8/29/99
Hey Jeff! Boy do I remember! I just turned 48 and here's a piece of my memory by division:
IRT DIVISION - My family and I used to live on Eastern Parkway between Howard and Pitkin Ave's,so the closest line was the New Lots Line. My first childhood subway memory was riding Low-V's,something about those dark end vestibules where people entered and exited caught my attention.The Bronx portion of the 3rd Avenue "el". I remember riding the Low-V/Worlds fair consists once in the mid 60's. I was puzzled and fascinated by the missing express track,not knowing the history of that line.The Flushing line,borrowed (original) redbirds with "stick on" route signs on front. Also the debut of the R-33/36 cars.
IND DIVISION - When visiting my grandmother in Queens, we would take the Brighton Local to 34th St and transfer to the (F) train. Back then,the (F) train would terminate at 34th St on weekends. Insisting to ride the front car,my father complying,watching the R1-9's switching over to the now northbound platform. No sealed beams,too. How about those illuminated signal numbers on the bottom of the signal cases that the BMT didn't have. That fascinated me also.
BMT DIVISION - We save the best for last. I lived at the Newkirk Avenue station of the BMT Brighton Line (hence Newkirk Images) from
'57 to '72. How about these,Watching train movements from different overpasses from streets named,Dorchester,Ditmas,Newkirk,Foster and the unique Glenwood Road bridge. Watching for hours! D Types,AB types,
I remember for sshort time 4000 series trailers on the Brighton local,
Couldn't figure out then why there was no shoe beam!. Watching roof lines of mixed AB types consists. Deck roofs,empire roofs and the brief 2500 series box louvers. Brighton expresses and locals racing to Newkirk Avenue. Then both conductors kept the doors open so people could change cross platform. Then there is elevated style third rail and the year they changed over to subway third rail with protection board. Heavy snowstorms and B types in the open cut. The snow deadened the rail joint click clack sounds. If the snow was deep enough third rail shoes sparking while train was moving.Then there are warm summer nights,very late. I lived 5 blocks from the Newkirk Avenue station and on a very quiet night hearing the bull and pinion sound of the AB's climbing the hill to Avenue H. How about brand new R-27's on the local with their shiny olive paint and silvery window sashs. Of course we all remember those green flourescent light that made the sign designation iredescent! I remember rebuilt AB's (1959)
with that unusual plextone paint and red cushion seats. I even remember an occasional AB ON THE Brighton Express! I remember the first time I saw the R-32's testing on Sea Beach middle. I watched for hours the two car train going back and forth between 8th ave and Fort Hamilton Parkway. I never seen something so bright and shiny. Meanwhile AB's plied the Sea Beach since D types were sent to the West End. And oh yes! I remember the Culver shuttle with two A-Types.
Every time I hear the Beatles "Do you want to know a secret?" I still remember the Canarsie line. One warm in the summer of '64 I was riding the AB'S with windows open,fans spinning and a teenager with a hand held transistor radio playing the song while the motorman was blowing the whistle for the East 105th St grade crossing. And last but not least I remember Stillwell terminal chocked full of AB's,D's and R1-9's. I remember when returning a child from swimming at Washington Baths Annex seeing the B-types laid up at the end of the station so they could couple up for the rush hour. With fond memories like that and others not memtioned,it's hard to fond of the way things are today.
Bill Newkirk