BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

An Eyewitness News (7) reporter was just signing off from his report on the vandalized "W" line trains, when a late news flash came into the news desk.

The "W" line is now up and running.

I had done some online research, and found out that, earlier, the shop crews had exhausted the supply of window glass, and resorted to taking windows from OOS equipment.

CIY yard, from what I have read, stables mostly older-model equipment; R46 and R68A cars.

The brass %&^# on these mindless, destructive, distunbed vandals, destroying the car windows while the trains were IN SERVICE!

They HAVE to get TOUGH, now, to prevent this mindless destruction to happen again.

This "slap on the wrist" nonsense is costing the "Em-Tee-Yay" (and the city) BIG time.

Kudos to the crews who got these trains back in service, in time for at least a portion of the PM rush this evening.....

"NYO"

['W"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The "W" is also known as the "BROADWAY LOCAL" (BMT)

The line began service in 2001, but was discontinued in 2010; it was then re-instated in 2016.

The line is served by older model cars (R-46/R-68's/R-68A's)..........

"NYO"

["B.M.T. LINES"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

It IS indeed frightening when you think of just how highly disturbed these mindless vandals are; nothing whatsoever phases them.

The 68's:

Recall, these cars were the last new cars for the BMT/IND divisions prior to the NTT trains; I have heard them referred to as "Hippos", and, in a sense, these lengthy cars were the "Standards" of their day.

Recall, the seating was very much inspired by the 44s/46s.

The 68's were also the last new cars for the BMT/IND that were delivered when the subways were still depending on traditional block signals.........

"NYO"

["W BROADWAY LOCAL"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here are two "68's"when new back in 1989, running on the "N"and the "Q":

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?108299

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?108117

1989 was, also, the same year that the iconic, faithful "Are-tens" ("Thunderbirds"were retired; these were not only the last cars in operation with monitor roofs, but they were also the last where the conductor "slapped the caps" between cars, to operate the doors..........

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's one of the last of the fabled "Are-tens"on a sunny day in 1989, the same year that these long-lived old warriors were retired.

These old workhorses were TOUGH!!!!!!!!

I rode these thundering relics too many times to count on the "CC"/"C", back in the 80's!

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?2504

(courtesy:nycsubway.org)

["A.C.F."

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The 68's also should be remembered as being the last BMT/IND cars to be equipped with roller curtains........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?5875

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["Q"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Roller curtains were still in vogue for new rapid transit equipment (and buses) when the R-46 debuted, back in the 70's; nowadays, these now "classic" cars are equipped with electronic signage.........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?137382

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["TO LAWRENCE ST."]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

This photo from 2008 shows the roller curtain of R-68 #2828 set for the "W"........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?79225

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["ASTORIA-DITMARS BLVD"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

These two photos show the new R-211T trainset at CIY (CIY, btw, is where trains of the recently-vandalized "W" are based.......

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?160679

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?160679

This "unit" is of the open-gangway variety (these units LOOK articulated, but are not)

IMHO, the ancestor of this open-gangway unit were the BMT's "C"-units of the mid-1920's.

These ungainly-looking (but quite interesting!) units were rebuilt from open platform El cars, re-equipped with enclosed ends and sliding doors (interestingly, the doors were hung outside the car bodies, once a commonplace practice in Boston.

Like the R-211T, these trains LOOKED like articulated units, but, also like the R-211T, were not.

There were covered passageways between cars, giving the impression of an articulated unit (again, hints of the R-211T)

These unique units ran until 1956 on the old Fulton El........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?7989

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?112792

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?75539

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["FULTON ST. LINE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In this 1954 view, we have a "C" unit at ENY/Broadway Junction, with a "Bingham" MACK lurking in the shadows........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?75538

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Broadway Junction, 1956.

Note the postwar TWIN (aka "Oddball") making its appointed rounds, 'neath the sinewy elevated structure.......

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?112760

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["TWIN COACH"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Returning to more modern times, here we have an R-46 "W" train at 57th St., in 2020............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?158980

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["P-S"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interestingly, he "Bee-Em-Tee" was the only subway system in "Noo Yawk" to utilize articulated trains (both production model and experimental units)

These two photos show the articulation used on the "Triplex" and "Multi-Section units............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6572

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?75623

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["1 ASTORIA"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Articulation................

With the open-gangway R-211T, I think it is a safe bet indeed that this is as close to a new generation of articulated subway trains as you are going to get, here in "Noo Yawk".

Articulated trains* on the "Bee-Em-Tee" (TRIPLEX/MULTI-SECTION ) lasted into the 1960's; I've heard that these unique trains were retired because the "Tee-Yay" felt that they were "non-standard" in an increasingly "standardized" fleet, even though the trains still had some life left in them (recall, the "MULTI-SECTIONS" were roughly a decade newer than the "TRIPLEX"units, which debuted in 1925.

With the buses, however, look at how commonplace articulated buses are now in "Noo Yawk", as well as countless other cities in the United States and abroad.

Then, too, virtually all LRV's today (most resembling giant, mutated caterpillars!) are articulated...............

"NYO"

16 8th AV."]

*The famed "TRIPLEX" units lasted 40 years in daily service; the "Em-Tee-Yay's" original artics are now long gone, not even within striking distance of reaching a service life of several decades (then again, subway equipment, traditionally, for the most part, enjoy long service lives, when compared to the buses)