Representative equipment of the Steinway tunnels posed a different problem. Although Steinway cars were still available, the long range view of the museum planners didn't find that the symbolism justified the ends. The Steinways represented a fleet of only 138 units and were low powered. On the other hand, the IRT Standard design, of which the Lo-V's are representative, amounted to a fleet of over 2000 cars, and were always a rail fan draw, so saving them was a more immediate problem. Deciding upon the Lo-V's for the celebration, a random assortment of five healthy cars -- numbers 5290, 5292 (Pullman, 1918-1919) 5443, 5466 and 5483 ACF, 1924-'25) - were run into the shops.

     So far Transit Day had been served - but what of the World's Fair itself? Wouldn't a moving monument to the World's Fair of '39 be a moving monument in the futuristic carnival of '65? Of course, choosing such equipment would add still a little more to the growing museum roster, too.

After the Fair, the refurbished equipment went not to the still hoped-for museum, but back into passenger service, affording opportunities for riding and photographing. Here 2390-2 and three less honored BMT Standards descend the ramp to the Metropolitan Avenue terminal on the Myrtle-Chambers Line.

     Long after the Trylon and Perisphere had been reduced to scrap the BMT Q-types which had carried millions to see the symbol of tomorrow, remained in service. After their tour on the Flushing Line they had been sent over to operate on the Third Avenue "L" -- the beginning of misfortune for Gove's handsome conversion. On a test run the overhang of canopies at stations sheared off the marker lights, resulting in their being placed in the typical IRT position on the slope of the clerestory.

     The Q cars' high-performance Peckham trucks, too heavy for the IRT elevated, were replaced by the trudging Composite trucks, reducing the speedsters to a cranky crawl. As a final insult, when the Qs were transferred to the Myrtle Avenue "L" in 1958 to replace the last gate equipment, the stained glass window-vents were removed and the clerestory lowered, stealing still more from the old charm. Sadly, neither markers, nor trucks, nor roof were restored for museum use, the last due to subway clearance issues.

Posing for an official portrait, Lo-V 5466 is captured at Corona Yard after the Fair celebration. Used for a while on fan trips, this car did not end up at the transit museum, but now runs at the Shore Line Trolley Museum in Branford, Connecticut.

None of the IRT's actual "World's Fair" cars from 1939 was actually refurbished for Transit Day, though one (5655) has been saved and is to be restored. The series played out their operating lives on the Third Avenue el remnant in the Bronx, seen here.

©1966 Silver Leaf Rapid Transit. ©2000 The Composing Stack Inc. All rights reserved