Riding the MTA Nostalgia Train on Its Last Day in 2016

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Today I got to ride the MTA Nostalgia Train when it was departing on its last run for the season. Unlike in the previous years, both Christmas and NYE fall on a Sunday this year. Which means the Vintage Train, which usually runs on all Sundays from late November through the last weekend of December, won’t be departing for the next two weeks of the year. I guess they need to give their employees a break on those two significant holidays (and also the craziness entailing both should be quite predictable).

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All the photographers taking pictures (notice the flashes)

I was thrilled to catch it just in time. Actually it didn’t even depart for the last half an hour, as it was supposed to. Instead, there were a ton of people posing for it and even more photographers snapping images of these people. Folks dressed up like in previous years and three different sets of jazz bands were playing: Two on the platforms and one inside the train. It was extremely crowded throughout all cars and I squeezed into the last subway car, somehow. Despite the stuffiness and packedness, I still got some great shots. The vibes were all good. The Holiday Train is an event for almost every age group and I saw quite a few families this time around.

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The MTA Nostalgia Train – if you missed it this season, go check out all the cool cars in the NYC Transit museum. They will be on display for a little while longer – minus the jazz bands but also minus the excessive crowds.