Nostalgia Train Running On December Sundays

Photograph of a conductor on a Coney Island bound Nostalgia Train last year by j.reed on Flickr

Nostalgia Train fans, this is your month! NYC Transit is running the 1930s-era Nostalgia Shoppers' Special on the V line between Long Island City in Queens and lower Manhattan! According to the MTA:

The Nostalgia Shoppers' Special is made up of subway cars in service from the 1930s to the 1970s, running along the lettered lines from the Grand Concourse to Coney Island. Ceiling fans, padded seats and incandescent light bulbs were state-of-the-art when these cars were first placed in service.

The cars were removed from service 30 years ago and replaced by the stainless steel, climate-controlled trains that our customers have become accustomed to. Many subway riders have never experienced the charm of wicker seats and ceiling fans, but they are back for four Sundays of service, beginning Sunday, December 6. The holiday "Nostalgia Shoppers' Special" will operate on Sundays only, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., on December 6, 13, 20 and 27.

This is what the "Nostalgia Shoppers' Special" looked like last year. And the MTA reminds us that the Holiday Train Show is on display at the Transit Museum's Gallery Annex in Grand Central.

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By Jen Chung in News on December 6, 2009 1:18 PM

Comments [rss]

Jen S

The moustache must be in the Nostalgia Contract.

HBHB

It's hilarious how some of these nostalgic trains have better designs than our current trains.

bittycakes

I had plans today, but next Sunday I am all over this!

just saying

Not bad. Chicago also has a holiday train. Below is the CTA's (Chicago Transit Auth.) description of their very own holiday train. Sounds just a bit more festive than our train.

"The outside of the six-car train is adorned with holiday seasonal images. Thousands of twinkling lights outline the shape of the train and windows, with even more lights running across the tops of the cars. Interiors of the cars are decked out with thousands of multi-colored lights, red bows, garland, and red and green overhead lighting. The hand poles are wrapped to look like candy canes. As the train pulls into each station, Santa waves to the boarding passengers from his sleigh on an open-air flatcar that carries his reindeer and decorated holiday trees."

Blue387

There are eight cars on one train. No PA system or padded seats. The train's a bit noisy because they leave the doors open. The train also has a musty, burning smell from those old school engines and brakes.

Snoopy

The Myrtle Avenue El use to have nice padded cane seats with no rips or tears. Of course that was before they built the projects adjoining the el.

youngpro

there's nothing great about padded seats, period. the london underground has padded or cushioned seats and im always scared of sitting in something moist or knowing someone's vomited in it before.

id rather we keep the hard plastic stuff- at least you can wipe it down!

S.K.

To truly make this a nostalgic experience, only riders w/o loud iPods and cell phones will be allowed to ride this train. Now that's more like it.

zodak

i am all over this!

seaanemoneman

I would still consider padded seats state-of-the-art.

Spirit of 76

I don't think I'd ride a Nostalgia Train if I ran across one. I seem to remember the 1950s vintage trains having an odd, musty smell to their interiors.

jlocke

Is there only one train? Shame it only runs underground.

mellow_fellow

The V doesn't normally run on weekends. What stations will this nostalgia train stop at? You say Long Island City; does that mean it will go into Queens only as far as Queens Plaza?