ACR X HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y IN HOLDING PATTERN SAME ALT. SYS ERROR.

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ACTING AS THE PNF ON ACR X ACFT WHILE ON THE PUBLISHED ARR (BUCKS 3) TO PHL; WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY ZNY TO HOLD AS PUBLISHED AT BUCKS INTXN. WE MADE A DIRECT ENTRY INTO THE HOLD AND AS THE CAPT TURNED TOWARD THE OUTBOUND LEG (284 DEGS HDG) ZNY INSTRUCTED US TO FLY A 280 DEG HDG. AS WE COMPLIED WITH ATC'S INSTRUCTIONS; WE ASSUMED THE HOLDING CLRNC WAS CANCELLED. APPROX 1-2 MINS LATER WE WERE ADVISED BY ATC THAT WE WERE NO LONGER IN RADAR CONTACT. AT THAT POINT; WE QUESTIONED THE CTLR AS TO WHAT HE WOULD LIKE US TO DO SINCE WE WERE ON AN ASSIGNED VECTOR. HE INSTRUCTED US TO TURN BACK TO BUCKS INTXN; DSND TO 11000 FT AND CONTACT PHL APCH CTL. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. UPON TAXI IN; WE WERE ASKED TO TELEPHONE THE RADAR ROOM. WE WERE ASKED WHY WE LEFT THE HOLD AT BUCKS. WE INFORMED APCH THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING AN ASSIGNED VECTOR. APPARENTLY; THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN ATC HANDLING ON ZNY'S PART. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 251910: WE WERE ENTERING HOLDING AT BUCKS INTXN; 12000 FT MSL; AND HALFWAY THROUGH ENTRY TURN; ATC ADVISED HE WAS TAKING US OUT OF THE HOLD; 'TURN TO A HDG OF 280 DEGS.' WE COMPLIED; AND ABOUT 2 MINS LATER; HE ADVISED 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED.' I ASKED HOW HE COULD DO THAT; SINCE WE WERE ON A RADAR VECTOR; AND HE SAID; 'NO; YOU ARE TO GO BACK TO BUCKS AND HOLD. I ASKED FOR A NEW HOLDING CLRNC; SINCE IN OUR OPINION; THE EARLIER HOLD WAS CANCELLED BY THE VECTOR; AND HE GAVE US A SIMILAR CLRNC TO THE FIRST ONE; SAME EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC TIME; AND THEN ISSUED A DSCNT AND FREQ CHANGE TO PHL APCH. THE CTLR ISSUED US A VECTOR AND WE THOUGHT HE WAS TAKING US IN FOR AN APCH. THE CTLR MAY HAVE INTENDED TO EDGE US INTO A MORE FAVORABLE POS IN THE HOLD; BUT HE SAID NOTHING TO US ABOUT HIS INTENTIONS OTHER THAN 'TAKING YOU OUT OF THE HOLDING PATTERN; TURN TO HDG OF 280.' END OF HOLD; AS FAR AS IFR RULES AND AS FAR AS I KNOW. LATER; WE WERE ADVISED THERE HAD BEEN A LOSS OF SEPARATION (TO 4 3/4 MI WITH ACR Y).