BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

I'm glad you mentioned the subways:

I only rode the 44's and 46's when I had to; my faves back then were the SMEE cars; on the IRT 7th Avenue expresses, I used to shun the "newer" cars in the "mixed" consists (as much as I loved them), opting for the R-12/14/15's that were in the train.

Over 40 years ago, I opted for the "Thunderbird" R-10's on the "CC", over the 44s/46 on the "E"; however, for a time, the newer cars were now on the "CC"/"C", and the old R-10's were now running on the "E".

Of course, then I took the "E"!

I lost all interest in the #7 line after the Redbirds were retired (even the hallowed Shea Stadium is no more); back in the day, I rode this line end-to-end more times than i can count.

By the time I retired in 2004, all the Redbirds were gone; I was no fan of the new NTT trains; the "Brightliners", IMHO, did not fare well with their GOH, with the end signs being replaced with that asinine little electronic "letter" sign, and the removal of the standee straps.

The cars also lost "that certain something" without the distinctive blue doors; the new interior paint was also nothing at all to write home about.

But, at least, they STILL had railfan windows.

PATH is now all NTT-type trains; railfan windows, like those on the subways, have vanished.

Look at the prewar cars: high-pitched, hallow-sounding air whistles, growling traction motors, grinding gears, and thumping compressors.

NO WONDER the fans of that era were so enamored!

Today's trains, well.....you might as well be riding aboard an oversized Shop-Vac..........every last scrap of pleasure has evaporated from riding the subways (and, more seriously, it does not help that thew subways, like the city itself, have become dangerous places, best avoided, if at all possible.

In short, NOTHING at all these days for the older transit enthusiast, with the exception of the Transit Museum.

Look at how infrequently "nostalgia" trains operate nowadays; the vintage holiday buses, well, you already know the story on this.

No wonder why i so highly value my transit memories.....

"NYO"

["IRT SUBWAY TO SOUTH FERRY"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Back in the early/mid-1980's, when I opted for the subway over the "tubes", I used to employ my own unique method of "train identification" at the IND station at 42nd St. (downtown platform) in the AM.

I would lean over the platform just enough when I heard a train approaching, and would "check the lights" to see if the train was either an "E" (44's/46's) or an R-10 "Thunderbird" on the "CC".

If I saw wide-spaced headlights and marker lights approaching, I knew it was an R-10.

If, on the other hand, I saw the approach of headlights spaced closer together, and an illuminated "E", I knew THIS was the train I was NOT interested in!

For a brief time, back then, I recall catching a downtown "A" using R-10's (recall, the "Thunderbirds" dominated the "A" for years); I still recall riding one car that featured unusual (I would guess "experimental") vent grills in the lower half of the door windows.

I also remember a few cars that still featured their original 1948-era interior paint, beneath the undecipherable, overlapping scrawlings of young "urban artists"

Over on the IRT 7th Avenue line, I recall the R-12's/14's on the #2 and #3 expresses never being positioned where the conductor would be stationed; I had read that, once these cars were transferred from the Flushing line to the "mainlines", the "plunger" door controls between the cars were disabled.

The R-10's, on the other hand, were the last cars in service (retired 1989) where the conductors "slapped the caps" between cars, to operate the doors in true, time-honored "Noo Yawk" fashion........

"NYO:

["CC CHAMBERS STREET"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

While on the subject of subway nostalgia.........

In to the 80's, I remember certain stations still having a long-disused "chopper" box near the turnstiles (or the token booth), being used as a repository for bags of tokens (from what I was told)

The ones I most recall were at Wall Street (IRT Lex), 61st-street Woodside (IRT Flushing) and Broad St. (BMT Nassau Street).

The one at Broad St. obviously was never used at this location, as the station opened in 1932, years after chopper boxes had been replaced by turnstiles (I have read, however, that well after the chopper box era ended in general, they were still used on game days at Yankee Stadium, to help handle the huge crowds)

As I had mentioned earlier, the IRT's City Hall Loop used chopper boxes right up unti it closed in 1945, turnstiles never being installed.

Into the 80's, a number of IRT, BMT, and IND stations were still using their original change booths (I still remember some of the oldest IRT booths had clearly been ticket booths, originally)

I also recall 1930's-era "wall booths", where the clerk entered through a door in the station wall, and the metal booth front protruded from the wall.

For years after they were closed, at certain stations, you could still spot long-dormant booths.

Those days (AFAIK) are long gone; I loved the heavy brass grills and bare light bulbs; yup, the subways once had so much of interest to offer the enthusiasts of the day.....I'm most fortunate for my many memories, for certain.......

"NYO"

["DO NOT LEAN OVER EDGE OF PLATFORM"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Speaking of old change booths, I was quite lucky to come across this rare (undated) old photo taken at the BMT's Essex Street station; note the sign reading:

"BRIDGE LOCAL-FARE 3 CENTS"]

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?152855

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["BRIDGE LOCAL"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

This (now-disused, AFAIK) wooden booth booth at Wall Street (IRT Lex, Brooklyn-bound platform) is a replica of the original 1900's-era booth), which (for whatever reason) was destroyed sometime in the later 1980's/early 1990's)

It IS a faithful replica of the original, however; note, also the restored chopper box in the second photo.

Your's Truly bought a lot of tokens from both booths at this station, many eons ago.....

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?66407

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?115303

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["IRT LINES"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Being a die-hard urban "Indiana Jones" of sorts, I've always been greatly intrigued when coming across long-closed booths, towers, newsstands, etc. in subway stations; I also loved to pick out the locations of old incandescent lighting fixtures!

Note this long, long-closed newsstand (with original signage) at the BMT's Bowery station........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?146219

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["BROOKLYN-MANHATTAN TRANSIT"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Gazing through fences sealing off disused stairways (or, spotting the locations of stairways long-since removed) was something else that greatly intrigued the "Indiana Jones" in me, and, always had me on the alert when exploring the subways, back in the day.

This photo was taken at the BMT's Canal Street station.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?137745

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["CANAL STREET"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Old closed-off stairway at the IND's "EAST BROADWAY" station.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?95591

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["INDEPENDENT SUBWAY SYSTEM"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Who knows what (or, even whom) was left behind these long-shuttered doors at the BMT's decaying, decrepit, echoing catacomb of a station at Chambers Street.

Hard to believe that this cavernous, dimly-lit mausoleum of a subway station was once a bustling, noisy hub of activity, so many decades ago......

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?66998

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["BRT"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

It is also to remember that the IND's stations originally featured extensive mezzanine areas; as subway crime rapidly increased by the 70's and 80's, many mezzanines were either downsized, sealed off, or put to other (non-public) uses.

Numerous stations have had entrances/exits sealed off over the years, due to crime......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Until the IRT's #7 line was extended from Times Square to the Hudson Yards, the long-abandoned lower level IND platform at 42nd Street was still intact; a number of old "Tee-Yay" era signage still remained.

This long-abandoned platform was later destroyed for the westward extension of the Flushing line; it was was last used by the long-defunct Aqueduct Specials.

For a time during the 1970's, rush hour "E" trains also used this platform.....

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?773

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6676

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?20200

(Courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The Court St. shuttle platform at Hoyt-Schemerhorn has been out-of-service for far, far longer than it ever was in revenue service.

From 1936 through 1946, this platform was used by the Court St. shuttle; the Racetrack Specials to Aqueduct last used this platform in the very early 1980's..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?949

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?72460

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["HH FULTON ST. LOCAL"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's a very rare (and old!) photo showing a train of prewar IND cars signed for the "A", while at the shuttle platform at Hoyt-Schemerhorn.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?130980

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["HOYT"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Bainbridge & 206th St., 1973.

Note the subway entrance at left, still sporting its original IND signage from the 1930's (many classic-era signs such as this survived intact for many more years, at certain locations).

The two MaBSTOA Fishbowls (including their advertising) further serve to enhance the overall "Da Bronx" nostalgia of the early 70's...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155172

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["15 CO-OP CITY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Taken in the same year as the previous photo, we see a train of "Brightliners" at the IND's 205th St. station, signed for the long-gone "AA"...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?12801

(courtesy" nycsubway.org)

["AA"]