BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

(SEE PREVIOUS POSTS)

Here we are at Woodside/61st Street, watching the approach of yet another World's Fair special, jammed with happy fairgoers..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?114723

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["R-36"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Two views from 1964 of "State" cars at Times Square.............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4409

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4154

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["ST. LOUIS CAR COMPANY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

"State" car #9744 at 103rd Street, 1964...............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4386

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["I.R.T."]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

At first glance, it would appear that this photo of "STATE OF KANSAS" car #9766 was taken in either 1964 or 1965.............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?39069

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["9766"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here we have "State" car #9748 ("COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS" at 90th Street..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?23737

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["9748"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Car #9762 ("STATE OF VERMONT") at 82nd Street, 1965..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?39068

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["TIMES SQUARE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's another photo of "STATE OF KANSAS" car #9766, this time at 33rd/Rawson, in 1964................

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?114381

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["FOLLOW THE BLUE ARROW"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

This NYCTA publicity shot from 1964 features Vermont "State" car #9762 (folks indeed knew how to dress, back in '64!).......

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?23920

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

History repeating itself...........

In 1939, the INTERBOROUGH was the oNLY one of the New York subway systems to order new cars for service to the 1939/1940 World's Fair.

In 1964, it was (again) only the IRT that ordered new cars for World's Fair service; no new equipment (regarding the Fair) was purchased for the BMT, whose trains made World's Fair connections at Queensborough Plaza.

In later years, it was not uncommon to see "R-33"/"R-36" World's Fair cars running on other IRT lines (IMHO, they indeed stood out like sore thumbs, when mixed in the consists of non-WF "SMEE" cars)

The "Bluebirds" never looked "at home" on any other IRT line; they will forever be associated with the Flushing line, and, of course, the 1964 World's Fair.

In the early 1980s, I personally can remember seeing them in Lexington Avenue consists.

Recall, also, that the 1938 "Steinway" WF cars ended their days on the Bronx "Toid Aven-uh" El, intermixed with "standard" railroad-roof "Lo-V's"..............

"NYO"

["INTERBOROUGH RAPID TRANSIT COMPANY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The "subway" FINALLY (in a sense) comes to "upper-crust" 5th Avenue (1963); a Fishbowl can also be glimpsed in the far background..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4036

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["7 TIMES SQUARE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The original "TRAIN OF MANY COLORS" (1972)..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4098

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["1 242ND STREET"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Recall, also, that, by the time the Fair opened in 1964, the 1938 WF "Stienways" had already been removed from the IRT "mainlines" and had been re-assigned to the "Toid Aven-uh" El up in "da Bronx", where they would remain until replaced by sets of "R-12s" in 1969.

Interestingly, the "Bluebirds" carried fans of both the "Bombers" and the "Amazin' Mets" to and from their respective ballparks, over the years (of course, the iconic cars carried far more Mets fans than Yankee fans, over the course of several decades........

"NYO"

["I.R.T. LINES"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here's an interesting shot from 1974*, at 161st Street...........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?38894

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

*Note the readings on the "Bluebird's" roller curtains:

"SPECIAL"

"MAIN STREET"

(Note, too, the short (four car) consist; perhaps this was a railfan special?)