.

Bowling Green Shuttles always used the inner loop platform at South Ferry. No 5 and 6 trains used the outer loop platform which they shared with the no 1 trains.

After May 1976 the Bowling Green Shuttle ran all night to compensate for the loss of the No 6 trains.

It should be noted that this lasted only until February 12-13, 1977 when all Lexington Avenue revenue service to South Ferry ended.


I rode the No 6 to South Ferry many times in the 1960's and early 1970's. Trains always switched over to and from the local tracks north of Brooklyn Bridge station. I am not saying that they never used the track one connection at Fulton Street. I just don't recall them ever doing so.

Larry, RedbirdR33



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(1637930)

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Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?

Posted by AlM on Sat Dec 21 11:30:43 2024, in response to Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?, posted by Mitch45 on Fri Dec 20 11:35:13 2024.

When was 6 service to South Ferry terminated and why?

Why? To save money.

Benefit: 6 trains turn at BB instead of SF. Quite a dollar savings.

Negative: almost none relative to the shuttle. Much quicker on average to walk from BG to SF than to take the shuttle.



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(1637934)

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Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?

Posted by X-Astorian on Sat Dec 21 18:18:01 2024, in response to Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?, posted by irtredbirdr33 on Sat Dec 21 09:51:37 2024.

The #6 apparently began South Ferry service in the early 1960s as reflected in the 1961 TA Train Service Table below (1963 is identical). The 1959 table showed service only to Brooklyn Bridge.

image host

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(1637939)

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Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?

Posted by New Flyer #857 on Sun Dec 22 09:40:58 2024, in response to Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?, posted by X-Astorian on Sat Dec 21 18:18:01 2024.

Those service guides are quite awkward to contemporary eyes in that they have no problem often describing a route's overnight pattern before only later getting to what most riders will actually experience.

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(1637992)

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Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Tue Dec 24 08:26:20 2024, in response to Re: Why and When was (6) Service to South Ferry Terminated?, posted by irtredbirdr33 on Sat Dec 21 09:51:37 2024.

So when was overnight 6 service cut back to 125th St?

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