Oren’s Reading List is an occasional feature on The Travelogue in which I share articles that I’ve read that might also be of interest to the readers of this website.
R160B 9093 at Coney Island, September 1, 2019
There is something alluring about the last stop on a train line. Perhaps you take a train regularly and wonder what exactly is at a place such as Wonderland (end of the MBTA Blue Line) or Cockfosters (end of the London Piccadilly Line). Since 2013, New York based artist and photographer Rita Nannini has been on a quest to photograph the first and last stations on each of New York’s 26 subway lines (she counts each of the three shuttles separately, the Z as its own line, and also included the Staten Island Railway). It is interesting to see what she has selected for each station, since I myself have also been to each terminal station (as well as all the other intermediate stations along the way), and remarkable given the breadth of New York’s subway system the many different places you will be deposited should you ride a train to the end of its route. One only has to take the A train to the Rockaways to understand.
You can see Rita Nannini’s work on her website.
Oren’s Reading List is an occasional feature on The Travelogue in which I share articles that I’ve read that might also be of interest to the readers of this website.
R1 100
Location: Broadway-Lafayette Station, New York, NY
Operator of Vehicle: MTA New York City Transit
Date of Photo: December 27, 2015
For the past five Saturdays, New York City Transit ran the “Arnine” vintage train during the winter holiday season for the first time since the pandemic. This tradition began nearly 20 years ago, typically with the train operating each Saturday or Sunday from Thanksgiving through Christmas or New Years Day along the 6th Avenue Line and then to Queens Plaza via the 53rd Street Tunnel (most years) or to Harlem via Central Park West (other years). However, no vintage train was operated in 2020. In 2021, a series of events to mark the retirement of the R32s was held instead. In 2022, the “Train of Many Colors” was used for the holiday train, running along the 7th Avenue-Broadway Line.
Some transit fans complain that the MTA just does the same thing each year and never changes up the route or equipment all that much. I’ve always enjoyed getting to run into friends in the transit fan community on the vintage train in the years I have been able to ride it, and Mrs. Oren’s Transit Page and our son have enjoyed riding it as well. My attitude is be thankful the MTA runs anything at all, since they could always opt to run nothing.
I didn’t make it to New York to ride this year, but did you ride the vintage train this year?
For more photos of MTA New York City Transit’s “Arnine” cars, please click here.
R62A 1946
Location: Grand Central, New York, NY
Operator of Vehicle: MTA New York City Transit
Date of Photo: June 20, 2009
On this date in 1913, Grand Central Terminal opened following ten years of construction. Today’s Grand Central is not the first train station to be built on that site. The first Grand Central Depot opened in October of 1871 with 12 tracks. At that time, it was the largest open space in the United States and the largest railroad station in the world. However, the station reached capacity by the mid-1890s. An annex was added but capacity was reached again in 1897. The terminal was reconstructed and in 1900, became known as Grand Central Station.
At that time, the trains serving the station were steam hauled, which meant that the busy tunnel under Park Avenue leading to the station from the north (the only way for trains to access the station) was filled with smoke and soot. Following a January 1902 crash that killed 15 passengers, the New York Central Railroad (which owned Grand Central) and the New York State legislature agreed to only operate electric trains into the terminal. Less than 12 months after that fatal collision, New York Central Vice President William J. Wilgus proposed an extension of the Park Avenue Tunnel by covering the existing open cut used by the railroad from 46th Street to 59th Street. This was now feasible because once Grand Central was only served by electric trains, there would be no need to vent smoke and soot from steam trains (since there wouldn’t be any). The air rights over the terminal could then be sold to raise money for the railroad. This proposal had to be approved and enacted upon quickly because plans were already underway for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (better known as the IRT and now a part of the New York City Subway) to build subway lines around Grand Central, at which time the New York Central would lose its rights to construct underground in that area. The new station was built in phases around the existing station so as to maintain train service throughout the duration of the project. The rebuilt terminal, now known as Grand Central, saw its first train arrive just minutes after midnight on February 2, 1913.
In the ensuing 110 years, Grand Central has served as a catalyst for development in what is now Midtown Manhattan. At the time Cornelius Vanderbilt commissioned the original Grand Central, there was not much in the way of development in the area. However, he was convinced New York City would grow to the north and eventually, his railroad terminal would be in the heart of the city. His vision proved to be very accurate, to the point that the Long Island Railroad began a long term project (that was first proposed in the 1960s) to connect its tracks to Grand Central Terminal in the 1990s when surveys indicated most LIRR riders worked near Grand Central, not Penn Station where LIRR trains terminate. That project, known as East Side Access and more recently as “Grand Central Madison” culminated in the opening of eight new tracks served by four new platforms 140 feet below street level on January 25, 2023.
Prior to the opening of Grand Central Madison, the most recent significant change to Grand Central was on the New York City Subway’s shuttle platforms. As part of the 2015-2019 MTA Capital Program, the 42nd Street Shuttle that connects Grand Central to Times Square became ADA accessible and as part of that project, Track 3, the center shuttle track and the one the train in this photo is using, was removed. The single island platform that now exists between Track 1 and Track 4 measures 22,000 square feet (2,000 square meters) and is the largest platform in the New York City by area. The rebuilt Shuttle reopened on September 7, 2021. You can see where Track 3 was by looking at the floor tiles on the new platform, the pattern of the tiles and columns between the floor and ceiling indicate where the track right-of-way used to be.
For more photos of R62A trains, please click here.
R33 9017
Location: 125th Street/Broadway, New York, NY
Operator of Vehicle: MTA New York City Transit
Date of Photo: November 27, 2022
For the past 15 years or so, the New York Transit Museum has operated a vintage holiday train once a week (usually on Sundays) between Thanksgiving and New Years. The holiday train would be made up of “Arnine” cars, start from 2nd Avenue on the Lower East Side, and operate up the 6th Avenue Line, typically terminating at Queens Plaza. However, there was one year the train terminated at 145th Street in Harlem and another year it terminated at 96th Street on the Second Avenue Subway due to trackwork along the “traditional” route. In 2020, there was no holiday train and the R32 farewell event effectively replaced the holiday train last year. This year, the holiday train is making a comeback, but with a twist. For the first time ever, the holiday train is operating on the A Division (former IRT) and is using the “Train of Many Colors”, a set of “Redbirds” that have been repainted in various paint schemes that these trains wore during their service lives. I was able to catch the train a few times this past Sunday.
If you want to ride it this year, it operates between Chambers Street and 137th Street on the 1 line for three more Sundays (December 4, 11, and 18). Northbound trips depart at 10 AM, 12 PM, 2 PM, and 4 PM, while southbound trips depart at 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, and 5 PM. While the original plan was to have it make all local stops along the route, for the final three weeks, the holiday train will run express on the local track and only stop at Chambers Street, 14th Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street, 72nd Street, 96th Street, 125th Street, and 137th Street. Also, there is no free crossover between the uptown and downtown platforms at 137th Street, so be sure to get off at 125th Street to change directions for free.
For more photos of R33 cars, please click here.
NOTE: This post was updated to reflect the decision to operate express on the local on all trips starting on December 4, 2022. For the most up to date information, it is best to check the MTA’s website. The information here is provided as a courtesy but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
R32 3410
Location: Lorimer Street/Broadway, Brooklyn, NY
Operator of Vehicle: MTA New York City Transit
Date of Photo: June 2, 2014
For the past 15 or so years, the MTA has operated some of its vintage subway cars on Sundays in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. After a one year hiatus last year due to the pandemic, the tradition is back again this year, albeit with a twist. Instead of the traditional R1–9 (“Arnine”) train, this year’s event is a sendoff for the 58 year old R32 subway cars. The R32s were nominally retired in April 2020, though they briefly reentered service during the summer of 2020 when the R179s were pulled from revenue service due to mechanical issues. The farewell train will run twice more this year, on the 6th Avenue and Central Park West lines on January 2, and on the Second Avenue, Broadway, and Brighton lines on January 9. On the latter date, the train will be operating over the Q train route, which is the line they originally debuted on in 1964. As of this writing, the R32s are the oldest subway cars in operation anywhere in North America and among the oldest to be in operation anywhere in the world. The R32 has also outlasted the R38s, R40s, R42s, and R44s, all of which were built after the R32.
The R32 is also the last New York City car type to have a full “railfan window” at the front of the train. This meant you could stand at the front of the train and see signals and other infrastructure pass by with a view almost identical to that of the train operator. I loved standing at this window on the R32s (and other New York City car types with the feature) and while going through my photos to select one for this post, noticed there was often someone standing at the window. I wonder how many New Yorkers became transit enthusiasts because of this opportunity that future generations will not experience. While there may be operational advantages to building trains with full width cabs, a certain nostalgia is being lost as a result.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it to New York for any of the farewell trips. However, I had a great time chasing the R32 trainsets on the J line on June 2, 2014, and one of the photos from that day is featured here. (My last R32 photos were taken in 2019 but aren’t particularly noteworthy.)
For information about the farewell trip routes and schedules, please click here for the press release from the MTA.
For more photos of the R32s, please click here.
R46 5994
Location: Broad Channel Station, Queens, NY
Operator of Vehicle: MTA New York City Transit
Date of Photo: September 3, 2019
In late June, the first of the new R211 cars was delivered for acceptance testing, While they probably won’t enter revenue service until some time in 2022, their delivery does mark the beginning of the end for what are currently the oldest subway cars in New York, the R46s. The R46s certainly reflect the 1970s when they were built in terms of interior color scheme and other features such as transverse seating, wood paneled windscreens, and a lack of traditional straps for commuters to hold while standing. Fittingly, the R211s that will replace the R46s are also meant to revolutionize subway car design with new LED front end signage, open gangways, interior LED lighting and wider doors.
For more photos of the R46s, please click here.
R62A 1750
Location: Grand Central-42nd Street Station, New York, NY
Operator of Vehicle: MTA New York City Transit
Date of Photo: March 24, 2017
Last week, I had a business trip to New York City. Despite not having been on public transit for over 400 days due to the Covid-19 pandemic, being back on the rails didn’t feel all that different, until I descended in to the subway to take the 6 train to where I was having dinner. I consider the 6 train to be my “home route” in New York, but after about 15 years of R142As exclusively serving the line, I’m still not used to seeing R62As, such as the one pictured here, on this route. One might think that this would be an easy adjustment to make, as R62As were the predominant car type from the late 1980s until the introduction of the R142A in 2000. However, for some reason, I just haven’t gotten used to their reintroduction along the Lexington Avenue Line. Is there any vehicle assignment and line pairing that just seems out of place to you, no matter how hard you try getting used to it?
Although the sight of an R62A on the 6 still seems unusual to me, I really like this picture because of how the curved platform creates a “snaking effect” for the yellow platform edge and makes it possible to see the front part of the train from the location where I took the photo near the rear end of the platform. Curved platforms are definitely a relic of older systems such as New York’s and while they pose a variety of accessibility and safety concerns, they can also make for some interesting photography vantage points.
For more photos of the R62A Subway Cars, please click here.
As I wrote about in the December 2020 Bus Photo of the Month post, traditional events organized by transit agencies to mark the winter holiday season look different this year due to Covid-19 pandemic responses. The New York Transit Museum released this video to “substitute” for offering rides on the R1-9 vintage train that typically runs along 6th Avenue on Sundays between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
You can see my photos of these trains from past holiday vintage train runs and other special events by clicking here.
R62A 1946
Location: Times Square Station, New York, NY
Operator of Vehicle: MTA New York City Transit
Date of Photo: March 24, 2017
Later this month on October 27, the New York City Subway will mark the 116th anniversary of its opening. Since then, the system has grown from a single line within Manhattan to a sprawling system with nearly 500 stations and nearly 6 million passengers on an average weekday (as of 2017). Although the original route is no longer operated as it was on October 27, 1904, trains continue to ply the route between Brooklyn Bridge and Grand Central on the 4, 5, and 6 trains, Grand Central and Times Square on the 42nd Street Shuttle, and between Times Square and 145th Street on the 1, 2, and 3 trains. This routing was used until the “H” system was inaugurated on August 1, 1918. The shuttle platforms that are in use today date back to the original IRT opening in 1904, although the MTA is currently in the process of rebuilding the Shuttle in order to make the line ADA compliant. Until this project began, it was very easy to see the original IRT construction while standing on the Times Square Shuttle platforms.
For more photos of New York City’s R62A subway cars, please click here.