Redbird is the name given to 1,410 New York City Subway

New York City Subway

The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...

 cars of the following types: R26

R26 (New York City Subway car)

The R26 was a New York City Subway car built in 1959 by American Car and Foundry . They were made for the IRT and were the first cars to be built in married pairs, which consists of two cars coupled together at the non-operating end...

, R28

R28 (New York City Subway car)

The R28 was a New York City Subway car built in 1960-61 by American Car and Foundry . They were a "follow-up" or supplemental stock for the "A" Division's R26s and closely resemble. They operated on the IRT in married pairs. The R28 cars were rebuilt during 1985-87 into Redbirds by Morrison...

, R29

R29 (New York City Subway car)

The R29 was a New York City Subway car built in 1962 by the St. Louis Car Company for the IRT division . They have very similar appearances to the R26 and 28 cars with the exceptions that they were built by a different company and permanently paired with link bars, not couplers...

, R33 Main Line (ML)

R33 (New York City Subway car)

The R33 ML was a New York City Subway car built by St. Louis Car Company in 1962–63. They were a "follow-up" or supplemental stock for the "A" Division's R29s and closely resemble them. Five hundred cars were built, serving on all IRT subway lines. They were rebuilt between 1986–1991...

, R33 World's Fair (WF)

R33 World's Fair (New York City Subway car)

The R33 World's Fair is a class of 40 single cars for the New York City Subway car built in late 1963. They were made for the "A" Division, but only assigned to the service and were based out of Corona Yard. They were used to make 11-car trains with the R36 WF cars, which were built as two-car...

, R36 ML

R36 (New York City Subway car)

The R36 was a class of New York City Subway cars built in 1964 by the St. Louis Car Company, St. Louis, Missouri for the IRT division...

, and R36 WF

R36 World's Fair (New York City Subway car)

The R36 World's Fair New York City Subway cars were built in 1963-1964 by the St. Louis Car Company in St. Louis, Missouri for the IRT division . They were purchased for service on the IRT Flushing Line which was the closest line to the 1964 New York World's Fair...

. These cars were painted a deep red to combat graffiti, which had become a major problem In the late 1970s and early 1980s. The deep red color was referred to as Gunn Red in honor of its originator David L. Gunn

David L. Gunn

David L. Gunn is a transportation system administrator who has headed several significant railroads and transit systems in North America....

, who was the head of the New York City Transit Authority

New York City Transit Authority

The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City...

 during this period. Initially entering service in various colors, these cars received the new paint scheme between 1984 and 1989. 16 R17

R17 (New York City Subway car)

The R17 is a New York City Subway car class built in 1955. It was one of three car classes purchased in the mid-1950s by the New York City Transit Authority to replace much of the pre-World War II IRT High Voltage rolling stock, which included the Gibbs cars, the Deck Roofs, and the Hedley Hi-V...

s were also given this paint scheme in 1985/86, but were retired well before the name "Redbird" caught on.

History

These cars were built by two different manufacturers: American Car and Foundry

American Car and Foundry Company

American Car and Foundry is a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock. One of its subsidiaries was once a manufacturer of motor coaches and trolley coaches under the brand names of ACF and ACF-Brill. Today ACF is known as ACF Industries LLC and is based in St. Charles, Missouri...

 built the R26

R26 (New York City Subway car)

The R26 was a New York City Subway car built in 1959 by American Car and Foundry . They were made for the IRT and were the first cars to be built in married pairs, which consists of two cars coupled together at the non-operating end...

 cars in 1959-60 and the R28

R28 (New York City Subway car)

The R28 was a New York City Subway car built in 1960-61 by American Car and Foundry . They were a "follow-up" or supplemental stock for the "A" Division's R26s and closely resemble. They operated on the IRT in married pairs. The R28 cars were rebuilt during 1985-87 into Redbirds by Morrison...

 cars in 1960-61. St. Louis Car Company built the R29

R29 (New York City Subway car)

The R29 was a New York City Subway car built in 1962 by the St. Louis Car Company for the IRT division . They have very similar appearances to the R26 and 28 cars with the exceptions that they were built by a different company and permanently paired with link bars, not couplers...

 cars in 1962, the R33 Main Line

R33 (New York City Subway car)

The R33 ML was a New York City Subway car built by St. Louis Car Company in 1962–63. They were a "follow-up" or supplemental stock for the "A" Division's R29s and closely resemble them. Five hundred cars were built, serving on all IRT subway lines. They were rebuilt between 1986–1991...

 in 1962-1963, R33 World's Fair

R33 World's Fair (New York City Subway car)

The R33 World's Fair is a class of 40 single cars for the New York City Subway car built in late 1963. They were made for the "A" Division, but only assigned to the service and were based out of Corona Yard. They were used to make 11-car trains with the R36 WF cars, which were built as two-car...

 (single cars) in late 1963, and the R36 Main Line

R36 (New York City Subway car)

The R36 was a class of New York City Subway cars built in 1964 by the St. Louis Car Company, St. Louis, Missouri for the IRT division...

 and R36 World's Fair

R36 World's Fair (New York City Subway car)

The R36 World's Fair New York City Subway cars were built in 1963-1964 by the St. Louis Car Company in St. Louis, Missouri for the IRT division . They were purchased for service on the IRT Flushing Line which was the closest line to the 1964 New York World's Fair...

 in 1964.
The cars provided passenger service on all A Division

A Division (New York City Subway)

The A Division, also known as the IRT Division, is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by numbers and the 42nd Street Shuttle. These lines and services were operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company before the 1940 city takeover...

 lines. They were occasionally used on Fan Trips on some B Division

B Division (New York City Subway)

The B Division is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by letters , in addition to the Franklin Avenue Shuttle and Rockaway Park Shuttle...

 lines as well.

Most Redbirds were phased out from 2001 to 2003 and replaced by the new R142

R142 (New York City Subway car)

The R142 is the model class of the newest generation of IRT cars for the New York City Subway. Built by Bombardier in Plattsburgh, New York and Barre, Vermont from 1999–2002, the fleet, along with the R142A, are the new backbone of the IRT fleet....

 and R142A

R142A (New York City Subway car)

The R142A, along with the R142 is the newest generation of cars for the A Division of the New York City Subway.-Background:The R142A is built by Kawasaki and has many of the same features as the R142, built by Bombardier. The main order of 400 R142A cars are numbered 7211-7610; the 120 option cars...

 cars. The final trip made by a train consisting of Redbirds was made on November 3, 2003. 1,292 Redbirds have been sunk at sea off the coasts of Delaware

Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

, and Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 as artificial reef

Artificial reef

An artificial reef is a human-made underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, control erosion, block ship passage, or improve surfing....

s to promote marine life, to serve as a barrier and to enhance recreational scuba diving

Scuba diving

Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....

. An episode of CSI: NY

CSI: NY

CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...

titled "The Deep" used these cars as part of the story line, and even featured well-replicated underwater shots of mock ups of the cars. However, the show places them in the East River

East River

The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...

 of New York City.

Preservation

Some Redbirds are used in the Train of Many Colors

Train of Many Colors

The Train of Many Colors is one of the New York Transit Museum's IRT nostalgia trains used for excursions...

 excursions, which includes numerous historical subway cars in their original livery

Livery

A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...

, showing contrasting colors. These cars are in the museum fleet.

Other usage of Redbird name

• Some R27
  R27 (New York City Subway car)
  The R27 was a New York City Subway car built by the St. Louis Car Company for the New York City Transit Authority in 1960–61. The R27s were a continuation of the R16 style....
  
   and the rebuilt R30
  R30 (New York City Subway car)
  The R30 was a New York City Subway car built by St. Louis Car Company for the New York City Transit Authority in 1960–62. It was a continuation of the R16 and R27 style. They were a "follow-up" or supplemental stock for the "B" Division's R27s and closely resemble them.The cars were...
  
  , R30A
  R30A (New York City Subway car)
  The R30A was a New York City Subway car built by St. Louis Car Company for the New York City Transit Authority in 1960. They were a continuation of the R30 style, First cars to feature the new GE SCM controllers, whereas the other GE R30's were equipped with the older GE MCM controllers...
  
   BMT / IND
  Independent Subway System
  The Independent Subway System , formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad, was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway...
  
   cars were often referred as the BMT Redbirds after they were painted Gunn Red during the late 1980s.

• The MBTA
  Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
  The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
  
   Red Line
  Red Line (MBTA)
  The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
  
   in Boston used the Redbird name starting in the late-1970s when that line's rolling stock was repainted into a largely red scheme. However, that usage of Redbird followed a tradition set with those fleet's prior paint schemes ("Bluebirds" for the 01400s, "Silverbirds" for the 01500s and 01600s).