Not necessarily as the transit trainstops are there to prevent running red signals. Today such a car would be required to have ASC and cab signals. The Mineola, the private car used for transport from the private Belmont Hotel basement station on 42nd street to the races at Belmont Park was not equipped with ASC. I don't think it existed at the time the car was used.
A story related to me years ago by a neighbor who worked for the TA was when the NYCTA was testing the new IRT cars (don't know the R designation) they used the Flatbush connection to get them onto the LIRR for speed testing. Never heard that from anyone else.
This neighbor (Teddy) did get me a foot long section of used IRT rail (he said from 14th st & Lexington ave station) that I used to make a pair of bookends which I still have.
Man that rail was a true bitch to cut and shape at the machine shop my father-in-law worked in Queens Village. We spent 4 hours after midnight and kept me busy sharpening the tool bits for the shaping machine.
Regarding the private subway car The Mineola, that ran over IRT tracks to Flatbush and then LIRR to Belmont Park.
Some have said this is a myth. It's not!
Some have said it's a made up story. It's not!
Well guys I have the
February 1956 edition of Railroad Magazine (50 cents!) that has a four page article
with pictures by E. J. Quinby titled "MINNIE WAS A LADY". (his caps)
Subtitle: The Worlds Only Private Subway Car Was the Pet Project of August P. Belmont, Who Built an Underground Systemfor America's Largest City.
I also have an article from the
Wednesday, May 23, 1973 New York Times on page 49 by Michael Knight titled "IRT Gilded Parlor Car Now Museum Piece" datelined East Haven, Conn May 22.
I personally with wife & 3 kids visited the Branford Trolley Museum and did actually walk through the car. It had not at that time been prepared for display and was a bit of a mess. Not bad but a good cleaning needed.
Here are a couple of scans that give the real information and puts the nay-sayers back in their holes.
Minnie001 (Medium).jpg
Minnie002 (Medium).jpg
Best,
Vince Cockeram
presently installing scenery on the Long Beach Branch, Centre Avenue to 'da beach.
btw, this LIRR route will only be runnable on the freeware Open Rails Simulator. (heavy scenery crashes MSTS)