Subway Back Then, Compare To Now

[Daniel The Cool]

I thought I started a thread about the subway back then compare to now.

 

I never knew that much about the subway and fleets til late 2005. I grew up riding the subway my entire life. Started to ride the subway by myself in 2008. I have to say lots of things changed since then (Especially with the Slants, Mods, 32s, 38s and the 42s). I have to say though I now feel guilty of not getting enough pics/vids of the R40 Slants/Mods and R38s.

 

Its just that weird feeling sometime.

 

Now lets here how you guys felt about the subway when you first started to the changes in the Present.

[MattTrain]

I didn't know the difference between a R-40 (modified) and a R-42 until 2005. Same thing with a R-32 and a R-38, and I couldn't tell the difference between a R-44 and R-46 train sets, before I became a train fan.

[lilbluefoxie]

when I first started riding the subway, in 2005. The was all R32s, the had all R46s, the was R44 and R38, the R142/A ruled the Lexington Line and R42s were still mostly on the . I never really rode the Broadway line untill later, except for the which had R68As. I have never riden in an R40 slant or R40M to my knowledge, I coulda sworn ive been in the R38 before, back then my memory isnt that great because I couldnt really tell the R32 and R38 apart back then.

[LRG]

i had a hard time telling an R44 and an R46 apart. I really didn't know car designations until 2004, but I knew what a Redbird was as well as a Slant beforehand.

[553 Bridgeton]

When I 1st started I could not tell the diff between the R26/28-29-33/36. I didnt really know anything until 2005.

[INDman]

as well as a Slant beforehand.

 

As a kid, I knew the slants as starwars trains because of the futuristic look they had.

[TrainFanatic]

As a kid, I knew the slants as starwars trains because of the futuristic look they had.

 

When I was younger, I always thought the front design looked pretty scary.

[Baseball02]

When I first started riding the subway, the and ended at 34th Street, the still existed, and there were redbirds on the XD

[553 Bridgeton]

When I was younger, I always thought the front design looked pretty scary.

 

I thought I was the only one. Thats the main reason why I never liked them.

[Joel Up Front]

I don't think growing up in the 1970s and 1980s in NYC would have been fun with the subway. The random double letter routes stopping at different termini or running down different lines (such as "RJ" or "QB") and the public's image of the subway... combined with the fact that almost everything solid was covered in graffiti and it was extremely crime-ridden would make any newcomer to the subway turn right back around and take a taxi.

 

I think the 1990s was the peak period for the MTA - cheap fares payable with either MetroCard or tokens and most of the R3x series were still running. I remember seeing a train of Redbirds on my first trip to Manhattan.

[Law]

When I was younger, Brighton Line only had 6th Av & (Q6Av) service, then came the & service.

[Fresh Pond]

When I first started....

 

-I didn't know cars by their specific name but I gave them all a nickname

-I always called the R44s "the fat (A)" and the R32/R38s "the skinny (A)"

-The still had R42s

-I never saw the (and still never did)

-I couldn't tell the R44s and R46s apart

-My first solo trip was the (Mx) from Myrtle-Bway to Bay Pkwy and back (when it was a slant)

-I always thought the R40M & R42 was the same thing

-I always used to play with the rollsigns on the redbirds (back then I thought they were the trains that didn't fit in cuz of the red color lol)

[MattTrain]

I couldn't tell the difference between and (Q6Av) when they used R-68/As because the front signs looked like Os from a distance, back in 1997.

[KNIGHTRIDER3:16]

I don't think growing up in the 1970s and 1980s in NYC would have been fun with the subway. The random double letter routes stopping at different termini or running down different lines (such as "RJ" or "QB") and the public's image of the subway... combined with the fact that almost everything solid was covered in graffiti and it was extremely crime-ridden would make any newcomer to the subway turn right back around and take a taxi.

 

I think the 1990s was the peak period for the MTA - cheap fares payable with either MetroCard or tokens and most of the R3x series were still running. I remember seeing a train of Redbirds on my first trip to Manhattan.

 

You hit it right on the nail but this was if not thee best time to ride Subway trains ...Double letters ,Those Fans in the cars ,The graffiti O man The Foam I would have for these great types back then (Sigh) .

I really do miss the 70's-late 80's Subway Car Types:cry:

 

Remember seeing amd hearing the Trains going over the ManhattanBridge all the time and trying to guess what type from my window was they but Night time they always looked Hot flying over the bridge

[jacsnyy]

When I started using the subway, the was down Brighton, was down West End, still existed, there was no Broadway express and the Redbirds were alive... and beautiful.

[553 Bridgeton]

To Continue:

 

I still remember redbirds on the . I seen the only once and that was that last day it ever seen the tracks. I use to call the the "red train". I rode the R142 on the late 2000 I remember getting on the R142 and saying what the hell is this. My mom use to only let me ride alone on the Dyre Line. I couldnt go past E180th and I got to enjoy the R62A . Good times.

[GarbageTruckJuice]

When I first started using the subway the Q66 was being extended from Woodside to Long Island City for the opening of the Queensbridge station

 

The G ran to 179th Street late nights

 

The R ran to 179th Street rush hours (I think... middays also maybe?)

 

when I started traveling outside of Queens the express tracks on Canal Street were desolate and looked like a scene where they would have filmed SVU. Trash was all over the tracks. And it smelled. BAD.

 

The Q was orange

 

The C only ran to World Trade on the weekends

 

The B & C were at opposite northern terminals

 

You didn't take the L unless you absolutely had to

 

You avoided the N & R (Never & Rarely) at all costs

[Joel Up Front]

I never liked the MTA much until last year.... that's when I got into the buses, then the LIRR, then the subway...

 

I remember the subway map making me break out the holy water and the young and old priests whenever I saw it, especially if a non-native New Yorker went to school in the city and needed to take the subway, and asking them if they could understand it.

 

Me being a Long Islander, I'm only used to the LIRR... and I found out it wasn't that fast, and I was paying $6.75 for a train ride that was slow. And all this "change at Jamaica" crap? No, I want a one-seat ride to Manhattan, not to have to take 4 trains to get to my station... which is on a branch that somehow has enough ridership for the MTA to care about.

 

Now, I have plenty of options, and at least the ones involving the LIRR are branches that run directly into Penn, and I even have a few buses that go to subway stations. If the MTA doesn't dropkick LIB over the goal post of "Long Island Bus is our [pregnant female dog]" on January 1st, I might plan a few solo fan trips...

[Roadcruiser1]

Just my 2 cents. I still remember when the Manhattan Bridge had only the , , and (Q6Av). I remember the R40 slants that ran along Sixth Avenue. I always thought they were cool. To tell you the truth I didn't know about the death of the R40's till last year. I was pretty young when the cars left. I thought they only left to be stored in the yards and they would come back. When I found out I was pretty horrified. I also remember the redbirds on the . They didn't smell very well and I found them to be really crowded. I never saw the . I was alive but I never saw the . I remember the , , . I was young then so I didn't know why the ( disappeared. Though I also found the slants to be awesome. Today it's back to the (, , , and lets hope it stays that way.

 

I love the redbirds exterior though I always thought they were sort of special. They were the only reds out of the grays. The R142 just isn't the same. I liked how the R46's rocked you in the old days. Especially when I had to ride them on the . They were so gentle they would put me to sleep when I was young. I never rode an R44. The R42's were my best friend of the train cars. Sometimes a trains arrives late on the West End Line so when the weather was bad no one would care and I would love to ride the R42 (Mx)'s.

 

I once rode a when I was really young but I didn't know if it was an R32 or R38. Even today I still have 2 train cars I have never ridden yet. The R62/A's and the R143's. I like the R32, R42, R46, R62/A, and R68/A because they are different from the NTT, and they are survivors. I like the sounds an R68 would make on an elevated track for example on the West End , and the door chimes forget about it. Also I have one thing to say about the . The left because the wanted to increase frequency on the . The and skip stop wasn't as popular as the and skip stop either because the skip the important stations that people want to get off of.

[2 Train Master]

Born in the mid-90's growing up around Woodlawn near the & .I used to call the redbirds "dirty old nasty train" I always hated them b\c they were hot,had a weird smell,bumpy and boring.I was young so I didn't know much.I always liked the 62's on the which I called the "silver train" I loved taking them over the redbirds they were fast and more interesting b\c of the color bucket seating and the door chime.As for the I don't remember the coming up to Bedford Pk nor the in the 90's.When I was 5 and 6 I saw my 1st NTT which was an R142A and loved em since they had a sweet propulsion and they haul ass they made the redbirds look like shit in my opinion.I didn't know the difference btwn a 68 and 68A,62 and 62A also a 44/46 until about '06 and '07 when I started exploring the system.

[Roadcruiser1]

I know 2 Train Master I mean the redbirds to me were unique and I didn't find them to be hot, but they had a weird smell. Like wet dog. I think some R160's smell the same way too. The last R160 I was on smelled almost the same wet dog.

[Grand Concourse]

Broadway back then - just the and I would always wonder why the express tracks were never used.

Now - happy about the express tracks being used regularly plus the south side of the bridge being used daily.

 

Redbirds on the IRT - would catch them more often and enjoyed the bench seats as well as the metal handle 'straps' by 'swinging' along with them.

Now - Still miss them mainly for the rfws, but don't miss the rusting exteriors. Still would've liked to have taken some shots of the redbirds while still in service.

[MainStreetBound7]

Just being born in 95, I basically missed all the goodstuff. Thank god the 7 is my home line so I rode the redbirds alot. Going forward up till maybe 2002 I used to ride Slants,42's and mods on the N and W all the time, and maybe the occasional 32.

[MainStreetBound7]

And also me being the stupid little 6 year old I was, didn't want to ride a 33 when waiting for 1-6. I wanted the "new train" (62's). Now I regret not riding them.

[Fresh Pond]

Also another thing, I spent New Years 2000 on a R142 train stuck between 149 St-GC and 135 St...that was one of the best New Years I ever had. The whole car & the conductor had a little party and the little kids, myself included, (I was 9 back then) ran around the car (I think it was 6311) amazed at the "new train"