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Building a NYC subway car, part 1

By Rain Noe - December 4, 2009

in Object Culture

Like most mass transit vehicles, NYC subway cars are built to take a beating. They operate both underground and aboveground and are subject to four seasons' worth of the elements, not to mention the tender ministrations of five million riders a day, and the Sharpies wielded by vandals eager to share their tags with the public. In addition, New York's is the only metro system in the world that operates 24 hours a day, 365 a year. So how exactly are these things put together, and what are they made of? Do you think they're built from the ground up, like a conventional house, or assembled in different components that are then attached, like a pre-fab house? To find out, check out this footage from National Geographic's look inside a New York City subway car manufacturing facility, which is not located in the five boroughs, but way down in Lapa, Brazil:

As you can see, the scratchitti Gothamites know so well is an aftermarket add-on.

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Building a NYC subway car, part 1

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