2015 Holiday Nostalgia Train Info

The MTA has released the details about the annual R1-9 holiday shopper special trains for this year. This year they're having a "pop-up shop" at 2nd Av as a vehicle for the Transit Museum to sell stuff - similar to the single R9 car that was parked at Brighton Beach for the BMT centennial over the summer.

The BMT Triplexes will be involved this year - supposedly as the pop-up shop, otherwise the particulars are pretty much the same as every year: M line stops between Queens Plaza and 2nd Avenue on Sundays in December between 10am and 5pm.

Departure times for either end of the ride are given on the MTA's website (as well as more details...and info about the vintage buses too. I know, this isn't BusChat...)
http://web.mta.info/metrocard/promos/Ri ... us2015.htm

Anyone know what the frequencies of the train is and when (as in, exact times) these trains depart? Thanks.

Departures from 2nd Avenue are at 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM, and 4:00 PM.
Departures from Queens Plaza are at 10:45 AM, 12:15 PM, 1:45 PM, 3:15 PM and 4:45 PM.

Thanks. I realize that I just wasn't looking!

IIRC, don't NYers dress up in vintage clothes to ride these trains?

One of the things I miss about New York City...

mirrodie wrote:IIRC, don't NYers dress up in vintage clothes to ride these trains?

MR: Yes - there sometimes is a interesting cross section of NYC Subway riders on Nostalgia
Train runs - along with the subway buffs that turn out en force to ride along...

Some riders do dress in vintage clothing to ride these Nostalgia trains and in some cases ride
multiple runs back and forth adding to the party-like atmosphere on board at times. It is also
interesting to see how average Subway riders react to seeing and using these trains.

There are YouTube videos available of Nostalgia Train runs including head end views out of
the RFW - and inside views of the rolling stock as well. These cars are accurate enough to
have vintage advertising car cards posted along with their older color schemes inside and out.

Knowing the schedule and route makes it easy for one to come out and take a ride - Enjoy!

MACTRAXX

The day where those folks swarm the train en masse is supposed to be 12/13 this year.

Do the trains usually get crowed (I'm assuming yes) and if so, how crowded do they get?

Next week will be an unmitigated disaster...when the hipsters show up to swing dance it's claustrophobia city. Usually after 2pm it calms down a bit most weekends....otherwise passenger flow kind of ebbs and flows. Sometimes quite busy, other times it's really easy to move from car to car.

If you avoid the end cars there's generally breathing room.

The front of the first car is usually crowded with buffs like myself angling for the view out the front windows. Sometimes there are TA employees there to make sure we adults let the kids access the front windows easily. It's a friendly crowd and usually a good ride, though those old cars can be warm and stuffy.

Nicholas Chen wrote:Do the trains usually get crowed (I'm assuming yes) and if so, how crowded do they get?

They can get rather crowded. Depending on the particular time the train is running there can be plenty of standing/walking room and sometimes it can be "rush hour".

You have to remember a couple of things:

1) The trains are running IN SERVICE between 2nd Av and Queens Plaza, so that will be making the same local stops as the M train. People do get on just to ride the old cars and then take the E or R at Queens Plaza to continue their trip.

2) There are only 8 cars in the train (100, 484, 381, 1575, 1802, 1000, 1300, 401) so you will have more people squeezed into less cars.

But there won't be the usual amount of regular subway pssengers. Many younger New Yorkers who aren't familiar with this old equipment and who don't know about the "Christmas Train" are perplexed when this comes into the stations. Never having seen this kind of train before they are hesitant to board and some opt to wait for the next easily recognizable train. LOL

lol what are you talking about? foamers take over this train every year lmao.

Yes, of course the train is crowded with foamers. But I was talking about regular subway passengers who don't recognize the train and sometimes won't get on board. I've changed the wording in my above post to make it clearer, who I meant.