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Selling off NYC Transit's Redbirds piece-by-piece

At MTA New York City Transit, waste is a four-letter word. Take for example, the durable but outmoded Redbird subway cars, once so common along the numbered lines of the IRT. After 40 years of service, it was time for them to yield their places on the rails to new technology equipment much better suited for service in the 21st century. The one major question, however, was how to get as much benefit as possible from the disposal of the outgoing cars.

In the past, subway cars were auctioned off to scrap metal dealers. Over the last several years, however, the cost of preparing obsolete equipment for sale has skyrocketed. But a little over two years ago, the creative thinkers in Materiel's Asset Recovery Unit came up with the idea of using the 51-foot cars as reef material rather than just selling them off for scrap.

Since the inception the Reef Program, several states have requested the cars for placement off their shores. Delaware was first, with South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia making the move soon after. Recently, New Jersey requested 200 cars that will be sunk along the ocean floor. So far, nearly 1,000 cars have been placed and sea life is teeming in those locations.

Cars are prepared for reefing

Before the cars can be sunk, though, the trucks and all interior components are removed. We're talking about windows, doors, air gauges, car number boards, route signs, and hand holds. Anything that would float or degrade was removed from the cars, which were then steam cleaned and inspected before being loaded on to a barge for shipment. Some of the material removed is being used as spares for older cars that still remain in service, but the great majority of the items had no further use for NYC Transit.

Materiel's Mike Zacchea, who oversees NYC Transit's Artificial Reef Program watched as piles of removed items were collected at the 207th Street Maintenance Facility. He thought that it would be a waste (bad word) to simply scrap the stuff.

"From time to time we have received calls from collectors seeking to purchase items from the old cars," Zacchea explained. "We took a look at the materials being stripped from the cars and realized that there might just be a market for these pieces of New York City history."

Among the items up for sale are front and side destination roll signs, air horns, front express and local signs, customer handholds, emergency brake valves, controllers, air gauges, and stanchion poles.

Baskets of handholds awaiting new owners. "There are quite a few interesting items here for sale. Not enough to build a New York City subway car, but it's a pretty impressive start," said Zacchea, who explained that all of the materials are removed from the cars as they are prepared for shipment to reef locations. He added that each item comes complete with a certificate of authenticity, noting that it was once part of a genuine New York City subway car.

Anyone feeling particularly nostalgic about New York City's subway past and interested in purchasing a piece of history can reach the Asset Recovery Unit by calling 800-543-VALU (800-543-8258).

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