Redbird trains


Redbird trains were the nine train models nicknamed because of their red paint. There were 1,410 New York City Subway cars of the following types on the IRT line: R26, R28, R29, R33, R33S, and R36. 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 deep red 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. 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 1985/86, but were retired by 1988, well before the name "Redbird" caught on. Today, repurposed Redbird cars serve as garbage trains or rider cars on locomotive-hauled work trains, while others have been preserved by various museums.

History

The initial color of these trains was blue, and they were known then as bluebirds.
These cars were built by two different manufacturers.
The cars provided passenger service on the,,,, and trains. They were occasionally used on Fan Trips on some B Division services as well.

Retirements and replacements

Most 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 Redbirds was made on November 3, 2003 on the. 1,292 Redbirds have been sunk at sea off the coasts of Delaware, 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. An episode of titled "The Deep" used these cars as part of the story line, and even featured well-replicated underwater shots of mock ups of the cars. However, the show places them in New York City's East River.

Preservation

Some Redbirds are used on the Train of Many Colors, which includes numerous historical subway cars in their original livery, all with contrasting colors. These cars are in the museum fleet. R33 9075 is on display at Queens Borough Hall in Kew Gardens, Queens. R28 pair 7926-7927 are 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.

Other usage of Redbird name