BrooklynIRT Posted May 29, 2012 #6 Posted May 29, 2012 Upon looking into the cab of a R32 one day when the cab door was open at 168, I noticed that this is very easy to accomplish. Actually in James Clifford Greller's New York City Subway Cars there is an image of a R32 re-delivered just after GOH with the number 1 on its display. Unless somebody had pressed the "test" button on the sign control and walked away, what happened here was that there was somebody in the cab turning the dial to each letter in the alphabet and each of the numbers 0-9 (not in that order of course). For those who may not know, the way the Luminators on the R32s (and probably R38s) work, which I found out when I saw that R32 with its cab door open at 168, is that you just turn a dial to whatever character you want to display. The labels around the dial include every letter in the alphabet and the numbers 0-9.
Brighton Express Posted May 29, 2012 Author #7 Posted May 29, 2012 I can see why the whole alphabet, making it a very versatile train. The numbers were probably for designations like the Brighton, the Culver, and the Sea Beach.
BrooklynIRT Posted May 29, 2012 #8 Posted May 29, 2012 Unlikely since the numerical designations were decommissioned in BMT land by the middle of the 20th century. More likely it was just a stock template/sign program Luminator used in similar products, and they figured they would just use what they already had and be done with it, rather than make a new template/program or omit the numbers since either process (even just the process of omitting unwanted characters) would have taken too much time, slowing down the re-manufacture of the cars.
Brighton Express Posted May 30, 2012 Author #10 Posted May 30, 2012 And that is why we should not scrap the R32s. The only train that can match them with this is the R110A/42 and the R143/160. The only problem would be the side signs, but if we kept these instead of scrapping them, whenever a train on any B Division line breaks down, we will have a backup, no matter the letter.
Threxx Posted May 30, 2012 #11 Posted May 30, 2012 And that is why we should not scrap the R32s. The only train that can match them with this is the R110A/42 and the R143/160. The only problem would be the side signs, but if we kept these instead of scrapping them, whenever a train on any B Division line breaks down, we will have a backup, no matter the letter. They are 50 years old! They will not last much longer. They have served us well, but when the R179's get here, they are leaving. What they should do is put the signs in the R62's or 68's.
Guest Lance Posted May 30, 2012 #12 Posted May 30, 2012 And that is why we should not scrap the R32s. The only train that can match them with this is the R110A/42 and the R143/160. The only problem would be the side signs, but if we kept these instead of scrapping them, whenever a train on any B Division line breaks down, we will have a backup, no matter the letter. The rollsigns on the older fleet and LED displays on the front of the NTTs are more than capable of showing any necessary route. Like Threxxbus said, let the R32s retire gracefully.
4P3607 Posted May 30, 2012 #13 Posted May 30, 2012 Ive seen this before in person, unfortunately my battery was dead and I only had a flip at the time so u wouldn't have been able to see it anyway. this vid was taken at B 116 st btw. nice catch to whoever the original owner is!
Kendell Posted May 30, 2012 #14 Posted May 30, 2012 Omg theres a r32 (Y) And ? And really an (I)? Nive vid
MottAvenueMan Posted May 30, 2012 #15 Posted May 30, 2012 I love the 32s and the 38s. I call them the Tonka Trucks of the system. You can crash, 'em, smash 'em, burn 'em, make 'em do a Greg Louganis off the empire state building...and they'll run...ok maybe not after a drop that far, but they were built to last. And if you ever had a tonka truck, you know what i'm talking about.
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