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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 10h

We encounter the 1/2/3 trains on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line. The 4/5/6 trains run on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, and the 7 train on the IRT Flushing Line. The 9 train was similar to the 1, and provided skip-stop during rush hour from 1989 to 2005. Now you know all about the 8!

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 10h

Even earlier, the number 8 was used on the Astoria Line (today's N/W trains) between 1923 and 1949 when the BMT had its own numbering system. Therefore, the 8 route is not totally absent from our transit system; its designation is just not currently in use.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 10h

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 · 10h

After the Manhattan tracks of the Third Avenue Elevated Line were dismantled in the 1950s, a portion of the line in the Bronx stayed in service. From 1967 until the line closed in 1973, it was shown on maps as the 8 train. However, all cars on the train read "Shuttle" on their roll signs.

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New York Transit Museum @nytransitmuseum.bsky.social · 10h

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 · 09/10/2026

These #NYTMCollection photographs show views of the Fifth Avenue Elevated Line during its early era of steam locomotives and later years in service.

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

The Fifth Avenue Elevated Line eventually became part of the BMT (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit). When the city’s three subway systems unified in 1940, a decision was made to close the line. It was demolished the following the year.

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

#DidYouKnow that Brooklyn's Fifth Avenue once had an elevated rail line running over it? Built between 1889 and 1893, the Fifth Avenue Elevated Line ran through Downtown Brooklyn, then along Fifth Avenue through Park Slope and Sunset Park.

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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

Information design in New York's transportation system constantly evolves to meet the needs of millions of people traversing the city. Messaging must be conveyed quickly, clearly, and efficiently in a manner that is also pleasing to the eye. What's your favorite subway entrance today?

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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

#DidYouKnow that train companies also have their own rodeos? These Rail Rodeos are spelled the normal way, though, for obvious reasons.

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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 · 04/10/2026

Bus Roadeos happen all over the world and are hosted by local and regional transit companies to test bus operators on driving skills, safety regulations, equipment maintenance, and more.

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

🚌 #SurfaceSunday: Have you ever been to a Bus Roadeo? Though that title may look odd, the spelling is actually correct! The word “road” is intentionally used as a nod to surface transportation.

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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

What is your favorite scene in the film? Do you like the original or one of the remakes better?

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

"The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” includes footage filmed in the decommissioned Court Street Station, now known as the #NYTransitMuseum. The plot centers around a group of men who hijack a subway train, hold its passengers hostage, and demand a ransom from the city.

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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

In 1967, the EE’s route became the BMT Broadway Line between 71st–Continental Avenues and Whitehall Street. This service was completely replaced by the N in 1976. Do you remember the EE?

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

This #NYTMCollection photo shows an EE train in 1976. Originally, the EE ran via the Eighth Avenue local between Forest Hills-71 Av (known then as 71st–Continental Avenues station) and Chambers Street during off peak hours. This service was discontinued in 1940.

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

The AA, CC, and EE were among these double-lettered local lines. Today, only the A/C/E remain and the original AA/CC/EE lines have been rerouted.

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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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