Dec. 1, 2014 By Michael Florio
Residents will be able to catch a nostalgia train from Queens Plaza every Sunday this December.
The trains are comprised of old subway cars that ran between the 1930s and early 1970s.
This year the nostalgia trains will run along the Sixth Avenue M-line on Sundays (November 30th, December 7th, 14, 21, 28) between 10 am and 5 pm. Western Queens residents can catch these trains at Queens Plaza.
“Holiday shoppers, tourists and those who just remember a bygone era will have the opportunity to experience a ride on a subway train from yesteryear, “said MTA New York City President Carmen Bianco in a statement.
Each car will be equipped with ceiling fans, padded seats and incandescent light bulbs.
The MTA released information on each of the old train cars:
Car No. 100 — Manufactured by American Car and Foundry, this 1932 R1-type car was the first car in the initial order of 300 cars placed in service for the opening of the IND subway.
Car No. 484 — Part of a 500-car order of R4 cars manufactured by American Car & Foundry. In 1946, this car received a retrofit of bulls-eye lighting and a public address system.
Car No. 1575 – Originally manufactured as an R7, this car was involved in a wreck in 1946. Sent to the American Car & Foundry factory, the car, which is equipped with fluorescent lighting and smooth sides, was rebuilt as the prototype of the next generation R10 subway car.
In addition to the subways, the MTA will be running a nostalgia bus.
The crosstown route will run Monday through Friday from December 1st to the 19th. According to the MTA, everything on the vintage bus will be original, except the fare.
Many of the buses are pre-1959.
“These buses are a living, breathing part of the city’s history and each has a unique story to tell about the era in which it operated,” says Darryl Irick, Senior VP of NYC Transit Department of Buses and President of MTA Bus and a former Bus Operator himself.
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