Redbird trains

Redbird trains were eight

These cars were painted a deep red to combat graffiti,[2] which had become a major problem in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The color was referred to as "Gunn Red" or "Broad Street Red" in honor of its originator David L. Gunn, the former SEPTA General Manager who became President of the New York City Transit Authority during this period.^[3] Initially entering service in various colors, these cars received the new paint scheme between 1984 and 1989. Sixteen R17s were also given this paint scheme in 1985 and 1986, but were retired by 1988, well before the name "Redbird" caught on. Today, repurposed Redbird cars serve as garbage trains, rail adhesion cars, or rider cars on locomotive-hauled work trains, while others have been preserved by various museums.

History

These cars were built by two different manufacturers.

• American Car and Foundry built the R26 cars in 1959–1960 and the R28 in 1960–1961.
• R33S single cars in late 1963, and the R36
  in 1963–1964.

The IRT cars provided main passenger service on the 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 trains, while the B Division cars provided passenger service on various BMT and IND lines. The IRT cars were occasionally used on Fan Trips on some B Division services as well.

Retirements and replacements

The BMT Redbirds were retired from 1989 to 1993, with the final R30 trip taking place on the C on June 25, 1993. Replaced by the R68 and R68A cars, most cars were scrapped at what is now Sims Metal Management's Newark facility. Most IRT Redbirds were phased out from 2001 to 2003 and replaced by the new R142 and R142A cars. The final trip made by a train consisting of IRT Redbirds was made on November 3, 2003, on the 7.^[2][4] 1,292 Redbirds have been sunk at sea off the coasts of Delaware (Redbird Reef), Georgia, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Virginia as artificial reefs to promote marine life, to serve as a barrier, and to enhance recreational scuba diving by Weeks Marine Inc.

Preservation

Some Redbirds (R33s, R33Ss, and R36s) are used on the

Other usage of Redbird name

• The MBTA Red Line in Boston used the Redbird name starting in the late 1970s when that line's rolling stock was repainted into a largely red scheme. However, that usage of Redbird followed a tradition set with those fleet's prior paint schemes ("Bluebirds" for the 01400s, "Silverbirds" for the 01500s and 01600s).

Gallery

• 
  One of the BMT Redbirds as a converted Rail Adhesion Car with

  Coney Island Complex
• 
  An IRT Redbird train at Hunts Point Avenue just before their retirement
• 
  The Train of Many Colors, which consists of multiple IRT Redbird cars, some of which were repainted into paint schemes the cars wore before the GOH.
• 
  An R30 BMT Redbird (since scrapped) being used as a training car
• 
  IRT Redbird trains for non-passenger service, taken at Junction Boulevard station in December 2014
• 
  A pair of R30 BMT Redbirds (since scrapped) stored at Jerome Yard
• 
  R33 #9075 on display at Queens Boro Hall/Queens County Supreme Court, prior to removal in 2022

References

Notes