November 3 in IRT History

[RedbirdR33]

November 3 marks the retirement date of two great IRT icons, albeit 34 years apart. Below are two excerpts form the 'Book of Last Runs.'



November 3, 1969 – This is the last day of operation of pre-WWII cars on the IRT #8 3rd Avenue El in The Bronx. The last train made one trip in the AM rush.
(N)
Steinway Motor Car 5641 (ACF-1925)
World’s Fair-Steinway Motor Car 5670 (St Louis-1938)
Low-Voltage Trailer Car 5353 (Pullman-1922)
Steinway Motor Car 5636 (ACF-1925)
World’s Fair-Steinway Motor Car 5676 (St Louis-1938)


November 3, 2003 – The last train of IRT Redbirds ran in service today as a #7 Flushing Local from Times Square to Willets Point. The train ran as an extra making all local stops. The consist was (N) 9564-5,9309, 9582-3,9584-5, 9617-6,9587-6. 9309 is an R-33 (World’s Fair) and the rest are R-36 (World’s Fair). When they were first delivered in 1964 they were painted blue and white and were known as Bluebirds.

[chuchubob]

last Redbird revenue train

[keyboardkat]

These were built for service to the 1964 Flushing Worlds Fair. That was in their blue and white incarnation. Later they were painted all white. Since that was in the era of extreme, out-of-control graffiti, I think that an all-white paint scheme was the height of official stupidity, but there it was.