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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 2h

🚦 Now you know. Secret no. 37 is sure to have a hold on you. #50SecretsofTransit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the #NYTransitMuseum. Join us as we pull back the curtain on New York's transportation system, revealing hidden spaces, untold stories and the people who keep our city moving.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

🌲 🚂 It's back!! Get ready to be dazzled by our much beloved Holiday Train Show, returning to Grand Central Terminal on Friday, November 13! Admission is FREE for all visitors.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

In the early years of globe color-coding, yellow globes proved confusing to riders. They were phased out by the end of the decade. This yellow globe is preserved as part of the #NYTMCollection. Have you ever seen a yellow entrance globe?

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

💡 #DidYouKnow that the #NYCsubway used to have yellow entrance globes? You can still see red and green globes at many stations, but the yellow ones only existed for a short time during the 1980s following the introduction of the globe system.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

The trolley stopped midway across the bridge at an elevator, which passengers rode down for access to the island.

The orange and white two toned Trolley car crossing the Queensboro Bridge.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

This trolley was an important means of transportation to and from #RooseveltIsland—then known as “Welfare Island"—prior to the building of the Roosevelt Island Bridge (1955), the Roosevelt Island Tramway (1973), and the IND 63 Street Line #NYCsubway station (1989).

The other side of a 1957 trolley token, saying "Good For One Fare" and showing a trolley car in the center.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

#TokenTuesday: This 1957 #NYTMCollection Queensboro Bridge Railway Company token was used to cross the Queensboro Bridge via trolley. 👉 to see an image of the Queensboro Bridge Railway in 1955 from our Robert LaMay Collection.

A 1957 Queensboro Bridge Railway Company token with an imprint of a trolley.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

These details, from the 1967 New York City Transit Authority subway map in the #NYTMCollection, show Third Avenue service in the Bronx represented by the number 8 and the route “Third Av Local.”

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

⑧ #MysteryMonday: We know there are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 lines on the #NYCsubway. And, there was also a 9 line from 1989 to 2005. So, why isn't there an 8? Well, actually, there once was!

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

🤨 Why's it so hard to transfer from a number line to a letter line in this city? Secret no. 36 answers a question you may never have thought to ask. #50SecretsofTransit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the #NYTransitMuseum. Join us as we pull back the curtain on New York's transportation system.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

📸: 1. R17 car on elevated tracks in The Bronx 2. R17 car at 42nd Street- Grand Central Station 3. R17 car delivery, crossing Avenue M on McDonald Avenue in Brooklyn, 1955 4. R17 cars at the Pelham Bay Park Station on the IRT Pelham Line in the 1960s

R17 cars at the Pelham Bay Park Station on the IRT Pelham Line in the 1960s.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

R17 cars remained in service until February of 1988, when the remainder of the fleet was retired and scrapped.

R17 car delivery, crossing Avenue M on McDonald Avenue in Brooklyn, 1955.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Made by the St. Louis Car Company, the R17 fleet represented a first in subway design. Rattan and velon seat covers were replaced with foam-filled, red plastic cushions. The fleet of new cars also featured round porthole windows on car end doors and large, rounded rectangle windows on side doors.

A 6 train bound for E. 117th St Parkchester, arrives in Grand Central Terminal.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

#OnThisDay in 1955, R17 cars entered service in the #NYCsubway system. Nearly identical to the R16 models placed in service on the BMT division the year before, the R17 was an economical purchase – the interchangeability of parts between models saved greatly on repair and maintenance.

Train 6692, an R17 car and the Lexington Avenue Express, travels down the tracks.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Subway riders know the challenges that homelessness poses. Join us Thursday, October 15 at 6pm for a free panel discussion about the complexities of this problem and the response programs offered by the City, the @MTA.info and their partners. Register required: nytransitmuseum.org/through-the-....

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

5. Flatbush Avenue, near State Street with former Fifth Avenue Elevated tracks overhead, 1941

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

4. Third Avenue at 39th Street with Fifth Avenue Elevated tracks overhead, 1940

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

2. Railroad tracks with switches and cross-overs at 36 Street Station and Union Depot, with BU series gate cars, 1893-1898

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

📸: 1. Four workers posing on a steam-powered engine labeled “5th Ave 65th St and Bay Ridge,” 1893-1899

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Have you taken a ride on the R211S yet?

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Among the many innovations of the R211S is its 58-inch-wide door openings (eight inches wider than standard door openings on existing cars). These wider doors are designed to speed up boarding and reduce the amount of time trains sit in stations.

MTA leadership stand at the inaugural ride of the R211S trains. CEO Janno Lieber speaks at a podium that reads "New Trains for Staten Island."

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

These photos, from the inaugural ride, show the first R211S train to depart from St. George Terminal, with MTA leadership, the train’s crew, and excited first riders. The final image shows an R211S next to its predecessor, the R44, which has been in use on the SIR since 1973.

This photo shows the first R211S train to depart from St. George Terminal, with MTA leadership, the train’s crew, and excited first riders waiting to board.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

#TodayinHistory: #OnThisDay in 2024, #StatenIsland's rapid transit got a major upgrade when the R211S entered service. The innovative, state-of-the-art cars now run on the SIR (Staten Island Railway).

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Reflecting the tastes of the era, this 1904 #NYCsubway entrance sign used modernist letterforms that were easy to read at a distance. It was located at Pershing Square: Park Ave. between 41 and 42 Streets, and featured a blue globe.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

⚾️ This secret is a home run. Secret no. 35 tells us how the history of transit and baseball are connected. #50SecretsofTransit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the #NYTransitMuseum. Join us as we pull back the curtain on New York's transportation system.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Although MetroCard sales ended December 31, 2025, MTA Mobile Sales Vehicles are still available to help with OMNY. Did you ever board the MetroCard Bus?

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Inside, transit employees assisted New Yorkers with MetroCard-related questions, processed MetroCard purchases, and helped senior citizens and people with disabilities to apply for or replenish Reduced Fare MetroCards.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

#MetroCardMonday: The #MetroCard Bus debuted in 1996 and traveled around the five boroughs making regularly scheduled stops at community centers, shopping areas, and along major bus routes.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

This double-decker Fifth Avenue Coach Company bus #2124 was built in 1938 and appeared at the 1993 New York City Transit Authority Bus Roadeo in #ConeyIsland. The Parachute Jump provided an timeless backdrop to that year’s event.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

The El’s Q-Cars — former wooden gate cars that had been modified and refurbished — were the last wooden passenger trains employed in regular service in North America.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

When Myrtle Avenue El service ended, so did the era of wooden bodied cars in #NYC and beyond.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

These #NYTMCollection photographs shows the last day of service on the Myrtle Avenue El including emotional passengers gathered for the send-off.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

“Old Myrt,” as it was known by many, was slated for demolition due the cost of improving its aging infrastructure, competition for riders with the Crosstown Line (today’s G train), and the rise of cars and highways.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Running since 1888, the Myrtle Avenue Elevated Line provided an important connection between Downtown Brooklyn and Queens.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

#TodayInHistory: 🎬 #OnThisDay 52 years ago, the film “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” opened in theaters. Now heralded as a classic, the 1974 action crime caper flick is the original film by this name. It was also remade in 1998 for TV and as a major motion picture in 2009.“

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Look 🆙! Secret no. 34 is on the ceiling. One woman's obsession with Grand Central Terminal became a hunt for the truth. #50SecretsofTransit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the #NYTransitMuseum. Join us as we pull back the curtain on New York's transportation system.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

#DidYouKnow that double-lettered nomenclature was used in the #NYC subway system until 1985? The purpose of repeated letters was to denote that the train was running via the local line of its express counterpart, marked by the same single letter.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Stay tuned for Saturday’s #TodayInHistory post about the El’s last ride.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Unfortunately for these activists, the Myrtle Avenue El ended service on October 3, 1969 and was demolished the following year.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Protestors are seen marching in front of the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) building at 370 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🪧 Taken #OnThisDay in 1969, these #NYTMCollection images show protestors making a last-ditch effort to keep the Myrtle Avenue Elevated Line open. Slated to end service three days later, “Old Myrt” as it was known, was beloved by many.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#TransitTrivia: 🎬 In the 1995 film “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” John McClane (Bruce Willis) and Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson) attempt to foil a plan by East German terrorist “Simon” (Jeremy Irons) to set off bombs around #NYC.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Tactile Guideways are made up of various combinations of textures and materials to convey different information about the path. The Guideways are also bright blue so that they stand out to passengers, especially those with low vision.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

First introduced in Okayama city, Japan in 1967, tactile guidance has spread throughout the world. At Jay Street–MetroTech, riders who are blind and use white canes or service animals for assistance can use the Tactile Guideways, which sit on top of the station's floor, to navigate the station.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

#MysteryMonday: Have you ever noticed these colorful strips of flooring at the Jay Street–MetroTech station in Downtown Brooklyn? They are called "Tactile Guideways" and are one of a host of strategies that the @MTA.info is testing  to broaden #accessibility in the #NYC transit system.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Once you see it, you'll never stop seeing it. Secret no. 33 breaks the code. #50SecretsofTransit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the #NYTransitMuseum. Join us as we pull back the curtain on New York's transportation system.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

👉 to see “Hive," a public art installation which now hangs over the new section of the uptown IRT platform. It was created by artist Leo Villareal and commissioned by MTA Arts & Design.

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