How does the Broad Street Line turn around at NRG?

Submitted by starboardbaby t3_yelinz in philadelphia

SEPTA experts, please chime in here. I've wondered this for years, and got in a heated debate about it while down there a few weeks ago. So, when the subway reaches its southern terminus at NRG, and now both of the tracks are signed as Northbound tracks (even when a southbound train just arrived on said track), how does the train turn around? There isn't a loop or anything, is there? Or is there a fork in the track and coordinated signals right before the train enters NRG station?

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Comments

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sailbag36 t1_itz7v97 wrote

It’s stops and just goes the other way. The conductor gets out and goes from what was the front and is now the back, to the back which is now the front.

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GTTrush t1_itz9pmi wrote

It just goes backwards, or forward, depending on which way you're facing.

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FordMaverickFan t1_itza59n wrote

There’s a crossover portion of the track between Pattison and Oregon.

So the trains all go south on the west track and use the cross over heading into or returning from Pattison depending on what’s already in the station.

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Proper-Code7794 t1_itzf9d2 wrote

The man who drives the train walks to the other end of the train

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Proper-Code7794 t1_itzfbpy wrote

Did you know that NRG station is actually a double decker four track station

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Sea-Nique t1_itzlu49 wrote

Replying to Proper-Code7794 (#257,276)

You can see down the stairs in some spots to the lower platform.

Do they ever use the lower station for revenue service? I've only ever seen it used for material and train storage.

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FaceMaulingChimp t1_itzndvt wrote

The conductor , looks backwards and puts his hand over the passenger seat headrest and shifts the knob to “R” and runs it backwards to city hall

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worsedadever t1_itzqnua wrote

It pops a wheelie and rides down Broad Street to Olney.

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Sir-Jawn t1_itzqscb wrote

Replying to sailbag36 (#256,186)

That doesn’t explain how the northbound and southbound tracks stay the same up broad street at other stops. The answer is that there is a “switch” or crossover somewhere north of NRG stop.

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copinglemon t1_itzv2rq wrote

They disassemble the train and then reassemble it facing the right way

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uptown_gargoyle t1_itzvkq0 wrote

I don't like the new name so an act of quiet protest I pronounce it "nerg station"

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ell0bo t1_itzyt2c wrote

Replying to Sea-Nique (#258,327)

I've only ever used it once. I was after a Flyers playoff game, so while I can't remember, I assume Phillies game might have been at the same time and they had incoming while we were loading.

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SilcoEkkoViktor t1_iu016qh wrote

came here to find out the answer too, am now sorely disappointed 😅

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buzz8588 t1_iu0c3hn wrote

Replying to CatchMeWritinQWERTY (#259,488)

Trains don’t have steering wheels for turning. There are people at a central hub changing track switches to move trains from one track to another. They don’t call it left or right, they probably use more meaningful terms like northbound/southbound track.

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mortgagepants t1_iu0cmf0 wrote

there is a loop on the north end at Olny if you want to look at the map though. kind of cool

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mklinger23 t1_iu0epbv wrote

I work for septa. It doesn't. It goes down, the operators switch sides, them it goes the other way. This will sometimes happen at Fern rock as well, but they usually take the loop around the shop.

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VideoBrew t1_iu0f19a wrote

This entire comment section reads like a bit from r/WTYP

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wyueprouqi t1_iu0llw6 wrote

There's an underground lazy Susan that spins the train so that it can be driven north. Don't get stuck on it, you'll get dizzy.

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dSlice94 t1_iu0miq3 wrote

There’s a booth on the other side. The operator either walks up or they swap out for a different shift/break

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prozute t1_iu0qnr6 wrote

Mike Mamula spins it around

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brk1 t1_iu113fg wrote

They just go backwards

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dochim t1_iu17y3t wrote

Replying to electric_ranger (#257,977)

I had friends for YEARS who didn't believe me that there were stations underneath the stations and that it was a "double decker" subway.

I remembered a train 45 years ago taking us down there to go to a game at the Spectrum.

For years I was told that I just imagined it or made it up.

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blodreina_kumWonkru t1_iu1bnht wrote

Are you asking how trains work? Lol.

The train can drive both ways and there are switches so that it can go down different tracks to coordinate movement between trains.

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Tyrone-Rugen t1_iu25yq3 wrote

It doesn’t. They only use older trains, and leave them at the end

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Siva-Na-Gig t1_iu2hmh9 wrote

Can we call it Pattison station? Really hate the corporate naming bullshit of public assets.

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zpepsin t1_iu3zu5k wrote

Replying to Proper-Code7794 (#257,276)

It gets so crowded down there after sporting events. I really do not understand why they don't put Express trains down low and local trains up top for crowd control and organization

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