Each year during the holidays, the MTA takes a break from its usual soul-crushing inefficiency to treat New Yorkers to a bit of subway nostalgia by operating a handful of vintage train cars around the city. I’ve seen them in passing over the years, but never took the opportunity to have a closer look, but this year was a good chance to indulge for a couple of reasons. Not only were there multiple eras of train cars on show from the 1930’s through the 1970’s, but this would be the first year I’d have a camera in hand.
I should also take this moment to point out that I read a book titled ‘The Race Underground‘ a couple of years ago which detailed the construction of the subway systems in New York and Boston, so getting a peek at this time capsule was particularly interesting for me!
Equipped with my Fuji X-T1 and 18-55mm zoom lens, I descended into 2nd Ave in Manhattan to snap some photos. This was the last weekend that the cars were running so I shouldn’t have been surprised that it was absolute insanity on the platform. Originally my plan was to hop on the train for a few stops and get some pictures of the interior, but it was already overflowing with people.
The exterior of the train was interesting enough, though, as were the people who decided to dress in period clothing, despite the freezing rain above ground, and the jazz musicians setup along the platform. The entire thing would have felt much more like a trip back through time had it not been for the anachronistic North Face jackets and Nikon cameras shuffling about.
david.watkis.blog 
Great set and the color grading fits it so well!
They look like they could be movie stills, it’d be interesting to see them using a similar treatment you did here: https://thelongfocus.com/2016/07/20/film-stills/
Thanks Marcus! I definitely want to revisit that technique again now that I’m using Lightroom and Photoshop pretty regularly.
Fantastic pictures.
Great photos! I always love the vintage trains in December.
Thanks Susan! Hopefully next year I can get there a little earlier and actually step inside one of the cars 🙂
Love the vintage clothes too!
You sir have a fantastic eye for photography 👏👏. I love the one of the “484” wagon.
Thanks, Diego! That’s one of my favorite shots as well 🙂
Gorgeous photos! They make me feel like I was there, even though I wasn’t (and I’m extremely jealous about that). What a fun event!
Thanks, Melanie! You’ll have to visit the city next year and check it out!
Excellent photos! I hope you print *at least* one of these. ⭐
Thanks, Bryan! I hadn’t considered that, but maybe I will. I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time to update the wall art in my apartment 🙂
Very cool. We visited the subway museum in Brooklyn this past summer. Way cool, but your views are even better!
Thank you! I’ve never been to that museum; I’ll need to check it out!
Excellent article and fantastic imagery! The colors are amazing.
Chris
Thanks for the kind words, Chris!
It’s a very cool way of making a place not everybody likes into something awesome)) Love it!
It was actually really hot and humid down there on the day I was photographing, but definitely more cheerful than usual 🙂
Great shots! I just moved to the city and didn’t know about the vintage trains. Hopefully I can catch a glimpse of them next year!
You definitely should! Also, I think they’re on display all year at the Transit Museum in Brooklyn:
http://www.nytransitmuseum.org/
Such amazing pictures, simply transcends you to that place
Wow thanks for the compliment!
Just beautiful! And outstanding depth-of-field. I want that lens.
Thank you! I’m pretty new the lens myself, but it does a great job. It’s not as sharp as my prime lenses, but the zoom makes it much more versatile.
http://fujifilm-x.com/en/lenses/xf18-55mmf28-4-r-lm-ois/
Love this, really interesting, I’d ove it if you went over to my blog to check it out x
Thank you! I’d be happy to check out your blog; what’s the address?
Wow! These are amazing shots.
Thank you very much!
Really great Set! I want the XT100! *or whatever newest one they have now I’m sure it’s great.
Thanks a lot! I really dig Fuji’s optical viewfinder cameras as well, but I don’t own one…yet 🙂
very cool! 😎
Thanks! 😀
Hi David, this is a great post! I love the idea as well as pictures you have taken. Hope to visit New York some day, it is a long-term dream. Happy 2017!
Thanks so much! It sounds like 2017 is the year to make your NYC visit happen!
Welcome. Got a new Nikon, so maybe it is indeed ;).
Beautiful. I’m happy to see these trains from a classic era. You captured the feelings of nostalgia quite well.
Oh thank you! The people in costumes made my job a little easier.
Amazing photos! Love the article.
Thanks a lot!
This is really awesome, it’s a shame they don’t operate them all year long. But then, it wouldn’t be as neat and special as they are captured here. Really cool stuff.
Haha great point! Thanks for the kind words 🙂
Wow! That’s pretty neat. I didn’t know that this even happened! Awesome pics!
Thank you! Apparently there’s a vintage bus that goes along a route in Manhattan as well. I’ll have to find it next year!
I’ll say it once, you have a talent sir! Your photography are just magnificent. Thanks for sharing this, i really enjoyed it.
By the way, feel free to check out my blog at http://www.thefrugalmillennial.com Godbless! 😃
Thanks for the compliment and for sharing your blog!
great pics, thats what you call skills…
Oh thanks so much! I’m still learning so the encouragement helps.
I like this a lot! 😍 Happy new year to you! :’)
Thank you, and Happy New Year to you as well 😀
Guyz can you help me with my blog!
The fastest way to get support with your WordPress.com blog is to contact a Happiness Engineer here:
https://wordpress.com/help/contact
You can also get help from the rest of the community in the WordPress.com Forums:
https://en.forums.wordpress.com/
Brilliant! Takes me back to the 1960’s. As a child a ride on the F Train led to all kinds of crazy adventures! Thank you!
Thank *you*! I’m glad I could offer you a bit of nostalgia. I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like riding the trains in the 60’s!
Very cool. This is the exact world I wish I lived in.
Haha yeah, they definitely make you curious about the NYC of another era. Thanks for the compliment!
Great photos man
Thanks a lot! 🙂
Wow! I have seen these trains make stops over the years. I did not realize it was an annual event. Duh! LOL
Haha yeah I only realized it myself a year or two ago. You should check it out next year; it’s really cool to see these things in person!
An unusual subject poetically rendered in a stunning pictorial history.
Thank you kindly!
Very cool! I would love to see this in person!
Thanks! Hopefully it continues every year and you’ll get a chance in the near future!
Love this! Thanks for sharing
Thank *you* for the kind words!
A beautiful blast from the past. I love seeing the juxtaposition of smiling flapper ladies, suited musicians, a dated ticket collector, and the vast mass of passengers – many of whom seem to ignore the sweet and unexpected gift of nostalgia in their midst 😉 Happy new year & thank you!
Haha yeah it was a little jarring to see people taking selfies inside of the cars from the 1930’s! Thanks for the compliment and Happy New Year to you as well 😀
Beautiful
Thank you!
Wonderful captures and since I love everything vintage and antique, this is really cool. Cheers and have a great year.
Thanks a lot, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’d like to go and see!!!
I hope you get a chance to check it out in the future!
Yes, I will! If you have a minute, you can take a look at my small blog😃
What an awesome idea! It’s always interesting to see and learn a bit about our past. I like that people played along by dressing up too!
Yeah some people were really getting into it! I’m sure there are folks who go every year 🙂
I really like the “atmosphere”
Thanks so much!
Very cool! What a unique photographic opportunity – and you did a phenomenal job with it
Oh thanks a lot! Just at the right place at the right time.
wow! Such a cool experience! Loved the pictures!
Thank you!
Smashing photos!
Thanks for sharing and the kind words!
Hi David. These are wonderful photos. The performers and period people make the experience theatrical, which I love. Check out my post from this summer- no theatrics, more transit enthusiasts! https://eonyc.wordpress.com/2016/06/26/riding-back-through-time-over-brooklyn
Also if you’re interested, I just did one on the new Second Avenue Stations. Thanks for sharing.
Great photos! I really dig the black and white. I haven’t been up to the new 2nd Ave station yet, but I’m excited to check it out soon!
Thanks David. The stations are worth seeing!
Great photos! I wish they did this in my city.
Thank you! Maybe you could petition your chamber of commerce; I’m sure if you’re in a city there are some old trains laying around somewhere!
Great job!!! Could you see my blog? I’m new.
Thankss
Thanks for the compliment! Looks like you’ve got a nice start on your blog, now the trick is sticking with it as much as possible!
That’s really look nice. Love the photos! I love travelling with train. Hope one day I have a chance to ride that vintage train.
Thank you! I hope you get the chance as well 🙂
Great
Thanks!
It’s beautiful David. 😀
Thanks so much! 🙂
You’re welcome 😊
Honestly I would have loved to experience this. Vintage is awesome!
Agreed! It’s a really cool experience.