Holiday Nostalgia Rides

Holiday Nostalgia Rides

This holiday season, we continue the annual tradition of Holiday Nostalgia Rides on the New York Transit Museum’s 1930s R1/9 train cars! Operating between 2^nd Avenue – Houston Street on the uptown F line and 96^th Street – 2^nd Avenue on the Q line, the Holiday Nostalgia Train will transport straphangers back in time every Sunday in December.

Don’t miss your chance to travel through time – for just the cost of a MetroCard swipe or OMNY tap!

SCHEDULE

This year, the Holiday Nostalgia Train will operate on Sundays in December. Catch the vintage train between 10am and 5pm on Sunday, December 1^st, 8^th, 15^th, 22^nd and 29^th.

The Holiday Nostalgia Train departs from the 2^nd Avenue – Houston Street on the uptown F line in lower Manhattan at:

• 10am
• 12pm
• 2pm
• 4pm

The Holiday Nostalgia Train departs from the 96^th Street – 2^nd Avenue on the Q line at:

• 11am
• 1pm
• 3pm
• 5pm

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ROUTE

The Holiday Nostalgia Train will operate between 2nd Avenue – Houston Street on the uptown F line platform and 96^th Street – 2^nd Avenue on the Q line. Passengers can board the train at any of the stations below.

Uptown Stops:

• 2^nd Avenue – Houston Street (F)
• Broadway – Lafayette Street (D/F, 6)
• West 4^th Street – Washington Square (A/C/E, D/F)
• 34^th Street – Herald Square (D/F, N/Q/R)
• 42^nd Street – Bryant Park (A/C/E, D/F, N/Q/R, S, 7)
• 47^th – 50^th Streets – Rockefeller Center (D/F)
• 57^th Street – 6^th Avenue (F)
• Lexington Avenue – 63^rd Street (F, Q)
• 72^nd Street – 2^nd Avenue (Q)
• 86^th Street – 2^nd Avenue (Q)
• 96^th Street – 2^nd Avenue (Q)

Downtown Stops:

• 96^th Street – 2^nd Avenue (Q)
• 86^th Street – 2^nd Avenue (Q)
• 72^nd Street – 2^nd Avenue (Q)
• Lexington Avenue – 63^rd Street (F, Q)
• 57^th Street – 6^th Avenue (F)
• 47^th – 50^th Streets – Rockefeller Center (D/F)
• 42^nd Street – Bryant Park (A/C/E, D/F, N/Q/R, S, 7)
• 34^th Street – Herald Square (D/F, N/Q/R)
• West 4^th Street – Washington Square (A/C/E, D/F)
• Broadway – Lafayette Street (D/F, 6)
• 2^nd Avenue – Houston Street (F)

Accessibility:

Accessible stations along the route include Broadway – Lafayette Street (D, 6), West 4^th Street – Washington Square (A/C/E, D/F), 34^th Street – Herald Square (D/F, N/Q/R), 47^th – 50^th Streets – Rockefeller Center (D/F), Lexington Avenue – 63^rd Street (F, Q), 72^nd Street – 2^nd Avenue (Q), 86^th Street – 2^nd Avenue (Q), and 96^th Street – 2^nd Avenue (Q). Please check the MTA app and visit the MTA’s Elevator and Escalator Status page before you travel for real-time elevator status information.

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2024 Holiday Nostalgia Train: The R1/9s

Consisting of eight cars from the 1930s, the Holiday Nostalgia Train is a charming reminder of New York City’s transit history. These vintage Independent Subway System (IND) cars were once the pride of the first subway company operated by the City of New York. Modern for their time, the R1/9s complemented the IND’s Depression-Era Art Deco aesthetic. Featuring rattan seats, paddle ceiling fans, incandescent light bulbs, roll signs, and period advertisements, the R1/9s are the cars that inspired Billy Strayhorn’s iconic “Take the A Train.” They entered service on the Eighth Avenue line (today’s A/C/E) in 1932 and ran until 1977. Today, they are preserved as part of the New York Transit Museum’s collection.   

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PLEASE NOTE: 

• Masks are encouraged, but not required on vintage trains. 
• All Holiday Nostalgia Rides are weather permitting.
• Timing, routes, and equipment are subject to change.

Photos by Marc A. Hermann / MTA