Would you like to ride in a subway car with ceiling fans, no air conditioning, and windows that are wide open? You can achieve that very dream this weekend and for the rest of September, as the HBO show Boardwalk Empire puts authentic 1920’s-era subway cars on the 2,3 line running from Times Square through the Upper West Side.
The trains run from noon until 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through the end of September. The new season of Boardwalk Empire debuts on September 25, and on that weekend (the 24th and 25th), Boardwalk Empire ambassadors will be handing out free metrocards outside the Times Square and 72nd Street stations, according to the MTA.
West Side Rag reader Ben sent in the above photo and a few more we’ve posted below.
Thanks to Ben and Gavan for the tip.
Thanks for the memories, Avi. And thanks for reminding us why we’re called “straphangers.”
Unless I’m sorely mistaken, I rode these trains for a short while as a kid (late 60s). If not the same model, I certainly rode slightly later models with open ceiling fans.
But where are all the fedoras in this photo? 😉
Check this video out “Boardwalk Empire MTA Ride” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU3Y4GbfVH4
I definitely rode these NYC IRT subway cars as a kid in the 60’s while living in The Bronx (NYC). The cars in the video above, with their series numbers in the 5000 range, were called Lo-Vs. The Lo-Vs were my favorite trains because I liked the way they looked and I love traction railcars (trains that are powered by electricity). The vintage Lo-Vs, with their classic clerestory roof, are still a favorite of mine. But, my overall faves are the Pacific Electric “Tens” 1000-series wood interurban cars from 1913 – only two “Tens” exist/survive today. They also had the classic clerestory roof. I miss riding the Lo-Vs as a kid growing up in The Bronx. I loved the Lo-Vs and still do.