Working the "A" Train (1981) 

hardworking people right here.i hope they all enjoyed a well deserved retirement.

They still run the R46's on the Rockaway shuttle. I take them nearly every weekend in the summertime. It's amazing that 40 years later the sights and sounds in this video are still familiar to many people in 2021.

There she is, right there at 5:20, the one and only Barbara Hand! Barbara was an actual Tower Operator in the system. She'd retired from her position shortly before I began working as a Tour Guide in the New York Transit Museum in 1990, which is where I had the honor and privilege of meeting her.

Wow, I haven’t seen this video in over 30 some odd years!!! At 3:56 that is me when I was a Conductor working in Command Center typing train incident reports. It was a few months after this video was taken that I got promoted to Motorman.

As a Conductor I worked with this Motorman.

I love these old documentaries. I hope these guys are all retired and happy somewhere.

When u look at it like this u see how incredible the system is. The older models in my opinion had more character to it.

My Grandfather Was A Train Driver On The ( F ) Train. God Bless His Soul. I wanna be just like my late grandpa Arthur Preudhomme

The double letter designations (AA, CC) used to indicate local trains. Today there is only the A, C, E.

Some additional info on this video. The Motorman was named Adams and the Conductor was Smith (Smitty) I had worked with Smitty when I worked the "extra" list, and he was the best conductor that I had ever worked with. M/M Adams had a vast knowledge of the transit system and it various trains, a real gentleman.

I retired two years ago from dept of subways it was a great experience to have worked through the ranks

Gotta love this soundtrack.

My father was a Conductor on the IRT #2 Train for 24 years.

As a former Conductor, former Train Operator, and a current Train Service Supervisor, this video makes me smile 😁😁😁

Nice seeing the R46 when they had the Rockwell lightweight trucks, and that controller.

Those times where people working are so relaxed and more professional

As a rookie Transit employee (motorman) all I can say is the more things change, the more they truly stay the same!

The R46 debuted on the A line 1975 making it the oldest subway trains we have now. I remember them when they were new!

I love watching old NYC videos.

08:23 i love how that conductor talked

I've rode on the A train and other routes in the New York Subway system for over 50 years. I've heard the song many times, even sang it! I like the behind-the-scenes look at how the system works and the people who work there. I like the footage from the old days. it gives anybody who has never been on the subway an idea on how it works and what they do to keep New Yorkers and the thousands of visitors moving.

ahh back when everything was manual

Thank you for your service

I just don't understand why the best video on earth only has 146K views??

Lou Rawls operating the train! "You'll never find... a subway train like mine"

Excellent footage! Thanks for posting!!

This video is amazing, inspiring & educational. Videos like these should be on the History Channel

Love this video, I operate the A train now for about 11 years and they still use the same equipment, very reliable and durable, I can’t wait to see the new trains come in.

To this day, i always wanted to become a NYCTA motorman. So hard to always see when is the next exam and hiring. Learned to fly planes, drive 18 wheelers, but this is the real dream job i always wanted since i was a child.😔🚉

*This is historically awesome!*

I love these vintage videos of the New York City Subway!

My mom used to take the A train in Nostrand Avenue and I used to ride the train with her when I was 2 yrs old.

Fascinating insight into the day to day running of the NYC subway. Thanks for uploading!

The A- train was a very brutal line back in da day especially riding through Brooklyn. The last car was always dark and full of thugs and if you rode the last car, hide your valuables cause they would definitely try to rob you.

Still, it does help educate people about the nature of subway operations. I'm sure if you compare 1981 to 2013, there will be advancements in technology while retaining the same general concept.

I was 6 in 1980 when riding my first subway car which was an R46 on the F from Herald Square to Rockafeller Center! Well that set I rode was clean! Second time, I ride an R40M set on the AA in 1984, then a few months after ride the dirty cars on the 1 and 2! Things got much better after 1989 rolled around, but the way things were in the subway would make anyone afraid to ride it especially in the overnight hours!

I operated the R-46 train. This was the 1st train with new technology. You had the 1st of its kind captain chair that swiveled. The brake handle & the throttle were connected onto one lever. So easy to conrol. Up for speed down to slowdown or stop. I used to operate with my left hand while my right arm, bent at the elbow was out the window. Just like a Cadillac. Comfortable as hell!

Those were some beautiful trains they had back then! What a great man, he really enjoyed and cared about his job. It looks really fun! For reference, the IND/BMT fleet at the time was R10, (maybe the R11 I’m not sure), R16, R27, R30, R32, R38, R40(both types), R42, R44, and R46. Very diverse system at the time. Compared to today, now we have less than half of that.

My dream job is to be an MTA train conductor.

at kingston throop avenues you will see a r40 slant

Thank you for your hard work and service.

Pre-G.O.H. R-46's Rockwell International Trucks P-Wire Braking System G.E. Slide Controller You could cut The Radio in to transmit Command Center's announcements directly over the P.A. All Door panels had Guard Lights, Automatic/manual Identra Setting side signs (automatic Side Signs), enter 2 digit code = press start, and all side signs would go to that Route/Destination. i.e. 54 was (E) to 179th St. Jamaica, etc. Hostler Auxiliary backup Controller, ELE44 Skate Key controls MDC. (Before the "Vapor Key" was introduced in 1985 The old "Command Center", room 300 at 370 Jay Street. ...And the Classic Defining N.Y.C.T.A. Blue Stripe This is when when the system had personality. Now its as interesting as a hospital bathroom.

at 9:35 I remember the NYC Transit police patrolling with their wooden night sticks.

Such sweet footage!

man i miss those tokens wait 1981 i was 10 years old living in brooklyn

This is so awesome. Would love more!!

The A train always seems to get hellish again after it is "fixed"

An amazing entourage of dedicated, and knowledgeable people running a very daunting operation - the largest of its kind in the world - and pioneers who built it.

To me this is new school stuff. I'm from the era of Low V's, R1-R9's, R10's R14's, R16's.

👋👋👋👋👋This is a touching Film of the New York City Subways until I'm crying. All those car fleets in this picture are all retired from service. Those memories touch my heart as a train buff & model railroader. Thanks for these memories and the staff that worked at that time when i was in high school when at that time when all this action was on the subway rails. 😢😭🙂

I love those blue pregoh stripes!

This brought me back. I always wanted to be a subway engineer.

Very cool brings back fond memories!

gotta love the R44s On the (A) Train But R46 instead in this video

Back then there's no R160s :(

The New York subway is light years ahead of Toronto. I feel like this is Toronto in the year 2000

Enjoyed this, thank you for sharing it.

You gotta love the according phone!!! Like from the Adams Family

Back when the R44s and R46s had rollsigns.

Beautiful I miss nyc

My Grandpa was a foreman of the track workers in NYC at this time. I still have the pocket Watch (engraved 1984) the MTA gave him in retirement.

Loved operating the R-46 on the B-end (no cab for Motorman) with the pushbutton hostler. Used to overide deadman with a toothpick!

Its really good. The NYC Subway system has come along way :)

Awesome documentary, chock full of facts and figures as well as the personal touch. Rode the subway through the 1970s til the year I left New York: 1981, the year this was filmed!

Those are my stops! Grew up between Nostrand Av & Kingston-Throop Avs stops in the 80s and 90s.

I MUST drive/operate a NYC Subway Train in this God given lifetime!!!

Omg this is so Cool, it looks like one of the best jobs in the world

R40 slant at 4:35

I wish there was one for the F train out of 179th Street. My Dad was number 1 there for over 25 years until retirement in 1995

Really nice on how the Rapid Transit was like back in the old days

Great video.

Jesus. their communication equipment/phones look like they are from the 1920's, probably are.

Those old fashion bucket seats But you cannot forget the classic hard black seats

awesome video

I wish I was alive when those trains were around.....but DEAR GOD THE GRAFFITI! These trains have and will see better days.

Even if I didn't know that this documentary was from 1981, I would've been able to tell that this was from the 1980s. The A train models were different and people used subway tokens instead of MetroCards.

Should post more videos like this this is great

Crazy how we go from this, to what we now have is the Subway Action Plan.

Worth noting that ALL those subway models are still in service. The MTA decided recently not to replace the A train model seen in this video. A new model was tested to replace it but not implemented. Those old token booths that had the change exchanging hands had the coins flushed up against the window. I don't know if that was some sort of protocol but that's how it looked back then. Some of the models in the video were reduced in service but can still be ridden. Graffiti crime has been improved greatly. There is no longer any double lettered trains.

37 Years Later And The A Train Is Still Terrible. The (A)wful Express. Lol. Excellent Documentary. 👍

Take the voice from the r110a onto the R142 cars (R142A, And R142S). You did an awsome job with The voice.

WOW Look at the P-Wire R46 cab with Regulation Speed or Manual Speed

2020 - not much have changed. Classic video of NY.

Good Stuff i would love to see a modern version of this.

wow i am loving it the train from far rockaway to manhattan thats a long trip i been it on it trust me i am from there

I love when the trains goes fast especially when it goes express

So this is what the world looked like when I was born? There are things of the past I miss. I guess we can't have those days again, can we?

Awsome!

Loved it

I miss the R44s.

Amazing moving of people

The R44s were in the words of the T.A., "lemons" with problems in the "trucks" (wheel sets). They had to share R40s with the AA/B line. The R32s weren't bad either.

nope, the 110A is a converted pump train, & the 110B is all kinds of jacked up

Same these days were so good but if you remember how bad the graffiti problem was you would think again 1 car last 1 week

This was a cool video.

showing my stations near my home.

Where can I find more vids like this?

Awesome

Damn, those trains!

Good job