Vintage Train Rides to Celebrate the 120th Anniversary of the New York City Subway

Photo Courtesy of MTA

Four Vintage Train Rides on Historic Lo-V Subway Cars from 1917 Commemorated Milestone 

Rides Retrace Original Route of New York’s First Subway Line Featuring Rarely Seen Old City Hall Station 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) together with the New York Transit Museum yesterday celebrated the 120th anniversary of the New York City subway system by hosting two vintage train rides along portions of the city’s first-ever subway route. The 1917 Lo-V subway cars departed from the decommissioned Old South Ferry Station and traveled north along the 1, 2, and 3​​​ lines to the Bronx before returning via the Lexington Avenue 4, 5, and 6​​​ lines. Riders had the unique chance to pass through the famous Old City Hall Station and conclude the journey at Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall Station. This round-trip ride immersed participants in the sights and sounds of the original subway experience, offering a nostalgic glimpse into New York’s transit history. 

The 1917 Lo-V rides will be offered again on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 10:00 a.m. and again at 2:00 p.m., departing from the Old South Ferry Station.

In celebration of this momentous milestone, a new exhibit at The New York Transit Museum titled, “The Subway Is…” takes a look at how the system shaped the city’s culture, economy and identity.  Featuring artifacts, photographs, and multimedia installations, the exhibit explores the evolution of the subway system, from pipe dream to powerhouse.  

The New York Transit Museum also activated a city-wide “The Subway Is…” social media campaign this month, partnering with museums, parks, and influencers, inviting them to share their thoughts on what the subway means to them by completing the sentence: #TheSubwayIs… and posting it to Instagram. Users who tagged @nytransitmuseum in posts may be featured on the Museum’s Instagram account. The campaign encouraged the public to reflect on and share their personal connections to our transit system. 

New York’s first underground rapid transit network, known as the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) subway, opened on Oct. 27, 1904, with 28 stations along a 9.1-mile line. The IRT expanded to the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens and was eventually joined by two competing companies, the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) and the city-owned Independent Subway (IND). 

In 1940, these companies were unified and today they comprise the current New York City subway system which is made up of 25 routes, 472 stations, 800 track miles and a fleet of over 6,000 passenger cars. Laid end to end, NYC Transit train tracks would stretch from New York City to Chicago.