New York Subways

Offers an encyclopedic amount of information and is organized in a precise and thorough manner. The book contains a wealth of history and detail for tourists and transit buffs alike. -- Amy Wanggaard, New York Transit Museum This is the first comprehensive examination of the history and development of the system's rolling stock. Sansone has performed a real service by pulling it together, providing useful illustrations of the cars, and vetting it all for accuracy. Sansone knows his subject thoroughly and he's clearly done his homework. -- Clifton Hood, author of 722 Miles

Subway and train enthusiasts, students of New York City history, and specialists in the history of technology will appreciate this updated and authoritative reference work about one of the twentieth century's greatest urban achievements.The first subway line in New York City opened on October 27, 1904. To celebrate the centennial of this event, the Johns Hopkins University Press presents a new edition of Gene Sansone's acclaimed book, Evolution of New York City Subways. Produced under the auspices of New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority, this comprehensive account of the rapid transit system's design and engineering history offers an extensive array of photographs, engineering plans, and technical data for nearly every subway car in the New York City system from the days of steam and cable to the present. The product of years of meticulous research in various city archives, this book is organized by type of car, from the 1903-04 wood and steel Composite cars to the R142 cars put into service in 2000. For each car type, Sansone provides a brief narrative history of its design, construction, and service record, followed by detailed schematic drawings and accompanying tables that provide complete technical data, from the average cost per car and passenger capacity to seat and structure material, axle load, and car weight. Sansone also includes a helpful subway glossary from A Car (the end car in a multiple car coupled unit) to Zone (a section of the train to the conductor's left or right side). Subway and train enthusiasts, students of New York City history, and specialists in the history of technology will appreciate this updated and authoritative reference work about one of the twentieth century's greatest urban achievements.