Traveling in a Time Machine.

City-Kid Review:

I liked the seats.

New York has a thing about trains in the Holiday Season. So….how wonderful would it be to travel around the New York subways in one of those vintage trains you see at the Transit Museum?

Well, you can.

Every Sunday, between now and Christmas.

In fact, I have it on good authority that this coming Sunday (the second vintage Subway Sunday) there will be jazz bands playing at stations, up and down the line and on the train itself.

We went this Sunday. It is so enjoyable. Admittedly, I am a history-geek but I don’t think we were the only ones having fun.
Subway?
…..Fun?
….Oxymoron?

The train we rode on dates back to the 1950s. This is personally nostalgic for me as my father, a decade later, would have ridden on a subway closer to this old one than the brutal metallic boxes we ride in today.

The green, 1950 subway train we rode on had bouncy sprung seats – just like in London – to lessen the impact of the train’s movement on our load-bearing behinds. These were covered with a sort of plastic-coated basket weave and the wear and tear on the seats directly reflects the generosity of the Transit Museum to allow us to further contribute to this.

The advertising along the top of the carriage insides is the original, promoting a range of products from cigarettes to Ben-Gay, using strong-jawed white men in Fedoras and bemused, coiffured housewives. One advert depicted a surprised blonde woman in a tight bodice and circular skirt,  having her handbag snatched by a striped t-shirted white kid traveling on the subway. It admonished to all women using the subway to go to work, ‘don’t let this happen to you.’

True to wonderful New York form, many of the passengers were dressed up in, what is now known as, the style of Mad Men. I first noticed a middle-aged woman dressed spectacularly in a swing overcoat, a golden bow in her hair, lace-up high heels and a vintage purse depicting Snow White from the Disney movie. Coincidence? Absolutely not. As my eyes adjusted, I noticed several passengers dressed up for the occasion. What fun!

One man, David Fowler, was dressed in a full press corp suit of the time, complete with a working, enormous, old-time polaroids with one of those gigantic silver flash bulb reflectors. How did journalists manage back then. Those things were as big as a man’s chest! He enthusiastically volunteered information about the subway event, his camera, you name it.

Sometimes I find myself so in love with New York. Sigh.

Need to Knows:

This is fun.

The vintage train runs on the F line from 2nd Avenue to Lexington Ave/63rd Street, then up the Second Avenue Q line to 96th street. Train departs from 2nd Avenue at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm. It departs the 96th Street subway station at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm.

The cost is the cost of a subway ticket. If you have an unlimited Metrocard then it is already included. In other words, you do not have to pay again.

Apparently, there is a vintage bus ride, too. You can find more information, here. 

Top-Tip

Combine this nostalgia ride with a trip to Bryant Park – their ice rink, their carousel and their Holiday market.

Dress up!

What is your favorite NYC train-themed  Holiday event? Please tell us all about it in the comments section.

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