BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

(SEE PREVIOUS POST)

"Foither"......

The "17s" I recall on the shuttle (early/mid-1980s) were white-painted(!!), but featured stylish blue interiors which easily recalled an earlier era..........

["ST. LOUIS CAR COMPANY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Hard to believe all this time has gone by.........

On this day in 1969, the very last prewar "Eye-Are-Tee" cars made their final runs on the "Toid-Aven-uh" El, up in "da Bronx" (they were replaced by "R-12s")

And, on this day in 2003, the last train of the iconic "Redboids" (ex-WF "Blueboids") were retired on the #7 Flushing line.

How ironic that these last runs took place on the SAME day, 34 years apart......

"NYO"

["5698"]

["FOLLOW THE BLUE ARROW"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Fittingly...........

Your's Truly retired the year following the retirement of the last "Redboids"; until the day I retired, I then totally ignored the "Eye-Are-Tee", and used it only when need be.

By this time, I had switched my "alliance" over to the "Brightliners" then running on the "C"; to be totally honest, it felt WEIRD as all heck being in the subway, and knowing NOT ONE "Redboid" was running, anywhere in the system......

"NYO"

["BUDD"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Subway route letter designations ("quirks)..........

Always wondered why there was never an "MM" desination", nor an "NN".

Too, why "I" was never used, even though you have a "J" (and, long ago, there WAS a "JJ")

Also, wonder why an "O","P", "U", "X", or "Y" designation was never used (or ever considered)

Indeed, I am far, far removed from being an expert on this topic, but HAVE been curious for quite some time.....as always, appreciate input..........

"NYO"

["CC HUDSON TERMINAL"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Appreciate the info; OK, so there WAS a "MM" designation, that never saw the light of day.

Recalling now, how, in later years, the old "HH" designation was revived for Rockaway trains, after being disused since 1946, when the old Court Street shuttle was abandoned........

"NYO"

["HH"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Just thinking.....

The "Eye-En-Dee's" original route letter designations began (natch) with "A" and ran through "HH" (Court Street shuttle)

It would have been interesting, had the "Second System" lines been built, what letter designations the new routes might have been given............

"NYO"

["INDEPENDENT SUBWAY SYSTEM"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

A thought..........

Thankfully (for obvious reasons!) that the "Eye-Are-Tee" was totally exempt from the Christie Street Connection of 1967; one can only imagine how TOTALLY fouled up the old "INTERBOROUGH" would have ended up.

Thinking now of "Eye-Are-Tee" route numbers (which were initiated with the delivery of the "R-12s" in 1948) and how the highest route number designation was the now-defunct "9"......

"NYO"

["I.R.T. LINES"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's the "Eye-Are-Tee" (literally!) in sunny California! (VERY detailed and interesting page, detailing the ex-2nd Avenue El cars that "went to war")

Several rare photos on this page as well.........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipyard_Railway

["INTERBOROUGH"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here are two of the ex-2nd Avenue El cars that went to California to serve the Key System's wartime Shipyard Railway......

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?16164

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

Interesting that the El cars that went to California, as well as those which were refurbished for the Dyre Avenue shuttle were surplus from the 2nd Avenue El.

Note that the California cars were refitted with pantographs; it gives us an idea of what the Dyre Avenue shuttle cars might have looked like, had the City decided to use the ex-NYW&B's catenary instead of installing "toid" rail.........

"NYO"

["DYRE AVENUE-E. 180TH ST."]

[Cyberider]

NYO,

The pantographs didn't look bad on them. Just think, if wartime traffic had kept up on the Key System, maybe these cars would have seen additional use if new cars weren't immediately available or affordable. But, I suppose the "riding public" wants the "latest" equipment and this might not have been what they had in mind.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Cyberider:

Here's an early 1940s photo of the then-new (IRT) Dyre Avenue shuttle, using the Bronx section of the old NYB&B, defunct since late 1937........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?42095

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

Note the ex-"WESTCHESTER" catenary still intact; at that time, there was still hope for the revival of at least some "WESTCHESTER" express service, but, alas, this never came to pass.

It IS easy, however, to picture these cars equipped with pantographs, and operating off of catenary..........

"NYO"

["INTERBOROUGH"]

[Cyberider]

NYO:

The only thing I can think of is that maybe the NWP and IER cars were too long to negotiate the curves of the proposed route.

As for the Dyre Ave. shuttle using the existing overhead, what voltage did the NYB&B run? The number of insulators in the photo look like it may be for more than 600 volts. How long was this operated as a shuttle with the Second Ave. El cars? They certainly look hansom in the photo!

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]