New York's World's Fairs

The World's Fair celebrations have always brought about changes to the New York City Transit system, first in 1939 with new cars and a temporary subway extension, and again in 1964: new cars and a monorail at the fair itself. (Although the monorail was actually an attraction at the fair and not used as transit, we describe it here.)

New York Subway Cars

• 1939 World's Fair Low-V Cars

• 1964 World's Fair R33/R36 Cars

1939 World's Fair Railroad

• Diagrams and Signal Arrangement of the 1939 World's Fair Railroad (subway extension)

1964 World's Fair Monorail

American Machine and Foundry (AMF) has built a forty-foot high, $5,000,000 monorail system for the World's Fair. Fifteen million visitors are expected to ride in the fourteen red and white air-conditioned cars, operating on two parallel closed loops. The rolling stock is split up into seven two-car trains. Each train is 90 feet long and holds 80 passengers. Three trains operate in one direction on one loop, four trains run in the other direction on the second loop.

Train movements are automatically controlled. However, each car has an attendant aboard as a precaution. The monorail terminal is located in the Lake Amusement Area. It consists of three 100-foot long platforms. The platform between the loops is for loading passengers, while the two outside platforms are for debarking platforms.

Seating within the cars is center-aisle longitudinal, with riders facing the sides of the cars. Large picture windows give a scenic bird's-eye view of the Lake Amusement area. The window glass has been so designed that it will not affect the color balance of a photograph taken from within the car.

Text from Electric Railroaders' Association "Headlights". June, 1964.