Redbird Subway Cars (1/3)

Redbird Subway Car - in service
Type:
250 "Redbird" subway cars - NYC Subway system - steel bodies / frames
Built:
1959-1960 - American Car & Foundry - Model R26 # 7750-7859
1960-1961 - American Car & Foundry - Model R28 # 7860-7959
1962-1963 - St. Louis Car - Model R29 # 8570-8805
1962-1963 - St. Louis Car - Model R33 # 8806-9345
1963-1964 - St. Louis Car - Model R36 # 9346-9769
Specs:
( 51 x 9 ft ) 15,000 to 18,000 pounds (body)
Sunk:
50 cars - Cape May Reef on July 3, 2003
50 cars - Deepwater Reef on July 16, 2003
50 cars - Atlantic City Reef on July 25, 2003
50 cars - Garden State North Reef on Sept 3, 2003
50 cars - Shark River Reef on Oct 14, 2003
619 cars - Delaware Reef 11 from Aug 2001 to Nov 2003
Sponsor:
New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
anti-
Sponsor:
Environmental group Clean Ocean Action lobbied aggressively and almost successfully to prevent the use of these subway cars as artificial reefs in New Jersey, resulting in most of the cars going to other states.
GPS:
too many to list, and all gone anyway
Depth:
Depths vary by location between 80 ft and 130 ft.

Update 2020

The "Redbirds" are long gone - the ocean devoured them. If you want to see them, all that is left is the pictures and video on this page.

Redbird Subway Car Dimensional Drawing
Redbird Subway Car Dimensional Drawing

In 2001 New York City offered as many as 1300 subway cars for use as artificial reefs, but the project was derailed by a single person. Cindy Zipf and her Clean Ocean Action organization raised enough unreasonable fears over the longevity of the cars in the ocean and their asbestos content, that the state government refused them. Many of the cars went to Delaware and South Carolina, which were happy to get such a windfall. After much public outcry and government consternation, the last 250 cars were finally accepted for use as reefs in 2003.

The conclusion that the subway cars did not hold up well as artificial reefs was apparently based on a survey of a single car that had been hit and torn apart by a dragger. Airborne asbestos is harmful when the tiny fibers are breathed and lodge permanently in the lungs. It has never been shown to be harmful to anything in the water at the concentrations that are expected, which are nearly unmeasurable.

Studies of sunken Redbirds in Delaware and other states have so far found nothing of consequence. Nonetheless, in exchange for these subway cars, New Jersey was saddled with an onerous, expensive, and unnecessary eight-year environmental study and moratorium on the use of subway cars in reef-building. Fortunately, that semi-illegal agreement proved to be non-binding. ( It never went through a public review and approval process, but instead was forced upon the people and the state by environmental extremists. Such a thing should never be permitted to happen again. )

Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Depth Plot

The soundtrack is just me huffing and puffing to push the bulky camera rig in front of me with both hands while going in and out of the cars with just my fins for control. (Almost) didn't crash into anything either, but I never used a tank of air so fast. I was back at the surface empty in about fifteen minutes.

15 of the cars on the Shark River Reef were sunk on one of the huge rock piles, placing them rather shallower than the 130-foot bottom.

Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Rock Pile

The cars found so far are laid out like this, but I would expect the first nor'easter to topple them all down off the top of the mound into deep water.

Seven of the fifteen cars on the rock pile have been located so far. Looking back through all my pictures from the day, the following numbers were dropped somewhere on the Shark River reef: 9569, 9577, 9592, 9593, 9599, 9624, 9625, 9647, 9648, 9654, 9655, 9662, 9663, 9677, 9678, 9719, 9754.

Four years later in 2007, these same cars had all tumbled most of the way down the slope to deeper water ( as expected ) and were completely intact. A car surveyed further south was also found intact - see below. So far, Clean Ocean Action, American Littoral Society, Sierra Club, and other environmental extremists have proven to be completely wrong.

2016 Note:

With the rapid deterioration of the subway cars in the ocean, the underwater photos and videos you see here are likely to be the only ones ever. They were shot with the equipment of the day. Given the murkiness of the water, 'HD' would not make any difference.

Redbird Subway Cars Reef - In Service
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Scapping Line
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Loading on Barge

Here are probably too many pictures of subway cars being pushed off a barge on the Shark River Reef:

Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Loaded on Barge
The barge loaded with the last 50 Redbird cars.
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Loaded on Barge
The wheels and undercarriages were removed for scrap, leaving just the bodies. The same barge ( Weeks 297 ) has been used in other reef projects.
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Loaded on Barge
The big crane moved the nine-ton subway cars around like toys. The guys on the observation boat couldn't get enough of this, while the only female in the party fell asleep.
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Pushed off Barge
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Pushed off Barge
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Pushed off Barge
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Pushed off Barge
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Pushed off Barge
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Pushed off Barge
Note the way the cars are manhandled by the crane and the resulting damage to the roofs and sides. Four years later, this is still the only visible damage.
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Underwater
The first diver ever approaches the new reef
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Underwater Immediately after sinking
A Redbird just a few minutes after landing atop the rock pile.
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Underwater Immediately after sinking
I couldn't make up my mind which picture I liked better.
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Underwater Immediately after sinking
Colors are hard to capture underwater, and red is the hardest of all.
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Underwater Immediately after sinking
Looks just like Dutch Springs. Soon, the cars and rock will be overgrown with marine life, and that will change.
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Underwater Immediately after sinking
The same car in life: IRT Flushing Line, Route 7, 52nd St. & Lincoln St. - 7/11/2000
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Interior
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Interior Stripped
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Interior - Underwater Immediately after sinking
Compare this interior shot with the one above.
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Interior - Underwater Immediately after sinking
Looking out from inside
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - Roof - Underwater Immediately after sinking
It will be interesting to see what this bare roof looks like in a year.

For all you rail fans out there, here are four more.

Redbird Subway Cars Reef - intact underwater 5 years after sinking
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - intact underwater 5 years after sinking
One of the same cars in 2008, five years later. Now at a depth of 130 feet, I surveyed five cars, four of which were completely intact, and one (below) was flattened.
Redbird Subway Cars Reef - upside-down & crushed after sinking 5 years after sinking
Another one that landed upside-down has crushed itself. Note that this still provides excellent habitat for many creatures. Few of them land completely upside-down like this.
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