Redbird trains were eight New York City Subway train models so-nicknamed because of their red paint.[1] The Redbirds totaled 1,410 cars of the following types on the A Division lines: R26, R28, R29, R33, R33S, and R36. There were also 550 cars on the B Division lines: R27 and R30/A, making a grand total of 1,960 cars built. All were built by the American Car and Foundry Company and the St. Louis Car Company.
These cars were painted a deep red to combat graffiti, 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.[2] 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.
These cars were built by two different manufacturers.
The IRT cars provided main passenger service on the,,,, and 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.
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 .[3] [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.
Some Redbirds (R33s, R33Ss, and R36s) are used on the Train of Many Colors, including numerous historical subway cars in their original livery, all with contrasting colors. These cars are in the New York Transit Museum fleet. R28 pair 7926–7927 is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois, with trolley poles added for the ability to run on the museum's mainline. R33S 9327 is at the Seashore Trolley Museum, also modified with trolley poles for operation at the site. Two R30s in its Redbird scheme: cars 8481 and 8522, survive in storage at 207th Street Yard.
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