R36 World's Fair (New York City Subway Car) - Phasing Out

Phasing Out

In 1998, New York City Transit announced that it would phase out its Redbird cars. The Redbirds — R26, R28, R29, R33 and R36 — would be replaced by modern R142 and R142A cars.

While the Redbirds on the IRT Main Line were beginning to be retired starting in early 2001, the 7 service was all Redbird until January 2002. That month, a set of R62A's arrived from the IRT Main Line. As more R142 sets were delivered, the 3 and 6 services would give up their R62A's to the 7, replacing R36s. R36 units were still plentiful in 2002, since R142 delivery was slow that year.

By mid-2003 Redbird sets were dwindling on the 7 service. Only a few sets were running by fall. The last Redbird train ran along the 7 on November 3, 2003, marking the retirement of the Redbird cars and the end of non stainless steel cars in the subway.

Most of the Redbirds (1,294) were submerged off the coast of Delaware, New Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia as artificial barrier and diving reefs.

Since then, some of the remaining R36s have been converted for work service. One pair (9564-65) was transferred to Coney Island in December 2004 for conversion of 9565 to a visitor center at Queens Borough Hall in Kew Gardens, Queens, but R33 ML 9075 was used instead. 9564-65 were subsequently reefed in 2008.