40th Anniversary of NYC Transit Museum Activities

Here are some of my pictures from the weekend's festivities.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskDc85rZ

Great Pics! Did they have the Coney Island Overhaul and Repair Shops open? I wish I had known about this, I would have made every effort to fly out. That's one of the drawbacks about living on the left side of the U.S.

Cool stuff. I was in NYC for a week in September and we had that on the agenda, but that and the USS Intrepid got removed form our agenda due to the Pope being in town and all the streets being blocked...

I was at Brighton Beach (Station) as well on Saturday. Took many of the same pictures including inside the cars also. I took a friend and we drove to the Ave. H Station and parked 1/2 block from the station and then took a regular service Q train to Brighton Beach. After riding back and forth to the Kings Highway Station several times we took a regular Q Train to the Neck Road Station and photographed the museum trains as they passed. One thing that I thought was interesting were quite a few girls in their 20s who were not only there but were photographing and riding the trains. I struck up a conversation with three of them and was surprised to hear about their interest in the old cars. One of them who said that she is 25 years old and wished that she was older so that she could have ridden these cars in regular service. I told her don't wish to be older and that she should try and stay 25 as long as possible and ride these cars whenever they are operating and join the NYC Transit Museum in the meantime. A thank you to all who keep these vintage cars rolling and especially Bill Wall for running the show and to Mike Hannah who had the foresight many years ago to have many of these cars saved for days like this. I did personally thank Mike on this day.

Ed G. (Along the New Haven Line of Amtrak and Metro-North in Westchester County.)

That seems like a great event to go to. If only they would return the old subways to be back in use now.  The past was much better then the future 

I rode the F train for years starting in the late '60s.  From the outside, the R1-9 cars looked dirty brown - you never would have guessed they were dark green.  They look good cleaned up.

As far as being better, do you remember rattan seats that stabbed your leg when you sat down?  There was no A/C but there were fans with exposed blades.  When it was too hot someone would be kind enough to open the end door so you could enjoy the hot breeze filled with brake dust and dirt as well as the odors and increased noise level that had to be 80-100db.  As a rail fan I like the R1-9 but on a hot July evening it was great to see a big magenta colored F sign rolling into 50th Street on the front of an R40A slant - air conditioning, sure hope it works.

I, for one, couldn't say that everything in the past was better.

Dan, I remember all of that! Yes, back then I too was so very happy when I saw the F train with the big magenta colored backround and thought "Thank God Air Conditioning!!!!" and just like you my next thought was, "I hope it works!" LOL!!!!

ed new haven line posted:

I was at Brighton Beach (Station) as well on Saturday. Took many of the same pictures including inside the cars also. I took a friend and we drove to the Ave. H Station and parked 1/2 block from the station and then took a regular service Q train to Brighton Beach. After riding back and forth to the Kings Highway Station several times we took a regular Q Train to the Neck Road Station and photographed the museum trains as they passed. One thing that I thought was interesting were quite a few girls in their 20s who were not only there but were photographing and riding the trains. I struck up a conversation with three of them and was surprised to hear about their interest in the old cars. One of them who said that she is 25 years old and wished that she was older so that she could have ridden these cars in regular service. I told her don't wish to be older and that she should try and stay 25 as long as possible and ride these cars whenever they are operating and join the NYC Transit Museum in the meantime. A thank you to all who keep these vintage cars rolling and especially Bill Wall for running the show and to Mike Hannah who had the foresight many years ago to have many of these cars saved for days like this. I did personally thank Mike on this day.

Ed G. (Along the New Haven Line of Amtrak and Metro-North in Westchester County.)

Hello Ed G

Please lets give the REAL credit to the REAL main person who was the kingpin who - with a crew of loyal and faithful motormen, dispatchers, yardmasters,  supervisors, and train masters  - back in the 1960-1964 period -- saved almost all of the cars seen today in the TA Museum,  and those operating on those nostalgia trips,  as well as many more (mostly ancient work cars) stored in BMT Coney Island Yards.  Mr. BMT,  DON HAROLD.   See my photo of Don attached below:

Don and I are old friends starting from back around 1960-1 -- Don is now 85 presently and still in good form for his age.   Don was the kingpin who, totally covertly,  thru his advantageous middle management  position with the old NYCTA from his office at 370 Jay Street (back then) TA HQ building, orchestrated these car saving events.  I met a number of times with Don in the 1960 to 1970 era in his Jay street TA office.   Mike Hanna,  an old friend of mine and Don Harold,  was back then but a small part of that "diverse covert crew" of history-minded TA Employees.

Here are some article links about Don below -- for your further information

http://www.jimnolt.com/trains.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09...dare-to-hide-it.html

The Tunnel Vision NY Times article has a few errors. 

Don worked for the TA long before the stated "1965"  date -- it was in late 1963 that Don - thru his exposing the hidden fleets of "to have been scrapped" vintage BMT, IND and IRT cars, to the TA upper brass,  that was the reason for the starting of the "unofficial"  TA Museum by 1965.  This was done under his management position as a NYCTA Public Relations official thru  which it was created for  celebrating the 1964-1965 Worlds Fair.   Some local politicians and the then NY Governor were among the major motivators who firmly suggested that the TA have a major "historical presentation" developed for the NY Worlds Fair.  And Don cautiously (and thus becoming the savior, hero, of the day for the TA,  heh) advised the upper TA brass about "available ancient subway cars that had "still not yet been scrapped..."  and happily for DON no questions were asked about how (heh) ...and Don's job was safe.  The "saved and hidden" IRT Low-V's,  BMT D Type and AB types  and a 6 car set of  then still currently operating (via Myrtle Ave., EL)  BMT Wooden EL Q types.... were restored and reconditioned for use for the Fair crowds.

The later "official" TA Museum at Court Street Station as we know it now, was later started IIRC around 1975.  Anyway,  just some history for you - and I was there back then to witness it all thru those years !

regards - Joe F

To Joe F:

Thank you for the above information. I get my information as to who thank for savings these cars, it was Bill Wall who has been in charge of seeing that these cars sets are operating at these events. Bill told me around 15 years ago that Mike Hanna is the main person who saw that these vintage cars are saved starting in the late 1950s.  Mike attended the 40th anniversary of the NYC Transit Museum last month and I always seek him out and thank once again for his past efforts. Last year for the 100th anniversary of the BRT/BMT subway service and seeing and riding the set of BRT/BMT Standards and Tri-plex cars I thanked Bill Wall and he said to thank guys that were seating in one of these cars for getting these car sets operating again and I did. The cars looked like new. I could not believe what I  was seeing having ridden these cars in the 50s and 60s. A few years Mike Hanna told me that in the early 60s he was working at one of the IRT shops in Bronx when the BMT Multi light weight cars had just operated for the last time for a fan trip in 1961. Shorty after that fan trip he was transferred to the Coney  Island Shops but he just missed getting a set of them saved. If Don Harold were at these events I would have certainly thanked him as well.

Ed G.

Hello Ed G

You are very welcome!   Some more history; 

The near fully restored BMT Standards and D types which are now running in "nostalgia service" --- had long languished in BMT Coney Island Shops / and yards  for several decades, where Mike Hanna also worked  for a long time until his retirement.    Those BMT subway cars supposedly being there so long for "continual ongoing restoration"  .  However, as all involved know,  very little if any significant  restoration was done there during all that time.  It was in very recent years that via internal negotiations and arrangements thru Billy Allcot, a Deputy Supt. of 207th st shops,   those cars were finally freed to be moved to IND 207th St Shops,  coming under Bill Wall's direct supervision there  (and with his own dedicated current crew of TA employees and volunteer IND shop crews there)  that all these museum cars ( the IND Cars,  the Museum fleet of various classes of   IRT and BMT-IND "SMEE" R-Type cars, vintage BMT cars and the IRT Low-V's)  were so well cared for, maintained, and much more quickly and thoroughly brought up to the beautiful  restoration than their years basically wasting away at Coney Island.  This included quite much heavy electrical and systems work and upgrades.  So What Don Harold himself orchestrated and started way back in the early 1960's (as being the then Deputy  Director of Public relations under his boss, Mr., Engels, the TA's   Director of Public Relations - back then when Hanna was then just a young Coney Island Repair Shop Foreman)  -- was finally brought to full blown intensive extensive restoration and maintenance in recent years under Billy Allcot and Bill Wall and their crew at 207th St yards-shops.  And that covers ALL those now quite very many present day museum fleet restored IRT, IND, BMT and BMT-ND subway cars which are seen running....  some saved some years after Don Harold retired.

However,  and regardless,  ALL persons involved over the past 5 decades do merit thanks for whatever their part they had in saving and working on these museum fleet cars.

Don Harold in the past 15 or so years, has not  been physically nor actively involved with the railfan events and preservation efforts,  due to age and various health related and some mobility issues.  He is also a very quiet, reserved and private person.  He would have loved to have been at the recent Brighton Beach Line museum fleet events I am sure !  I have spoken to him on the phone in recent times and he is well aware of and happy about the current restoration venues !

Regards - Joe F

Joe F.

I have been to the Coney  Island Shops several times during the past 14 years on tours with the ERA and the Transit Museum. About 6 years ago when I was there the Standards and the Tri-plex cars were faded and rust was showing though the bodies and it made me sad to think that they cars may never operate again. Last year at Brighton Beach when speaking to Bill Wall he told me that one of the current subway car builders had donated money to pay for the paint for the exteriors of the Standards and Tri-plex cars. When I was at the Coney Island Shop for a tour last year I noticed that another one of the vintage cars (The IRT 1939 Worlds Fair Car) was not where I had seen it just inside the yard from the McDonald Av. I was told that the car was moved to 207th St. to be considered for restoration. I lived in Brooklyn from 1944 until 1973 and have rode the BMT all that time, even got to operate a Tri-plex train in 1954 with the motorman's hands on mine from Church Av. to Kings Highway Stations. Last year I rode a coupled set of 6 Tri-plex to 4 IND R1-9 Cars. We went followed the A Line under Fulton St., Brooklyn. Then change ends and to W. 4th St. Manhattan. Changed ends again and followed the B Train route over the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn via the Brighton Line to Coney Island. Then the D Line (West End Line) a few station and returned to Coney  Island. Had Lunch and back on the D Line and returned to Manhattan. This trip started at the Transit Museum. Also last year a trip that started at the 42nd St. Grand Central Shuttle platform using 4 IRT Low-V's, South and around the City Hall Loop track and north along the Pelham Bay Line to the end and we then boarding one of the vintage buses and went to City Island for a lunch stop. More to follow maybe later.

Ed G.

Hello Ed G

YES, the IRT 1939 WF Steinway Low-V Motor Car has been at W.207th Street / Shops for over a year now --- and has a LOW-V standard-geared Motor truck under its one end --- the Steinway low-geared original truck was removed back when this car went into work service around 1970.  So it will be gear-compatible with the 4 TA Museum Low-V Motor Cars.  I would love to see the BERA Branford Trolley Museum Low-V Motor Car returned to NY City -- MTA -- and it and the Steinway Car and the Low-V Trailer (displayed at Court St Station) , united with the 4 Museum Motor Low-V Cars -- for a SEVEN car Low-V consist !!   6 Motor cars and one trailer.  Likely will never happen,  but regardless, the TA Museum could still have a 6 car consist with the Steinway car and the low-V Trailer in the consist.  There are plans for overhauling that WF Steinway Car.  I have scores of sharp, clear detailed photos showing it sitting in at 207th Street yards  -- with many closeup detail shots of exterior and interior.   Needs a lot of work --- but no problem for the guys at 207th Street !!

regards - Joe F

ConrailFan posted:

Dan, I remember all of that! Yes, back then I too was so very happy when I saw the F train with the big magenta colored backround and thought "Thank God Air Conditioning!!!!" and just like you my next thought was, "I hope it works!" LOL!!!!

I began riding the NYC Subway in the late fifties as a youngster... I remember the wicker seats (some of them were still running on a Manhattan line in the mid 70's when I almost convinced some out-of-town friends that you should purchase special Subway Riders Insurance to ride on them!!!). As for AC, I remember when I was in high school and they started retrofitting AC into some older cars. You could tell which cars they were by the low ceiling at the end of the car where the unit was located. Even when they were dripping water on you, they were a great improvement. I think one of the worst feelings in the world was when a packed air conditioned train pulled into the station during rush hour, and a sparsely occupied car stopped in front of you... that anticipation of getting a seat... nine times out of ten, the AC in that car wasn't working, so the car was like a furnace since there were no real working windows in the newer trains.  It was always interesting to see the folks who would rather swelter that stand!!!

Ride the subways are great. I feel bad for the many who have never rode them 

If anyone would like to see many of the NYC Subway Car model in O gauge and in action check out the website of njhighrailers.org. and note the next series of open houses that usually start in October and run though March of each year. The club is located in Paterson, NJ about 30 minutes west of the George Washington Bridge via I-80 and Route 20 North. Check their website for local street directions once you get off of Route 20. Their layout is 185 ft. by 35 ft. and about 20 percent of the layout is subway and el car operation.

Ed G.  Along The New Haven Line Of Amtrak And Metro-North In Westchester County, NY.