Around the subway system, you can find some very rare and exciting things! Things you don’t see every day. Things that are just nostalgic in general. Some people encounter these things by pure luck. Others camp stations and THAT requires patience. It’s not every time you step out into the subway that you will encounter something rare, such as not in service trains or work trains. In this article, I’ll take you on an adventure. An exploration, and you’ll see some rare things along the way!

A not-in-service R68A (B) train approaches Coney Island-Stillwell Av, which is unusual, because (B) trains typically terminate at Brighton Beach and not at Coney Island. However, in this instance, this (B) train was deadheading to Brighton Beach to start its regular service.

A (Q) train sits idle in Coney Island Yard, signed up as an orange (Q) as opposed to the normal yellow (Q) we see today. This sight is quite rare in the subway system now. This particular (Q) rollsign was last used in regular service between 1988 and 2001 when the (Q) train was rerouted onto the Sixth Avenue Line due to the Manhattan Bridge being closed. Since 2001, this sign has become a rare and exciting occurrence!

A not-in-service R32 approaches 25 Av on the express track. It’s worth it to note that these subway cars retired back in 2020. It is unknown what this train was being used for at the time, but it was an interesting sight to see.

An R46 approaches the Coney Island Terminal from Coney Island Storage Facility to begin service.

An R68 running on the Franklin Avenue Shuttle pulls into Prospect Park, signed up as a yellow (S) as opposed to the normal gray (S) we see today. This yellow (S) designation was last used in regular service from February 1998 to May 1999, when the IND 63rd Street Line was under reconstruction. This yellow (S) ran between 21 St-Queensbridge and 34 St-Herald Square on weekdays, bypassing 49 St. When the reconstruction concluded, this service was discontinued. In recent years, it was used back in June 2022, when service to Manhattan on the Brighton Line was suspended, and a shuttle ran between Prospect Park and Coney Island-Stillwell Av.