BusTalk

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Agreed!

Look at today's "C' way back in the day, Your's Truly still recalls when the line (then the "Double See") terminated at Chambers Street, and only operated during the rush hours.

When you saw those hulking old "Thunderboid" R-10s coming out to play, you KNEW for sure that another rush hour was about to get underway..........

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

An interesting thought.......

Had the Chrystie Street connection not been built, would the former BMT routes have retained their original route numbers, or, at some later date, been changed over to the IND's letter codes?

Have thought about this for awhile, now.........

"NYO"

["4 SEA BEACH"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Just recalled..........

The "R27s/30s", in 1960, had roller curtains which displayed "IND"-style route letters, instead of the "traditonal" BMT route numbers.

A "nod", then to the then-abuilding Chrystie Street connection, which would forever intergrate the BMT with the IND, and thus abolish their separate identities......

"NYO"

["QT"]

["QB"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

A few photos........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?24507

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?26699

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?27763

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4677 (note the interesting reading on the roller curtains!)

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["RJ"]

["RR"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

A GOOD (and interesting!) point to bring up.

Speaking of IND route letters over BMT route numbers, I wonder what it was that made the "Em-Tee-Yay" do away with double-letterde routes?

Simplification?

Redundancy?

The double-letter routes that Your's Truly recalls most:

"AA"

"CC"

"EE"

"GG"

"LL"

It all seems so long ago, now...............

"NYO"

["CC HUDSON TERMINAL"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Thanks for the info.

I could never get used to calling the old "CC" the "C".....purist and traditionalist I am, the new "handle" just seemed to get stuck in my throat.

Growing up, Mom and I often rode "Arnines" on the "AA", from 42nd Street up to the old Hayden Planeterium/Museum of Natural History.

Those old-timers were TOUGH! (and certainly SOUNDED it!!)

"NYO"

["AA"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B:

Check out this photo of a "Bronto"..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?131368

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

Have always been curious as to WHY the "blind eye" to the right of the storm door was not utilized as a large-format route sign, an electronic update, if you will, of the HUGE "Sesame Street" letters used on the "R-40s" through the ""R-42s".

Certainly would be a LOT easier for riders to distinguish one train from the other, especially those with impaired vision......

"NYO"

["BMT LINES"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Recall, also, that, originally, both the "Broadway Battleships" (Standards) and the "Triplexes" had an extra front window, before being replaced with the later-commonplace "blind eye" in later years..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?114183

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?127918

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["PRESSED STEEL"]


"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

In later years..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?26095

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?26385

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

["1 BRIGHTON BEACH"]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

And of course, there were TWO types of "Broadway Battleships": those made by ACF, and those made by Pressed Steel. It's in the tops.