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| Re: R-42 Retirement Plan & Eulogy (1537963) | |||
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Re: R-42 Retirement Plan & Eulogy |
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Posted by Widecab5 on Wed Feb 12 15:58:17 2020, in response to R-42 Retirement Run, posted by Pelham Exp on Sun Feb 9 11:21:20 2020. So does the R-42 have a good Retirement Plan?(LOL!) Below is copied a (personal) "eulogy" which I at first penned to a friend back over New Year's when we thought they were already gone. With what has happened since, it's even more fitting to this day's "funeral" procession on the A train. High kudos to NYCT indeed. Let's hope this becomes a habit when so befit! This was written a month and a half ago as my wordage was even choppy than it is now as I continue to recover from the December stroke, here with a slight edit: "The R-42s Across (My) Lifetime": How more appropriate for the very last for the R-42 in revenue service across many many of those 50 years of "colorful" service in the entire NYC Subway system, which was that single fleet ran from the upper edge of the Bronx (Norwood) to the Farrest of the Rockaways and every place in between. Through their 50 years the R-42s ran on the A, AA, B, CC, C, D, E, EE, F, GG, HH, J, K (twice), KK (twice), LL, L, M, N, QB, QJ, Q (Circle and Diamond), RR, R, SS, V, W, Z and maybe ever more I forget off hand. Maybe even the Bird a time. My favorite era was their 24/7 a tough tough assignment on the old "Dog" (D) out of Concourse shop, between 205 Street and Coney Island. I can still visualize that sign to enter the mezzanine at Atlantic Avenue after transferring off the LIRR (then with almost all M-1) "All Trains D M QB," all then for 50 cents a token. It was those R-40M/42 trains that made that very first roar to advertise the start off a long day at The Stadium, be the day or the trains be they cold, hot, light, dark, both outside AND inside. Those R-42s made a long day bearable against an often ugly subway scene. ESPECIALLY to begin the journey to and from that "Big Ball Park in the Bronx" as was described by my long departed friend, former Yankees announcer Jim Woods when he was working for The Sox. He used to be a partner for no other than the great Mel Allen. Long rides both ways, day in, day out and each stop all my way between the Bronx and Flatbush LIRR an R-42, maybe an R-44 now and then otherwise, but always they made it bearable be us cold, hot, light, dark, both outside AND inside. Thanks to their mixed tour of boredom, entertainment and history underneath the streets of the world's Biggest Apple. That was in the hot summer of 1977 and I has been on the subway ever since. To me, the R-68s (now 34 years of their own!) continue to show their spirit as they still wear Pinstripes of their own. So many people, so many places now gone and at last they are all now joined by those R-42s, at last! You've all finally gone to join the eternity of my best baseball buddy, Number 15, The Captain, Thurman Munson who left us all far too much early. I found the meaning of pain as a kid when Yooch was crying in the New York Daily News that Thursday on that R-42. Thankfully, the R-42s got to achieve their final maturity of a long career of 50 years in "Father Knickerbocker's sluggish circulation." RIP my friends! George C. |
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