A behind the scenes look at NYC’s holiday nostalgia subway trains

This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation. Sign up to get the full version in your inbox every Thursday.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and we at On The Way got swept up in the spirit the only way we know how: with a behind the scenes look at the Transit Museum’s Holiday Nostalgia Rides.

There are two Saturdays left to catch a ride on the 1930s-era R1/9s subway cars, marking one of the few times in the year the trains are in service. Other than a wreath, ribbons and some lights on the front, they look and run almost exactly the same as they did nearly a century ago.

On The Way met up with subways superintendent Mark Wolodarsky, who has the mighty responsibility of running the museum’s fleet of trains whenever they go out for “excursions.”

He said the trains are regularly inspected, like any other train, “because they could be called to be used for a special event at a moment's notice.”

Until 1977, the MTA had as many as 1,703 of these trains running on what are now the A, C and E lines.

The nostalgia train’s vintage technology means the MTA can’t pluck just any operator off their regular route. The MTA has about two dozen operators who receive special training for the high-profile gig.

“I like to compare it to the difference between driving a Model T Ford and driving a Tesla,” Wolodarsky said.

Modern trains have sensors that can tell how many people are on each train car and it will automatically apply enough pressure on the brakes to come to a relatively smooth stop. On the R 1/9s, the operator manually uses the brakes and must account for how many people are on board.

But the details are what make the nostalgia trains special to history buffs.

There are the rattan seats, which are made of springs, horsehair, and a coat of shellac.

Hundreds of the seats were recently restored by a specialist in Connecticut. Jodi Shapiro, the curator of the New York Transit Museum, said each seat had to be reinstalled in the exact same location.

“Even though this all looks uniform, every one of these seat cushions has some sort of quirk,” Shapiro said.

Another notable feature of the nostalgia trains are their exposed incandescent bulbs. MTA crews have started stockpiling the vintage bulbs, which are being phased out nationwide for more environmentally friendly, longer-lasting LED bulbs. Still, Wolodarsky said he’s open to using LED bulbs on the old trains in the future.

“You could change it from daylight to soft white, different tones,” he said. “I don't think anybody would even notice.”

But there’s still a technical hurdle. The old bulbs use AC electric current, while LEDs need DC.

But the train's iconic paddle ceiling fans, which Wolodarsky says are easy to maintain, are among the things that will last.

The nostalgia trains can run as fast as any train in service now and keep on schedule with the best of them.

“They are the epitome of machine age vehicle design, and they're just a marvel,” Shapiro said.

MTA service changes + NYC holiday travel

• The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is anticipating its busiest holiday travel season ever for its airports, with more than 5 million passengers projected between Thursday, Dec. 21, and Jan. 2. Here's what you need to know.
• On Sunday, subway lines will run on normal Sunday schedule; the Sunday schedule will continue into Monday, Christmas Day.
• Starting Tuesday, the 42nd Street shuttle will not run 24/7 through 6 a.m. Saturday. More info here.
• Queensboro Plaza, a highly trafficked station in Long Island City, will have not have weekend subway service for all of January. Read more.
• Through the first quarter of 2024 the M train will not travel above 57th street, and the F train will run on the E line between Rockefeller Center and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue. These changes to the F line means there's no subway service at Roosevelt Island, but the MTA is providing shuttle buses instead. More details here.

This week in NYC transit news

• NYPD overtime pay in the subway went from $4 million to $155 million this year. Read more.
• On Wednesday, TSA agents at LaGuardia Airport stopped a man from bringing a baby diaper full of bullets through security. Read more.
• Police last week seized more than 70 illegal pedicabs during a crackdown in Midtown. Read more.
• Bronx artist Manny Vega, whose mosaic is featured in the 110th Street subway station, has been named the first-ever artist in residence at the Museum of the City of New York. Read more.
• The NYPD said more than 230 cars have been towed for blocking bus lanes since the Bus Lane Enforcement Task Force launched on Dec. 4. (New York Times)
• In 2024, MTA buses with on-board cameras for ticketing drivers who block bus lanes will start enforcing bike lane blockage. (AM New York)
• The City Council voted yesterday to turn the 34th Avenue Open Street in Queens into a permanent, 26-block-long park. (Streetsblog)
• New Jersey officials have scheduled a Jan. 5 meeting with the MTA to attempt to settle the state's lawsuit over congestion pricing. (New York Post)

Curious Commuter

Question:

I live in Queens and work in New Jersey. I take the Queensboro Bridge to the FDR north to the George Washington Bridge. After congestion pricing is in place, will I be forced to pay $15 or can I take the same route without paying?
- Vahram from Queens

Answer:

Simply put, you’ll have to pay the congestion toll for driving that route once the program launches. The 2019 state law authorizing congestion pricing mandates fees on motorists entering Manhattan below 60th Street unless they remain on the FDR or 9A, which includes the West Side Highway, Battery Park Underpass and any surface roadway portion of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connecting to West St.

That means there’s no way to cross any of the four East River bridges or the Queens-Midtown Tunnel without being hit with the congestion toll.

If you’re heading between Queens and Manhattan, you can avoid the congestion fee by taking the Triborough Bridge — but that comes with a toll of its own.

Have a question? Follow @Gothamist on Instagram for special opportunities and prompts to submit questions.
You can also email cguse@wnyc.org or snessen@wnyc.org with the subject line "Curious Commuter question."