About the Trains

These are the oldest members of the New York Transit Museum fleet, featuring lightweight wooden-bodied coaches mounted on steel underframes. A conductor manually opened and closed the gates and rang a ceiling-mounted bell when passengers were safely on board to signal the motorman to proceed. After 30 years of service on Brooklyn elevated lines the cars were refitted with side doors, painted in blue and orange to match the color scheme of the 1939 World’s Fair, and placed into service on the IRT Flushing line (today’s 7 train) for service to the Fair.

Modeled after Boston Elevated Railway cars, the Standards measure 67 feet long and 10 feet wide and contain 78 seats with an additional 14 drop-down auxiliary seats. The standing capacity of 182 people helped address the chronic overcrowding of the early subway years. The Standards introduced destination roll signs, larger windows, and brighter lighting.

The first cars designed for the new Independent Subway were called R1 (the “R” is for “Rolling Stock”) and ushered in the era of the “modern” subway car that had a larger capacity and was optimized for efficient passenger movement to and from the platform. From 1928 through 1940, five types of practically identical cars based on this design—nicknamed “Arnines”—were produced. They featured seating for 60 and standing room for 222, which was a 30% increase over the largest capacity subway car in current service. These cars were the core of the NYTM exhibit back in 1976!

The D-Type, commonly known as the Triplex, was the first articulated open-gangway rapid transit train car in the United States. Beginning service in 1925 and primarily serving BMT lines based near Coney Island, they were known for being especially reliable equipment. The arrival of the Triplexes made it possible to eliminate the last BU cars from Brooklyn services in 1927. Over their lifetime, the Triplexes served four routes by the Brighton, West End, Sea Beach, and Culver Lines, as well as the 4th Ave. They were replaced by R27, R30, and R32 car types.