From: v106qhlw@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (NEW YORKER IN EXILE)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Staten Island Rapid Transit
Date: 19 Nov 92 03:36:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <24028@galaxy.ucr.edu>, santafe@watserv.ucr.edu (michael a parisi) writes...
> 
> 
>I've never seen a picture of their trains or seen an SIRT timetable (or even a
>magazine article about SIRT for that matter).  Could someone please tell me  
>about SIRT? (E.g.-what are their trains and stations like, fares, schedules,
>route(s), etc.)
>                                  Thanks

I grew up and lived on staten island all of my life.  i tood the sirt everyday
to go to and from the ferry terminal which eventually takes you to manhattan.
The route is 14+ miles long, two tracks the entire way.  There are 22 
(i believe) stations... hang on, let's find out...

beginning from the ferry terminal on the Northeast corner of the island and 
running south and east along the shores, there are:

St. George --- ferry terminal
Thompkinsville
Stapleton
Clifton
Grasmere
Old Town (oulde dorp)
Dongan Hills
Jefferson
New Dorp
Oakwood Heigts
Bay Terrace
Great Kills
Eltingville
Annadale (my satation!)
Hugenout
Pleasant Plains
Richmond Valley
Nassau
Atlantic (Houseboat marine termianl --- one car long station)
Tottenville

Hmmm... that's only 21.  Ithink that's it, though.  However, I'm a little fuzzy
south of Hugenout.  I don't have the timetable right in front of me either to
double check.  Running-time between all stations is generally 2 minutes with one
or two exceptions --- Grasmere to Clifton is 3minutes and Tottenville to 
Atlantic is only 1 minute.  There used to be nice timetables available, but
lately they put out 2-sided xeroxes of times folded very unneatly.

History os ont my strong point with any of this stuff.  However, i can tell
you what i believe i recall.  The line was originally part of B&O and was
taken over by the city in about 1972???   I don't know what the r-type of
the cars that they used was.  I can try to find all of this out.

The line itself is completely open cut, some of it below grade, some on 
embankments.  The stations are all outdoors and were just lengthened from
3-car to 5-cars.  There is no fare collected at the stations.  During rush
hours, the vast majority of people get on at all the stations and all 
detrain at St. George for the trip to Manhattan.  Consequently, the fare is
paid there during rush hours.  Though not part of the NYC subway, it is part
of the parent organization (the M<etropolitan Transportation Authority) and
has moved to accpet tokens (and therefore install turnstiles) at the 
St. George Terminal.  During non-rush hours, conductors walk the cars after
each train to collect fares.  I expect this to change in the future with
Automatic Fare Collectiona and negotiatitions with unions.

The current rolling stock of the SIRT are rebuilt R-44 cars.  Twelve 
additional cars were just given to it about 4 years ago by the NYCTA bringing 
its total to ??? (50something?)

Hmmm.. what else?  As i said, the fare is equal to that of the other modes 
of the NYCTA, currently $1.25.

The history is rich, though i'm not up on it... someone else may be and i'd
love to hear it again... i can try to dig some up when i go home for the
Thaksgiving Break.  It might be interesting to note that there was alos
a north-shore line that still exists, but hasn't seen passenger service
since 1956 or thereabouts.  I hvae the stations listing for that at home also.

If you have other specific questions, i thin k i'd do better with those...
please write me back!

mark foggin
new yorker in exile stuck at the 
University of Buffalo
Newsgroups: rec.railroad