Today, September 9th, marks the 50th anniversary of the first run of the NYC Subway's Budd R32s. These cars, the first stainless steel cars built for the system, were dubbed "Brightliners" for their shiny finish. Several other classes have come and gone, but the R32s soldier on, and will presumably for the next few years as the R179 fleet isn't ready.
The first run was notable for being on New York Central tracks, with a different type of third rail shoe.
At least one contributor was there, hopefully he will share his story with us!
Some pictures of them new are here.
In 1964 I was working for Bolt Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, MA, located at 32 Moulton Street, near Fresh Pond Circle. I would spend one or two days a week at the firm's New York office, giving that office the benefit of sound system design capabilities, located at 101 Park Avenue, one block south of GCT. Usually, I used a roomette on the Owl southbound and either the Merchants Lmt.at 5pm or a combination of The Bankers (a Springfield train) and the Patriot, 6pm and across the platform transfer at New Haven. Either the New Haven diner or the PRR diner on the Patriot served an excellent meal. If my overnight stay had been at a friend's apartment, I could justify the expense of a parlor seat on the Merchants. A few times a year I would use the Owl on the return, to enjoy an evening concert at Lincoln Center. The work in NY was not only in the office, but visits to architects' and engineers' offices, and job-site visits. If Ranger Farrell was with me, he would insist on using taxis, but otherwise, public transportation was normal.
So one afternoon, Hugh Dunn called me at the NY office and said that if I hurried to GCT I could ride to Mott Haven (if I wrote Harmon earlier, that was an error) on a train of the new R32 subway cars. The gate was signed for "R32 Budd Demonstration Special" or something similar, and there were TA people checking who knew me, as well as some from the Central. I was able to find standing room next to the cab to look out the front storm-door window. The cab door was open, the train was operated by a NYC engineer, with a TA "motor instructor" standing between me and the cab as supervisor.
The train operated normally, bypassed 125th, ran at 35 mph, and there were zero glitches, except we had to wait for a signal to go into Mott Haven Yard. There was found a small temporary wood platform with stairs to walkway ground level, raw wood unpainted. Knowing that absence from the office for a long period would not be favorable to my reputation at BBN, I did not stay for the speeches and a return trip, but used a stairway to a cross-street bridge, and went to the 138th St. station to return to 42nd ST. via subway. Only the left front door of the whole ten-car train was open at Mott Haven Yard.
Wonderful! Thank you!
One left door only. Wow, must have taken a while to unload.
Was the ride smoother than on TA track?
Can you be seen below?
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?114189
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?75612
Probably the third from the left in the front window in the lower picture. Dark glasses identified the motor-instructor supervisor.
In the top probably already trying to place myself near that left front door.
Okay. Thanks a lot for posting your story!
The top picture may actually have been taken on the return trip. Because of the buildings in the background, the bottom one was on the northbound trip.
True.
Today, September 14th, marks the 50th anniversary of the R32's entry into regular service, on the Q.
from the photos, I see find I made an error. The demonstration train was only eight cars long. Usually, the R32's ran in ten-car trains in my memory.
But maybe only eight initially on the Q. They went to the D pretty quickly, after Chrystie St., and the D was then a Brighton line train, and there they ran in ten-car trains.
So even after Chrystie St, 1967, the D and the F were the only trains on former BMT lines that ran with ten cars. Culver had been lengthened before Ditmas, and Brighton before Chrystie.
Those of you who do not know NY well, we are talking about 60-ft cars, R1-R42. R44 and R46 are 75ft and an eight car train is still maximum for them.
For a Chicagoan like me, a 75-foot rapid transit car is almost impossible to envision. Due to several curves of 90-foot radius and a tight clearance diagram, CTA equipment is restricted to a length of 51 feet.
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