New York Transit Museum

It’s #NationalPuzzleDay! Some people say that the #NYCSubway can be puzzling. How easily can you piece together the routes of the subway? Test your knowledge with challenging puzzles and games from the #NYTransitMuseum Store. Shop online at nytransitmuseumstore.com!

Manufactured by General Motors, #NYTMCollection Bus 9098 was the first bus in New York City equipped with sliding windows and windows, fiberglass seating, and rear door safety exits. Modeled TDH 5106, it debuted in 1958 and introduced a two-tone green color scheme with a contrasting red stripe, which later became a standard for the era. They were the last order of Old Look style buses from General Motors to the New York City Transit Authority. Taken by MTA New York City Transit photographer Marc A. Hermann, these images show #NYTMCollection Bus 9098 in July of 2015. Have you boarded this bus model before?

Manufactured by the American Car and Foundry, IRT Deck Roof Hi-V subway cars began service in 1907. Numbered 3650 3699, a total of 50 cars were built with manually controlled doors and a grey paint scheme on their side exteriors. Used in early IRT equipment, the operator’s master controller used 600 volts to control the train’s propulsion, which was deemed unsafe. Later fleets, such as Lo-V subway cars, used 32-volt batteries instead. In the 1950s, Hi-V cars were gradually phased out and retired by R-17, R-21, and R-22 subway cars. This #NYTMCollection photograph from the Vincent Lee Collection shows a Deck Roof Hi-V train during its first few years in service. What’s your favorite Hi-V subway car-type?

#TransitTrivia: This deicer work car was originally which #NYCSubway revenue car-type? Bonus points if you also know its original car number! Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit

#TodayinHistory: #OnThisDay in 1907, the Marble Hill 225th Street and 231st Street stations opened on the IRT Broadway Seventh Avenue line (formally known as the West Side line). While the original station platforms only allowed for six-car local trains, in 1948 the platforms at both the Marble Hill 225th Street and 231st Street stations were extended to 514 feet to allow full length ten-car trains to use the stations. This #NYTMCollection photo documents a portion of the track at Broadway and 230th Street, just one day after the elevated station opened. Are any of our followers Kingsbridge or Marble Hill residents?

#DidYouKnow the IRT White Plain line’s East 180th Street station house was originally the New York, Westchester, and Boston Railway’s (NYW&B) former administration building? Opened in 1912, the railway’s building and East 180th Street station was located near the IRT White Plains line’s East 180th Street station. When NYW&B operations ceased in 1937, a portion of the line was reconstructed as the Dyre Avenue line and its administration building was eventually converted into the IRT’s East 180th Street stationhouse. These #ThenandNow photographs show the New York, Westchester, and Boston Railway’s former administration building in 1939, alongside an image of it in 2012. Awarded landmark status in 1976, the building is a local and national historic site boasting clay tiled roofs, balustraded balconies, and grand arched windows.

Nothing says holiday enchantment quite like model trains departing from a miniature replica of Grand Central Terminal on their way to the North Pole! Featuring Metro-North, Polar Express, vintage #NYCSubway train sets and dozens of tiny pedestrians, trains, buses, and cars on exquisitely-detailed miniature streets, the beloved exhibit captures hundreds of classic New York City moments. Our annual layout consists of a 34’ long, two-level, O gauge display. This year all Museum locations remain temporarily closed so we're taking a step back-in-time and behind-the-scenes to see how our Holiday Train Show is constructed each year. Enjoy Part 1 of the Virtual Holiday Train Show now and join us for Part 2 on Thursday, December 10th.

"This was the year of puzzles. This glamorous 1,000-piece puzzle by Jasu Hu features travelers moving through the city as they commute toward their destinations. Hu captures a glimpse of energy as people travel with the moonlight." Shaye Weaver for Time Out New York Thank you Time Out New York for including us in your 2020 picks for perfect gifts from NYC museums! Shop our Puzzles & Games collection now at nytransitmuseumstore.com/kids/toys-trains/puzzles-games.html to see all six new puzzles featuring vibrant MTA Arts & Design poster designs and more.

Courtesy of the MTA Bus Company, Bus 621 was operated by the Triboro Coach Corporation on Queens local and Queens-Manhattan express routes between 1979 and the 1990s. Incorporated in 1931, Triboro Coach first started as a local bus service between Corona and Flushing, Queens in 1919. By 2005, it operated 254 buses on 12 local and 6 Queens-Manhattan express routes and by 2006, it was taken over by MTA Bus Company. One of 10 new Fishbowl buses purchased from the Diesel Division of General Motors of Canada, Ltd. Bus 621 retired in the 1990s and was restored in its bright red and silver color scheme. What’s your favorite feature of this bus model?

Manufactured by the American Car and Foundry Company, R-1 subway cars were built between 1930 and 1931 for the IND Eighth Avenue line. The first of over 1,000 nearly identical subway cars delivered under contracts R1-9, they featured rattan seats, paddle ceiling fans, incandescent light bulbs, and roll signs for passenger information. The fleet served the IND’s Eighth Avenue line until 1949, when R-10 cars were placed in service. Around 224 R-1 cars were transferred to the BM...T’s Southern Division until the 1960s, when they were returned to IND lines. During the 1970s, R-1 cars were mostly phased out by the R-42 and R-44 subway cars. These #ThenandNow photographs show R-1 car #100 leading a train in the 1930s, alongside a photo from last year's #HolidayNostalgiaRide. Today, car #100 is a treasured part of the #NYTMCollection. See this car in our Virtual Holiday Nostalgia Train at nytransitmuseum.org/HolidaysAtHome.

Taken in the 1980s, this #NYTMCollection photograph shows Bus #5127 in Manhattan. Modeled TDH-5303, Bus #5127 was one of 350 General Motors New Look buses from the New York City Transit fleet that were sent to the Blitz Corporation of Chicago for complete overhaul and rebuilding in the 1980s. When they returned to New York, they were renumbered in the 5000-series, and known as Blitz Buses. Replacing the retired Grumman-Flxible 870s series, the buses featured hard, blue lengthwise seating. Running on Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island routes, some Blitz buses were transferred to MTA Long Island Bus routes before their retirement in the late 1990s. What’s your favorite New York City bus model?

In May of 1988, R-68A subway cars entered service on the Bronx and Manhattan half of the D line. Built by the Kawasaki Rail Car Company, R-68A cars replaced the remaining R-10, R-27, and R-30 cars retired between 1989 and 1993. The fleet was also the last to be built with a length of 75 feet per car, allowing for more room for passengers per car than the typical 60-foot length. However, because the 75-foot cars were unable to run on the BMT Eastern Division tracks on the J, Z..., L, and M lines due to clearance issues, all subsequent car orders returned to the former 60-foot style that can run safely on the entire B division. Taken by Patrick Cashin, these photographs show R-68A cars on the B line during a snowstorm in 2014. Today, R-68A cars serve the A, B, and N/W lines. They are similar in appearance to R-68 cars, but can you recognize any differences between the two subway car models?

Have you ever taken a ride on a ferry boat? Join us in today’s Transit Tots to discover the history of ferries in New York City, and then make your own ferry that will actually float!

#TodayinHistory: Opened in July of 1878, the BMT Brighton Line was once a surface railroad known as the Brooklyn, Flatbush and Coney Island Railroad. The line originally transported commuters from Downtown Brooklyn to Coney Island through a Long Island Railroad connection. After the Long Island Railroad connection ceased in 1883, the line was renamed the Brooklyn and Brighton Beach Railroad and was connected to the Fulton Street Elevated. Later acquired by the BRT, various changes were made to the line, including the removal of grade crossings and widening to four tracks in the early 1900s. Taken #OnThisDay in 1972, this #NYTMCollection photograph documents the BMT Brighton line at Sheepshead Bay station. Today, the it is served by the B train during weekdays and Q train at all times.

#TodayinHistory: #OnThisDay in 1963, the first train of R36 World’s Fair cars entered service on the 7 line. Built by the St. Louis Car Company, the R36-WF fleet was the last order of cars to feature a non-stainless steel body. Sporting multiple paint colors during their service life, 390 of these cars were originally were painted in the Bluebird scheme for the 1964 World’s Fair. Less than a year later, 34 Tartar Red painted R-36-ML cars were put into service on the IRT lin...es, intended to replace of the last pre-war subway cars with the exception of those running on the Third Avenue Elevated in the Bronx. In the 1980s, R36-WF cars were the first to be rebuilt in the NYCTA’s General Overhaul Program, allowing them to remain on the 7 line into the early 2000s. In 1996, the New York City Transit Authority announced that it would phase out all Redbirds with the introduction of the R-142/A fleet. The final train of R36 World’s Fair cars ran along the 7 line in November of 2003, marking the end of non-stainless steel cars in the subway.

#TodayinHistory: #OnThisDay in 1947, the Third Avenue Railway’s 180th Street crosstown line discontinued service. These #NYTMCollection photographs from the Lonto-Watson Collection document the line on its final day in operation. Using letters to help easily identify streetcar lines in the Bronx, the Third Avenue Railway’s 180th Street Crosstown line was known as the Z line. By the end of 1948, all Third Avenue Railway service in the Bronx was converted to bus operations. Today, a similar route is served by the Bx36 bus, extending from east Bronx on 177th Street, through West Farms Square, and on to 181st Street and Broadway in Manhattan.

Delivered in 1934, the BMT’s Green Hornet subway car was one of two prototypes tested for the articulated Multi-Section fleet. Manufactured by the Pullman Company, the prototype was initially tested on the Fulton Street Elevated, in comparison to the Zephyr prototype. When testing was completed, the Green Hornet was placed in service on the Franklin Avenue Shuttle. After a short service life, the Green Hornet was pulled from service due to master controller issues and scrapped for aluminum during World War II in 1942. This #NYTMCollection photograph from the Vincent Lee Collection shows the BMT Multi-Section Green Hornet train at the Coney Island Yard in 1934. The train features a 1 route indicator, today’s Brighton line, the BMT used numbered service designations until the 1960s.

In September of 1963, R33 World’s Fair subway cars entered service on the 7 line. Built by the St. Louis Car Company in anticipation of the 1964 New York World’s Fair, the R33-WF cars were very similar to the previous R-33 cars, except that they featured three-piece curved windows, rather than three-piece rectangular windows. Often referred to as Redbirds, they have lived a thousand lives - originally painted light turquoise and white upon delivery, silver/blue in the mid-1...970s, full white in the early 1980s, and then finally a deep maroon red with black front bonnets and anti-climbers with silver roofs in the late 1980s. As R-142/A cars were introduced, all Redbird-types including the R-33 fleet, were phased out. Taken in August of 2017, this photograph shows R33-WF car #9307 at Corona Yard. Car #9307 is one of three R33-WF cars a part of the #NYTransitMuseum’s beloved vintage fleet. Can you name the other two car numbers?

Did you know that the 42nd Street Times Square station opened on the IRT Broadway - Seventh Avenue line, as part of the Dual Contracts in 1917? Prior to the contracts, Manhattan’s subway system was shaped like a Z with its termini on the Upper West Side and Lower East Side, connected via a shuttle at 42nd Street. However, after the signing of the Dual Contracts, the West Side Line was extended south forming an H shaped system. The 42nd Street Times Square station was one of the first two stations to open on the extension, until the rest of the line was opened one year later! This #NYTMCollection photograph depicts the 42nd Street Times Square station on the IRT Broadway Seventh Avenue line in March of 1975. Can you notice any differences compared to present-day?

Do you know how the tunnels for the subway were built? Today in Transit Tots, we'll learn about all of the layers that had to be dug through in order to construct these tunnels. Then, we'll draw these layers on a piece of paper that we can make into a crown to wear!

TOMORROW AT 4pm: Discover the incredible story of Irish immigrant James Kelly as told by children’s author Beth Anderson in her new book Smelly Kelly and his Super Senses, and costumed interpreter Joe Hartman, who will offer a firstperson glimpse into Kelly’s life and times. Smelly Kelly earned his nickname by using his keen olfactory sense to help sniff out leaks and other potential dangers in New York City’s subway system. Over the course of his career, it’s estimated that Kelly traveled almost 100,000 miles of track on foot and trained 60 assistants. Join us to learn more about this hardworking, unusually talented and undersung hero of the New York City Subway! RSVP now at nytransitmuseum.org/smellykelly.

Did you know that the Staten Island Railway’s Dongan Hills station was originally named Garretson’s station? Opened in April of 1860, the station was moved from south of Seaview Avenue to between Seaview Avenue and Garretson Avenue in the early 1900s. In 1933, the line was changed from grade level to an embankment. This #NYTMCollection survey photograph documents the SIRT Dongan Hills station in May of 1970. Today it features two side platforms, a brick station house, and beige canopies. What’s your favorite feature of this station?

In June 1993, ten R-110A prototype cars entered service on the 2 line. Built by Kawasaki USA, the cars were manufactured to test new technology that would be integrated into future fleets of New Technology Trains (NTTs). In previous decades, major orders for subway cars that introduced new untested features often required expensive retrofits. Contracts were awarded for the R-110B and R-110A prototype cars to alleviate some of the risk for a future large order of NTTs. The 10 ...cars were permanently coupled in 5 car sets, with the middle car being a cabless, unpowered trailer. The R-110A introduced wider sets of doors, being 63 inches wide, over a foot wider than the R62’s. The cars also featured exterior LED line indicators on the side windows and overhead on the first and last car, much like the R-142s. In addition to the exterior LED displays, interior LED displays indicated the next stop, time, and various other messages. In 1999, the R-110A’s were pulled from revenue service and in 2013, the A-cars were converted to pump train cars. These #NYTMCollection photographs show the R-110A cars arriving to New York by ship in October of 1992. Do you prefer R110As or R110Bs?

In April of 1973, M2 railcars entered service following the Budd Company’s successful M1/M1A railcars. Labeled Cosmopolitans, the cars were co-constructed by General Electric, the Budd Company, Canadian Vickers, and Avco for Penn Central’s (present-day MTA Metro-North Railroad's) New Haven line. The fleet phased out all vintage EMU cars from the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Although similar in style to M1/M1A cars, the electric self-propelled M2 cars featured ...unique differences, such as red exterior striping and New York and Connecticut state seals on its interior walls. They also featured air-conditioning, wider seating, and double-paned windows. This #NYTMCollection photograph from our Metro-North Collection shows M2 Cosmopolitan railcars on the New Haven line. After a long service life, M2 cars were phased out by new M8 railcars between 2012 and 2018. Do you remember commuting on these cars?

What kinds of shapes can we make with our bodies? At today’s Transit Tots, we’ll sing a song to get warmed up, and then stretch and move with transit-themed exercises. Some yoga poses like the bridge, boat, and wheel all connect to some of our favorite forms of transit!

#ObjectSpotlight: This New York Bus Service (NYBS) sign from the #NYTMCollection dates back to 2005. Founded in 1944, the NYBS was originally a school bus company known as the Parochial Bus Service. After various name and service changes, the company was renamed as the NYBS, and began running commuter express service between the Bronx and midtown Manhattan in 1970. On July 1, 2005, New York Bus Service was taken over by the MTA Bus Company, a new agency created to consolidate the operations of seven private bus lines under franchises from the City of New York. Do you remember the New York Bus Service company?

#TodayinHistory: #OnThisDay in 1999, the Franklin Avenue Shuttle reopened after a $74m rehabilitation project. Completed three months ahead of schedule, the 15-month reconstruction installed new roadbeds, track signals, and bridges, rebuilt the Franklin Avenue and Park Place stations virtually from scratch, and restored the Prospect Park and Botanic Gardens stations. During reconstruction, MTA Arts & Design commissioned new artwork for the station, including a stained-glass window installation by artist Eric Pryor at the Franklin Avenue station. This #ThenAndNow photo set includes an #NYTMCollection photo of the installation side-by-side with a contemporary photo courtesy of the MTA Arts & Design. Today, the line provides key transfers to the B, C, Q, 2/3, and 4/5 lines.