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Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by Union Turnpike on Tue Nov 3 10:57:27 2009

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At 10:30am on November 3, 2003 the R33/R36WF made their final run in revenue service on the (7).

The train, consisting of cars 9564-9565-9309-9582-9583-9584-9585-9617-9616-9587-9586(w) departed Times Square and made local stops before ending an era at Willets Point-Shea Stadium.

The R33/R36WF arrived new in 1964 for the 1964-1965 World's Fair and ended as Redbirds.

They looked nice with their aquamarine and cream paint scheme, robin's blue interior and "European Style" windows. During the World's Fair some cars carried the names of states on their sides.

After replacing the R12s and R15s - R17s, the R33/R36WF cars went on to serve the Flushing Line for nearly forty years.

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(851938)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by Brighton Private on Tue Nov 3 11:11:09 2009, in response to Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by Union Turnpike on Tue Nov 3 10:57:27 2009.

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I remember, on a bleak day in March 1964, how strange and exciting it was to see those acquamarine cars. I was 10 years old, and my family had taken a little day trip by car out from Brooklyn to see the World's Fair site shortly before Opening Day. Until then the only NYC subways I knew were the no-color cars on the Brighton Line.

On the same day, we saw the multi-colored tiers of soon-to-be-opened Shea Stadium, so festive when compared with the drab green of Yankee Stadium (it hadn't been repainted blue and white yet).

It was as if a new, more colorful and better world was about to unfold. And it did, at least for a while.

Now the Fair is long gone, my parents are gone, the subway cars are gone, and Shea Stadium is gone too. God, I feel old. But New York is a better place than it was then, the subways are better too, and I'm not doing so bad either.

Thanks for the memory.

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(852004)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by G1Ravage on Tue Nov 3 14:42:42 2009, in response to Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by Union Turnpike on Tue Nov 3 10:57:27 2009.

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I was on that train.

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(852062)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by R42 4787 on Tue Nov 3 17:43:26 2009, in response to Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by Union Turnpike on Tue Nov 3 10:57:27 2009.

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The 1963 World's Fair cars were the first to introduced large picture windows and the light blue interior. The large windows have been standard on every NYCT car since. The R33/R36 WFs were also the last cars to retain the motor-generator/battery set and have the interior lighting blink off. Some units retained the original "SMEE" braking units, original doors and controllers to the end, since the R36 overhaul in the early/mid 80s was largely cosmetic rather than mechanical.

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(852303)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by South Ferry on Wed Nov 4 02:50:49 2009, in response to Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by G1Ravage on Tue Nov 3 14:42:42 2009.

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So was I.... thru the courtesy of a nice fellow buff's VHS home video version of the ride. :)

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(852353)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by Steve B-8AVEXP on Wed Nov 4 08:36:49 2009, in response to Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by Brighton Private on Tue Nov 3 11:11:09 2009.

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And the Mets have been playing like the 1964 team, too.

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(852354)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by Steve B-8AVEXP on Wed Nov 4 08:37:55 2009, in response to Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by R42 4787 on Tue Nov 3 17:43:26 2009.

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Many R-36s underwent controller transplants when the rehabbed R-30s were yanked.

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(852355)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by Steve B-8AVEXP on Wed Nov 4 08:38:31 2009, in response to Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by Union Turnpike on Tue Nov 3 10:57:27 2009.

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I rode on the last remaining Redbird trainset a few weeks earlier, during the week of October 20.

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(852389)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by R30A on Wed Nov 4 10:08:33 2009, in response to Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by R42 4787 on Tue Nov 3 17:43:26 2009.

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Light blue interior came with the R29.

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(852403)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by Newkirk Plaza David on Wed Nov 4 10:43:42 2009, in response to Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by South Ferry on Wed Nov 4 02:50:49 2009.

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So was I.

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(852417)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by Grand Concourse on Wed Nov 4 11:28:12 2009, in response to Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by South Ferry on Wed Nov 4 02:50:49 2009.

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So basically you weren't on it in person.

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(852509)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by randyo on Wed Nov 4 16:10:25 2009, in response to Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by R30A on Wed Nov 4 10:08:33 2009.

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True, but the R-29/33 color scheme was slightly different from subsequent orders.

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(852511)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by randyo on Wed Nov 4 16:12:16 2009, in response to Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by R42 4787 on Tue Nov 3 17:43:26 2009.

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Actually, the R-40s and 40ms still had the old style battery/MG and interior lighting system. The R-42s were the fist cars with an updated electrical system.

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(852538)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by R42 4787 on Wed Nov 4 17:35:51 2009, in response to Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by randyo on Wed Nov 4 16:12:16 2009.

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The R36s were the last ones to retain them to the end. All other had them replaced with converter during GOH.

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(852591)

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Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line

Posted by FYBklyn1959 on Wed Nov 4 19:56:07 2009, in response to Re: Six Years Ago November 3, 2003 On The Flushing Line, posted by randyo on Wed Nov 4 16:10:25 2009.

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Yep, they had those periwinkle doors (tried to find an interior pic on nycsubway.org, but was unsucessful (admittedly, I didn't look at every single pic)).

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