Redbirds-The Subway Nut

Photos

Redbirds are really 5 different car contracts (R-26,R-28,R-29,R-33,R-36), that were just painted morion-red in the 1980s to show that the MTA was trying to crack down on graffiti. All cars are perminitly coupled into two car sets except for 39 R-36s (WF#9306-9345) that are used for the extra car on the 11 car 7 line. The R-33 and R-36 cars include two different types of cars in each contract: Main Line, or Wold's Fair. The cars were rebuilt in the 1980s by various companies including the MTA, this is when they received air-conditioning. An interesting fact about the singles that they were never Re-built and never got air conditioned meaning that the 7 ran 10 car trains in the summer. The original color skeams varied a lot. There carreers ended between 2001-2003 and were replaced by the R-142s (Some lines recieved R-62(As) in a suffle of cars on each line). 1110 redbirds to date were buried or reefed at sea off the states of Delaware, South Carolina, Verginia and New Jeresy into the Atlantic Ocean at various sites to create a haven for marine life. The cars couldn't be scrapped do to asbestos problems. A few remain for preservation purposes or have been converted to work cars. They have operated on various fan trips.

The interior of the cars have gray plastic seats, and side doors on each side, the cars also have metal straps and were the last trains you could be a 'straphanger' on, that were not stainless steal. They represent an old era of the subway. All cars are railfannable with a front window anyone can look out of. I find the cars sometimes to have too many large vertical poles in the inside. The cars (except for the singles) have one motormen's half-width cab on one end, on the other there is a conductor only half-width cab. The fronts of the cars above the door have the route on the left and destination on the right.

Trips operated on that I went on:
A Redbird Ramble on 21 December, 2003 to benefit the March of Dimes
Redbirds and the Museum Cars (SMEE) in revenue service on the 7 on 18 June, 2004

Facts about Redbirds	R-26	R-28	R-29	R-33ML	R-33WF	R-36ML	R-36WF
Car Numbers:	7750-7859	7860-7950	8570-8805	8806-9305	9306-9345	9524-9557	9346-9523/9558-9769
Years Delivered:	1959-1960	1960-1961	1962-1963	1963		1964
Builder:	American Car and Foundry		St. Lewis Car
Rebuilder:	Morrison-Kudson			MTA NYCT 207 Street Shops	MTA NYCT Corona/Coney Island Shops	MTA NYCT 207 Street/Coney Island Shops	**
Years Rebuilt:	1985-1086	1985-1987	1985-1987	1986-1992	1985-1986	9524-9557	1982-1986
**MTA NYCT Corona/Coney Island Shops, Amtrak (Wilmington, DE/Beach Grove, IN), GE (Buffalo, NY)

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Last Updated: 21 August, 2004
Special Thanks on this page to Kevin Wong
This Web Site is maintained and ©2004 by Jeremiah Cox. This website is not affiliated with any transit provider. Do you have any subway/transit photos that you would like to see on this website? Or comments or questions about this website? Contact Me!