by Ken S.
Railroad Forums
Moderator: GirlOnTheTrain
RussNelson wrote:Why is it disappearing? Is this the railfan window which won't be on any more cars?Yes it is the Railfan Window.
R36 Combine Coach wrote:Staten Island Railway has a decent frontal view through the cab door "peephole", which would satisfy most trips.
keyboardkat wrote:I don't get it. What was ever unsafe about the railfan window? And it seems that not only the NY subway, but LIRR, Metro-North and Path have all decided to eliminate the railfan window. I am, frankly, really angry about it. I think railfans are being discriminated against, and that 's not a joke. I used to take my kids on train rides on the subway, LIRR and Metro-North MU trains and they, like their father, got a real thrill out of riding "up front." Who are these people who have decided to take it away, and who asked them?There is nothing unsafe about the "railfan" window. The subway administrators decided to have full width cabs in most and eventually all cars that have a cab so that conductors won't have to change cars bwetween stops that require opening up on different sides of the train. LIRR and MNR bought cars with full width cabs for similar reasoning - so that a conductor could work the doors on either side of the train form within a given cab, and not have to lean across seats that might be occupied or go to a different car.