On the BMT standards, did the conductor operate the doors from the button console between the center doors, or was he in the motorman's cab? I rode them regularly during the last two years of their careers (1967-1969) on the Canarsie line, and I never saw the conductor anywhere near any of the button consoles. I always got off at Lorimer St., and remember seeing the conductor in the motorman's cab in the fourth car (6-car trains of standards were the norm on the Canarsie line).
As I understand, when the standards were first delivered, there would be a conductor in each car of any given train who would operate the doors in his car only. During rush hours, it took some doing to maneuver from one side of the car to the other as required by outside or center island platform. Multiple unit door controls came later, and all of the standards were retrofitted with them. Naturally, once this was accomplished, only one conductor was needed per train. I was under the assumption that the multiple unit door controls were installed in the motorman's cabs, and at the same time the buttons on the consoles between the center doors were disconnected.
BTW, I knew the storm doors on the standards were kept locked during operation, but didn't realize the buttons marked "close end door" referred to the storm doors. Did the storm doors have door motors on them? Or did the button controls simply lock and unlock the storm doors? I remember boarding a train of standards once at Lorimer St., and saw a 2x4 running diagonally across the front storm door of the first car, pushing against the door latch. Apparently, the latch wouldn't lock and they didn't want anyone accidentally opening the door, falling off the train, and getting crushed to death. You have to wonder why they even bothered to use that specific car if the storm door wouldn't lock.