The R36 was a
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October 2 ...
car model built by the
St. Louis Car Company
The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, interurbans, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887 to 1974, based in St. Louis, Missouri.
History
The St. Louis Car Company ...
from 1963 to 1964. The cars are a "follow-up" or supplemental stock to the
A Division's R33s, which some of the cars closely resemble. A total of 424 cars were built, arranged in pairs. The order includes World's Fair cars comprising 390 cars, and Main Line cars comprising 34 cars.
The R36s entered service on October 24, 1963, and were overhauled in the mid-1980s. They were retired by 2003 with the delivery of the
R142
The R142 is the first successful model class of the newest generation or new technology (NTT) A Division cars for the New York City Subway. It was built by Bombardier Transportation in La Pocatière, Quebec, Canada and Barre, Vermont, U.S. ...
and
R142A
The R142A is the second order of new technology cars (NTTs) for the A Division of the New York City Subway. These cars were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in the U.S. at Yonkers, New York and Lincoln, Nebraska, and in Japan at Kobe, Hy ...
cars. While most cars were reefed, some have been preserved, and others have been retained for other purposes.
Description
The R36s were numbered 9346–9769. They were the last entirely LAHT bodied (non-stainless steel) cars built for the New York City Subway.
Cars 9346–9523 and 9558–9769 were specifically purchased for service on the
IRT Flushing Line
The IRT Flushing Line is a rapid transit route of the New York City Subway system, named for its eastern terminal in Flushing, Queens. It is operated as part of the A Division. The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT), a private operator, ...
( and trains), which was the closest line to the
1964 New York World's Fair
The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair was a world's fair that held over 140 pavilions and 110 restaurants, representing 80 nations (hosted by 37), 24 US states, and over 45 corporations with the goal and the final result of building exhibits or ...
. The cars were also referred to as ''"World's Fair" cars'', or ''R36WFs'' (R36 World's Fair), and featured three-piece curved "picture" windows, unlike other
IRT cars at the time. While in regular service, five two-car consists of these cars were coupled to one single
R33S car to make 11-car trains for the and routes.
Cars 9524–9557 were purchased for service on all other IRT routes. The cars were also referred to as ''"Main Line" cars'', or ''R36MLs'' (R36 Main Line) to distinguish them from the "World's Fair" cars. They were built from unfinished car body shells of the R33 order, and therefore featured sported drop-sash side windows.
Although the R36s were later referred to as
Redbirds, the cars were originally painted in different schemes when they were delivered. The "World's Fair" cars were painted in a light blue
turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone and ornamental stone for thousands of yea ...
"Bluebird" scheme, while the "Main Line" cars were painted bright red like the R33s. These color schemes were used until 1977, when the cars were painted in the silver/blue MTA livery. Then, they were painted in a full white (roof, bonnets, sides were all painted white) "anti-graffiti" scheme from 1981 to 1982 to combat
graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
; since the white paint was a Teflon-based paint, the graffiti did not stick to it very well. The look was abandoned for the famous "Redbird" style, which was applied onto the cars when they were rebuilt.
History
Early history
In 1962, the
New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) ordered 430 cars for the train. This route would run to the World's Fair grounds in
Flushing Meadows
Flushing may refer to:
Places
* Flushing, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom
* Flushing, Queens, New York City
** Flushing Bay, a bay off the north shore of Queens
** Flushing Chinatown (法拉盛華埠), a community in Queens
** Flushing ...
in
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
. The first 40 cars were singles (
R33S), with the rest being R36 cars; single cars were needed since the service runs 11-car trains, and R36 cars were built only in pairs.
The first R36 cars ("World's Fair" cars 9558–9561) arrived in fall 1963, shortly after the
R33S cars began arriving in September that year. The first train of
R33S and "World's Fair" R36 cars was placed in service on the route on October 24, 1963. With the
fair
A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks.
Types
Variations of fairs incl ...
opening approaching on April 12, 1964, "World's Fair" R36 cars were built and delivered in larger quantities that fall. More "World's Fair" cars arrived throughout 1964, enough to displace the
R12s,
R14s, and
R15s from the train by the close of 1964.
The "Main Line" R36s entered service on the almost a year later, on July 24, 1964. The cars were first assigned to the , , and until February 16, 1966, when they were moved to the .
Late 1960s–Mid 1980s
The "Main Line" R36s stayed on the until October 1968 when cars 9530–9539 were moved to the and . When the
GE R12s were sent to the (
Third Avenue elevated line) in August 1969 the remaining cars assigned to the were moved to the and to join the rest of the "Main Line" cars assigned there.
In April 1972 "Main Line" R36 pairs 9524–9525, 9532–9533, 9536–9537, 9540–9541, 9544–9545 and 9548–9549 were moved to the with
Westinghouse "World's Fair" pairs 9376–9377, 9408–9409, 9418–9419, 9474–9475, 9496–9497 and 9516–9517 being moved to the and . The swap was reversed in May 1973 when the "Main Line" pairs returned to the and and the
Westinghouse "World's Fair" pairs returned to the .
On October 22, 1976, Westinghouse "World's Fair" R36s 9504–9523 were moved from the to the and to supplement the "Main Line" cars.
From June 2, 1978, to May 1979
Westinghouse "World's Fair" R36s 9494–9503 were assigned to the train. Those cars were also used on the and in February 1979.
On April 27, 1981 "Main Line" R36s 9548–9557 were moved from the and to the to relieve a car shortage on the line. The cars returned to their home lines on August 17, 1981.
On January 10, 1983
Westinghouse "World's Fair" R36s 9504–9523 and the "Main Line" R36s were removed from the and those were only assigned to the . Those cars stayed on the until June 20, 1984, when
Westinghouse "World's Fair" and "Main Line" cars 9514–9533 were moved to the . The remaining
Westinghouse "World's Fair" R36s assigned to the were then moved to the on July 5, 1984. Then the last "Main Line" cars assigned to the were also moved to the on February 15, 1985, and the R36s were assigned exclusively to the expect from April 1985 to early May 1985 when "Main Line" cars 9534–9557 were assigned to the .
Rebuilding
Though all cars were originally delivered without air conditioning, all cars in this series gradually received air conditioning as part of a retrofitting program to replace the cars' original Axiflow ceiling fans. The program started in 1976, and by 1982, all cars had received air conditioning as part of the program.
The "World's Fair" R36s were the first cars to be rebuilt in the NYCTA's
General Overhaul Program (GOH) in the 1980s. This program improved car life by rebuilding older cars and keeping other cars in a state of good repair. A trial rebuild program was done on selected Westinghouse R36 cars in 1981–83; the selected cars were rebuilt by
Morrison–Knudsen
Morrison–Knudsen (MK) was an American civil engineering and construction company, with headquarters in Boise, Idaho.
MK designed and constructed major infrastructure throughout the world and was one of the consortium of firms that built Hoover ...
in
Hornell, New York
Hornell is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Steuben County, New York, Steuben County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 8,259 at the 2020 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early set ...
. Beginning in late 1984, the other R36 cars were rebuilt at a rate of 200 cars per year, with the majority of them done in-house at the
Coney Island Shop. Others were rebuilt by
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
, and by
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
at its
Beech Grove, Indiana
Beech Grove is a city in Marion County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city's population is 14,192. The city is located within the Indianapolis metropolitan area. Beech Grove is designated an "excluded city" under Indiana la ...
, and
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
shops. The last remaining cars were sent out for rebuild in late 1985, and by 1986, all cars were back in service.
After rebuilding, the R36 cars were repainted in a scheme involving a deep maroon red body, black front bonnets and
anti-climber
A cowcatcher, also known as a pilot, is the device mounted at the front of a locomotive to deflect obstacles on the track that might otherwise damage or derail it or the train.
In the UK small metal bars called ''life-guards'', ''rail guard ...
s, and a silver roof prior to returning to service. At first, the scheme was known as "Silver Fox", "Broad Street Red", or "Gunn Red" (after
NYCT chief David L. Gunn) and was a graffiti-resistant red. By 1989, the Gunn Red would evolve into the "
Redbirds" scheme best known to many New Yorkers, with beige interiors, red exterior paint and interior doors and black, and silver exterior trim along with the car windows, roof, and undersides. In 1999, the R36 cars were the most reliable in the NYCT fleet, with a Mean Distance Between Failure (MDBF) rate of 194,150 miles, despite being 35 years old at the time. While in decent shape mechanically, rust holes and car body corrosion were beginning to form in the sides of most of the cars.
From December 1987
until July 2001
"World's Fair" cars 9478–9523 usually ran on the train based at
Westchester Yard
The New York City Transit Authority operates a total of 24 rail yards for the New York City Subway system, and one for the Staten Island Railway. There are 10 active A Division yards and 11 active B Division yards, two of which are shared betwee ...
in the Bronx. Previously, some
Westinghouse-equipped cars had been assigned to the and trains in the late 1960s–early 1980s.
The "Main Line" cars usually ran on the from February
1984 to December 1987,
and was transferred to the from December 1987
to June 2001, when they were returned to the .
Retirement
In 1996, the
New York City Transit Authority
The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, the TA, or simply Transit, and branded as MTA New York City Transit) is a public-benefit corporation in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City. P ...
announced their plans to phase out the
Redbirds with the
R142
The R142 is the first successful model class of the newest generation or new technology (NTT) A Division cars for the New York City Subway. It was built by Bombardier Transportation in La Pocatière, Quebec, Canada and Barre, Vermont, U.S. ...
and
R142A
The R142A is the second order of new technology cars (NTTs) for the A Division of the New York City Subway. These cars were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in the U.S. at Yonkers, New York and Lincoln, Nebraska, and in Japan at Kobe, Hy ...
fleets.
From February 2001
to July 2001
as
R142As enter service on the , the "Main Line" R36s and "World's Fair" cars 9478–9523 were transferred over to the . While the
Redbirds on the
IRT Main Line were retired starting in early 2001, the service was still provided by
R33S cars and R36s. In January 2002, a set of
R62As arrived from the
IRT mainline. As more
R142s and
R142As were delivered,
R62As were gradually transferred from the and to the , in turn replacing the
R33S cars and R36s. The last "Main Line" R36 pair, 9542–9543, made its final trip on the on May 16, 2003. The last train of "World's Fair" R36s, consisting of pairs 9564–9565, 9616–9617, 9582–9583, 9584–9585, and 9586–9587 finally ran along the on November 3, 2003, with
R33S car 9309, marking not only the end of the
Redbird
Redbird, Redbirds, Red Bird or Red Birds may refer to:
Bird
* Redbird, another name for the northern cardinal
* Redbird, another name for the summer tanager
* Red bird of paradise, a near threatened species
Mythological
* An East Asian variant ...
cars, but also the end of non-stainless steel cars on the subway.
Most of the
Redbirds (1,294) were stripped and then
submerged off the coast of
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
,
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, and
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
as an artificial barrier and diving
reef
A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...
s, by
Weeks Marine
Weeks Marine is a marine construction and dredging contractor based in Cranford, NJ. It was founded by Francis Weeks and his son Richard B. Weeks in 1919 as the Weeks Stevedoring Company.
Company
Weeks has three key divisions—Construction, D ...
.
Several R36 cars were saved for various purposes throughout the New York City Subway system. The full list includes:
* "Main Line" pair 9542–9543 – preserved by the
New York Transit Museum
The New York Transit Museum (also called the NYC Transit Museum) is a museum that displays historical artifacts of the New York City Subway, bus, and commuter rail systems in the greater New York City metropolitan region. The main museum is loc ...
in Brooklyn since 2004.
This pair is currently stored at the
207th Street Yard
The New York City Transit Authority operates a total of 24 rail yards for the New York City Subway system, and one for the Staten Island Railway. There are 10 active A Division yards and 11 active B Division yards, two of which are shared betwee ...
, awaiting restoration.
* "World's Fair" pair 9586–9587 – also preserved by the
New York Transit Museum
The New York Transit Museum (also called the NYC Transit Museum) is a museum that displays historical artifacts of the New York City Subway, bus, and commuter rail systems in the greater New York City metropolitan region. The main museum is loc ...
in Brooklyn. These cars were stored for many years until being moved to the
Concourse Yard
The New York City Transit Authority operates a total of 24 rail yards for the New York City Subway system, and one for the Staten Island Railway. There are 10 active A Division yards and 11 active B Division yards, two of which are shared betwee ...
in summer 2013. In September 2013, the pair was moved to
207th Street Yard
The New York City Transit Authority operates a total of 24 rail yards for the New York City Subway system, and one for the Staten Island Railway. There are 10 active A Division yards and 11 active B Division yards, two of which are shared betwee ...
and restored to operating status. The cars were initially displayed at the transit museum and finally participated on their first fan trip on June 8, 2014, on the route, as part of the ''
Train of Many Colors
The Train of Many Colors (also referred to as TOMC) is one of the New York Transit Museum's nostalgia trains used for excursions, which is made up of cars that were formerly used on Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) lines. The name comes ...
''.
"World's Fair" pairs 9582–9583 and 9584–9585 also remain on MTA property. They were transferred to the
Unionport Yard
The New York City Transit Authority operates a total of 24 rail yards for the New York City Subway system, and one for the Staten Island Railway. There are 10 active A Division (New York City Subway), A Division yards and 11 active B Division (Ne ...
along with pair 9586–9587. Pair 9582–9583 was found to have structural issues and was sidelined, while pair 9584–9585 was used on the
rail adhesion train until 2019. Plans are unknown for these cars.
In addition to these cars, other cars were also stored around the system. "World's Fair" pair 9400–9401 was stored at the Corona Yard for preservation; however, the cars were never used and were scrapped on October 7, 2013. "World's Fair" pair 9564–9565 was set aside and transferred to
Coney Island Yard
The New York City Transit Authority operates a total of 24 rail yards for the New York City Subway system, and one for the Staten Island Railway. There are 10 active A Division yards and 11 active B Division yards, two of which are shared betw ...
in December 2004; car 9564 was planned to be repurposed into a visitor center at
Queens Borough Hall
Queens Borough Hall is a public building in the Kew Gardens neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City which houses the Office of the Queens Borough President and other city offices and court space. It is located in the Kew Gardens munic ...
in
Kew Gardens, Queens
Kew Gardens is a neighborhood in the central area of the New York City borough of Queens. Kew Gardens is bounded to the north by the Union Turnpike and the Jackie Robinson Parkway (formerly the Interboro Parkway), to the east by the Van Wyck Exp ...
, and the car 9565 was planned to be preserved in a museum in
West Babylon, New York
West Babylon is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Babylon in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 43,213 at the 2010 census.
Geography
West Babylon is located at (40.713399, -73.357106).
West Babylon is bord ...
. However,
R33 9075 was used at Queens Borough Hall instead of 9564, and 9565 never made it to the proposed museum; the cars were subsequently reefed in 2008. "World's Fair" pair 9588–9589 was stored at the
Concourse Yard
The New York City Transit Authority operates a total of 24 rail yards for the New York City Subway system, and one for the Staten Island Railway. There are 10 active A Division yards and 11 active B Division yards, two of which are shared betwee ...
until 2008, when the pair was reefed.
In culture
Eight WH-powered "World's Fair" cars (9356–57, 9360–61, 9394–95, 9412–13) and two GE-powered cars (9712–13), in addition to one R33S (9327), were wrapped and painted in
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
colors on October 24, 2000, prior to Game 3 of the
2000 World Series
The 2000 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2000 Major League Baseball season, 2000 season. The 96th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between crosstown opponents, th ...
between the Yankees and Mets.
In addition, the "World's Fair" cars have made cameo roles in various TV shows and movies.
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gu ...
rides a train of "World's Fair" R36s in ''
It Could Happen to You'' (1994). In the 1988 movie ''
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely across ...
'',
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...
gets off car 9700 at
Vernon Boulevard–Jackson Avenue station
The Vernon Boulevard–Jackson Avenue station (often informally referred to as Vernon–Jackson station; formerly Vernon–Jackson Avenues station) is a station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway, and the westernmost station o ...
.
Notes and references
Notes
References
External links
*
*
R36 photos
{{DEFAULTSORT:R036 (New York City Subway Car)
Train-related introductions in 1964
St. Louis multiple units
New York City Subway rolling stock