The last of "the slant" trains was retired Friday.(Photo courtesy John Urbanski)
NYC Transit has retired another quirky subway oddity in their shrinking pool of vintage cars.
On Friday, the MTA put to rest its last operating R40 train, a model better known as “the slant” for its distinctive sloping front. The peculiar 15-degree slant was intended to look like the bullet trains of the future — back in 1968. The 200 trains ran on the lettered lines such as the A and F.
The trains suffered from numerous mechanical problems, including a lack of handholds between trains putting riders at risk with falling onto the tracks (yikes!).
Transit began taking the trains out of service last year as it has updated its fleet. A pair of R40s live on at the New York Transit Museum for those feeling nostalgic.
