BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

(SEE PREVIOUS POST)

Interesting.....

Even for a relatively small system such as PATH, it would seem that their work car fleet is quite small; I know they rostered more retired "Black" cars as MOW cars, through the 1970s, compared to the small number of retired "PA" cars..............

"NYO"

["ST. LOUIS CAR COMPAMY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Interesting also..........

With the disposal of most of the oldest "PA" cars, PATH, like the MTA, has no reserve fleet to fall back on,, in case of emergency (talk about "planning ahead").......

"NYO"

["PATH"]

["MTA"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B."

The "PA-4s" only dated back to about 1989, at the time when they were replacing the old 1958 "joint service" cars ("MP-52"/"K") were being retired, with some being converted into MOW cars.

This would have been like the MTA retiring the "Brighton Bellea" ("R-68s) prior to 2010.

Waste, waste, waste.........

"NYO"

["JSQ"]

["33"]

["Q"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

The old "joint service" cars were little more than 30 years old when they were retired in 1989, still fairly young for a rail car.

IMHO, PATH retired them as they were "non-standard" rolling stock by that time (recall, they still used H&M-style single-panel doors, and were equipped with incandescent lighting)

Look at the ex-P&W "Bullets" out of 69th Street in Philly; those that were still running were SIXTY years old, by that late date (1990)............

"NYO"

["J.G.BRILL"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Then, too, you wonder why PATH decided to "upgrade" a train of ancient "Black" cars, only a few years before they were retired; the "Blue Train" (and a quite unique and eye-catching train it was!) featured cars that were, in reality, a "hodgepodge"-----some cars had new flooring, others had new lighting, new door panels, new seating, and, yes, even a/c! (in the photo, note the blanked off vestibule door, with vents)

(note, also, that the new door panels on #472 match those of the "K" cars)

Your's Truly clearly remembers the unique train, and, indeed, rode on a number of times; all went into work service, and, today, only one car survives, beautifully restored up at Shore Line.

What IS puzzling, though, is WHY did PATH even spend money to "modernize" these ancient cars, soon to be retired?

Certainly they had NO INTENTION of modernizing the entire "Black" car fleet..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?21778

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?21745

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["HUDSON RAPID TUBES"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

In the first few years of PATH's takeover, they were prohibited by law from ordering new cars, so they were essentially forced to "upgrade" their inherited "black" cars in the interim. That, of course, all went out the window when they were finally, finally permitted to order their first of the PA-1's.

(I actually saw this in one of either PATH's or the "Pea-Yay's" annual reports at the onset of that entity's operation of "the Tubes.")

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

In my collection I have a rare PATH brochure from March, 1963:

"IMMEDIATE ACTION BEING TAKEN TO REPAIR PATH'S 'BLACK' CARS"

",,,,,the so-called 'Black' cars now in service on PATH entered service between 1909 and 1928. Spare parts to repair them are difficult to obtain, and many must be virtually handmade....."

"......we have had to defer many aspects of our total rehabilitation program because of the decision of the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court. ....."

".....as a result, we are reduced to the status of 'caretaker', operating and maintainig the present system, but unable to make upgrades....."

".....thus, we were obliged to decline to receive manufacturer's design proposals for a proposed fleet of 250 new rapid transit cars....."

(continued)..........

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further............

".....contracts have just been awarded for rush repairs and rebuilding of out-of-service car motors....."

"......delivery of critically-needed electrical car parts is being accelerated by urging suppliers to speed emergency PATH orders....."

"NYO"

["P.A.T.H."

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

It certainly aggravated the situation with the "Aitch & Em" being bankrupt for years; in Brian Cudahy's "RAILS UNDER THE MIGHTY HUDSON" he mentions that total abandonment of "the tubes" was (during the 1950s) looking more and more likely.

I've seen photos of the some of (tunnel) signals with (literally) their tangled innards dangling out of the casings, indeed showing the scars inflicted by many years of neglect.

As a lad, back in the early 1960s, I can still remember artist's renditions of what the new cars might look like for "the tubes", in some of the Sunday "color sections" of the "Noo Yawk" papers.

One was almost a dead-ringer for the "PA-1s", still years into the future.

The other was pretty close to the current "PA-5s", except that these did not have full-width cab, a slightly angular nose, larger door windows, and an almost totally blue scheme, with white highlights (not bad looking, at all!)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

PATH work cars through the years........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?21749

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?21769

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?38100

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?144627 (here we have "PA-4s" still in their prime, and already downgraded to work service)

(courtesy: nysubway.org(

["W"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In this 1967 photo (JSQ) we see a work train made up of the venerable "Black" cars, retired from revenue service in late 1965; the car nearest the camera is equipped with new door panels, installed when the car (and its companions) were "renovated" as part of the experimental "Blue Train", earlier in the decade........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?151567

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)