I really hope that when this stuff gets updated and modernized, those original relay racks and interlock stand get put in a museum. Those are gorgeous pieces of machinery that interests me far more than a couple of back boxes with LEDS and fans would.

I've been riding the New York City subway system for almost 60 years, I never had any clue of what was going on behind the scenes. This is amazing! What's even more amazing is that you have parts from the 1940s that are still working perfectly.

I was a signalman and looking at those old relays is awesome. I worked on those years ago out in the desert for southern pacific. The weigh a ton and are reliable for a hundred years. The old wabcos, Union switch and signal GE and safetran stuff is just amazing

I thought the control setup in “The Taking of Pelham 123” in the 1970s was filmed in a museum. And they’re still using it!!!

Incredible! I hope this system ends up properly preserved and explained in a museum some day. Thanks for the detailed footage!

The planning, the co-ordination this takes. Remarkable!

I work as a machinist in the subway of Moscow. We have a system of ALS-ARS (automatic locomotive speed control system) allows you to keep the minimum interval between trains is one minute thirty seconds at the maximum train speed of 80 km per hour.

Great video! Well produced and narrated. Proud of our subway managers and workers.

Absolutely fascinating! I've always been amazed at how well the system works as old as it is. Congratulations to the many, many tower operators that keep it functioning! Great video!

That tower looks like an electrical fire waiting to happen.

Pretty clear half the people in the comments don't understand how CBTC works and its purpose.

"The system is old" and that's why I love riding the train

that was a great piece! thank you mta!

at least this partially explains WHY the service is slow and UN predictable.

I'm a freight conductor and work out of Houston. The interlocking board almost reminds me of a system we had in which you had to turn knobs to line switches. Neat video, be safe.

Londan underground is WAY older and yet their trains are cleaner and were semi auto(although no CBTC) since 1960s. Londan underground stations are also better looking some stations with screen doors

Interesting to hear about the "old-fashioned way" which includes the interlocking equipment. When I "broke-in" on on the Southern Pacific in 1971, there were some signal towers that had equipment dating back to the WWI era. The power supply for moving the switches was via direct current motors. The signals, I was told, were originally semaphore types. The semaphores had given way to "target signals" prior to my 1971 arrival.

Love the technical stuff. I worked for BART in the 80's and 90's. The more automated train control (and the less manual control) the better for safety. Thank you.

"it belongs in a MUSEUM" - Indiana Jones

lol at 4:44 you can here how concerned he is reading the script telling people that the train there on is just somewhere in this area and that they don't actually know where they are

Hats off all the workers that keep this ancient system running and shame to all the politicians stealing the resources and not giving the workers modern and updated equipment to run

You guys have to fix Chambers Street it looks horrific.

Us: yo MTA your systems kinda falling apart... MTA: no shit, *its old*

You'd think a city like New York could have automated subways by now. Many other cities have had them for years now.

The closest I've seen subway trains operate is in Madrid, Spain. Watch the trains go by in a busy station. You can heard another train arriving before the current train in the station has completely left.

Can't wait for CBTC to be installed and activated on the IND Queens Blvd line!

As an Electronics technician I find this all absolutely amazing, and hats off to all of these people doing a wonderful job upgrading these systems, especially maintaining service while doing so, however I do find it hard to believe that it's difficult for them to track the locations of the trains without some type of GPS system of some type at least until the newer updates have taken place.

"it's not just the architecture that's old. It's also the basic technologies" not off to a great start

I've seen a (L) train operator using CBTC nd I noticed the train driving itself, stopping at every station by itself I thought it was cool. I also seen the driver get out of his seat while the train was breaking into one of the Manhattan stations. I noticed this everytime I've missed a (L) train, that there's always another (L) train behind driving really close to the one that left the station that I missed at the morning rush hour

That's nice and all and I will say as a mechanical engineer myself I am a firm believer of "if it ain't broken, don't fix it." But at $2.75 a ride and growing every two years I find it hard to believe funding for upgrading can't be found. So call up Mr. Cuomo and tell him to stop hoarding that cash his fat pockets don't need and get us a modern communications system.

Absolutely amazing! What a work and what a system! Seeing this makes me want to go back to NYC very soon! :-)

Taking “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” to the extreme

I did my college thesis on interlocking towers, this was really cool!

This video is very informative on how CBTC works. But it is in need of some serious upgrading. I'm amazed a lot of the equipment still functions.

As a driver on the MTA subway system, I like CBTC because I can drive the train when I am drunk and there is much less possibility of causing an accident.

Really great explanations and a balance between detailed and easy to understand.

This is a great behind the scenes video of some train control aspects of the NYC subway. I learned a lot from this video. Thank you!

This was a very well put together video. Very informative even if the current political and funding situation doesn't leave a lot of light at the end of this tunnel. But thanks for this informative piece. Would love more like this about the transit system.

A very interesting video about operations. Well done, but updates would be a plus. • Love coming to NYC, and being a rider. • Cheers from The Detroit & Mackinac Railway 🚂

This makes me feel so much safer.....(seriously).......thanks MTA!

Before I watched this, I watched an old subway training video from the 80s, and nothing much has changed indeed.

Beautiful. It should become a museum.

It's great that train technology has lasted this long, but while NYC is dealing with 100 year old systems, other nations have already upgraded to high-speed rail. What's holding NYC back? Perhaps the US can build fewer military jets.

Very cool. The old control equipment that is maintained internally, reminds me of the older components in the FAA's air traffic control system. And if the subway is like the FAA, they could use more funds for upgrading the infrastructure.

I trust this more than something that relies on the internet to function.

We're long past the point where all this old signaling equipment should have been torn out but the fact that it still does it's originally intended job is a testament to the skills of engineers and mechanics long gone.

Love these videos!

Funny how they try to make having outdated technology for such an important transportation system a good thing

In singapore SMRT or Singapore Mass Rapid Transit PTE LTD, we are currently upgrading our old lines. This includes Sleeper replacement Timber To concrete, 3rd Rail upgrade and CBTC By Thales SelTrac.

The issue is not having antiquated stuff; for example, Paris and Montreal metros do have trains that are over 50 years old (MP59 and MR63 most notably). Yet they work. The point is to have something that can work fine on a day to day basis. And of course being able to properly maintain it, this is where it can get tricky.

Excellent! So this is how it works

Excellent video

The technology of the old is usually more reliable, sturdier, and will often last longer than the crap we use today.

That’s old West 4th tower. It was taken out of service about 2 years ago. 34th Street Master took it’s place & it now runs both 6th & 8th Avenue. I remember signing on at West 4th my first year on the job.

Great video. Got here from the NYT article.

Great video! The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3!

For all saying, "If it aint broke, dont fix it" it causes delays so long it marks the slowest major transportation system in the world. Its so old, theres a MAJOR risk one thing can go wrong and cause a MAJOR disaster. Its not just broke, its outdated and dangerous. The Fix Block Signaling also cause MASSIVE delays and causes speed control risks for collision

C'mon MTA and Cuomo... Let's get this done faster. I'm still late to work because of signals on the 4,5,6 not working. I still have to wait 10 minutes in the morning and sometimes 12 minutes in the late afternoon. This is NYC - speed and efficiency are most important.

Why don't you try upgrading the infrastructure with all of these fair hikes rather than lining the pockets of MTA executives?

The MTA really needs to update this stuff.

Thanks for the very interesting information.

An interesting video showing the age of the MTA system

In Australia some of our trains are fully driverless. You can stand right up the front and look out the front window where the drivers cab usually is

Here in philly our blue and green line runs on CBTC..good way to keep safe!

This is a no_brainer. Hopefully whatever funds are being remitted for Capital Improvement will go to replacing those relays in that West 4th Street Station Tower with server racks like one would find in a datacenter.

This is really cool!

The equipment may be old, but at least it's 100% hacker proof. Just make sure that when you update the system, you don't connect it to the internet. Everything that gets connected to the internet becomes a security risk.

This is amazing

Adelaide signal cabin (South Australia) had similar interlocking machine & mimic board, all went in late 1980's.

Awesome video

that r160 sounded sick!!!!!!

I was linked this video on an article about organizations that still use outdated computers....this has to be one of the oldest "computers" still used!!😗

Doesn't it look the same with ATP(Automatic Train Protection)? CBTC looks a lot like it. Here in Athens, Greece, in the subway system, that is what they use. For example, a train can get clearance when stoped at a station, but if the ahead train is close enough, instead of 70-80 Km/h, it will get a 40 maybe limit. This helps a lot to maintain a steady and of course a safe, time and distance.

You are rocking and amazing

This is Awesome!!!!! :-D

“The itrack system is what it’s called.” Shows composition book.

Is cbtc being installed on the 2nd Ave line as they construct it?

Thank you MTA!

Do y'all have any plans on saving that old interlocking machine for a museum whenever it's retired or replaced?

Fantastic!

beautiful

I realize this video is two years old but sadly, little has changed since it was made. The subways are worse than ever, plagued by constant delays for reasons ranging from mechanical issues to signal malfunctions. A new transit chief has promised to turn things around, but we are yet to see any major improvements as it may be too soon. Pity, because in my opinion, ridership has actually increased manyfold in the last ten years and so many are dependent on the system for getting to and from work as well as for recreational purposes. Yes, the system actually does work for most people since many do not have an alternative form of transit; they just want a better functioning one!

Impressive old tec still in use

Hi, my name is Trevor, I was born and raised in New York City, from The Bronx. I was never an employee with the transit authority, but I almost know how the light signals works on the subway trains. I always been fascinated with the signaling of the lights of the signals where a train will go by one of the blocks where it turns it to red as it's going through that particular signal or block. I even know how it works where you can see a split of the track where once the wheels goes over that particular split that's where the signal lights gets tripped to a different signal otherwise known as red signal, I also notice when the train is clear it will have a yellow Bracket I really don't know the name of it, or what you call it, but it pops up every time the train clears's that particular block or signal, so I'm guessing it's the emergency breaker, it will stop the train if a train is going too fast tripping that signal. I noticed something new, and I would like to know more about this new system of the traffic light system of the green flashing light on the signals is this part of the new CBTC system? I have also have seen this flashing green lights signal in Atlanta, Georgia. Is this where did you get the idea of the green flashing lights from? I moved to Atlanta in 89 and I lived there for 30 years and I've also been fascinated with the trains in Atlanta as well as the transit system called Marta.

Can anyone tell me who does the music in the background of this?

Wow, this tower is still like this. Amazing.

ニューヨーク地下鉄の制御設備は結構古そうですね。新たに無線式の制御システムを導入して更新するのですね。

Amazing 👏

what a great video

"So reliable" I have to wait for a (F) train so long at W4 street and Broadway-Lafayette St.

Now thats how (SG) Signaller role is made in stepford county railway

Hey, can someone explain to me why its already Q2 of 2017 (as of putting this up), and Flushing Line hasn't started CBTC? Its killing me the space on rush hour, and its like they shut down like rarely. If the MTA is gonna do CBTC on Flushing Line, at least get it done with, instead of spreading it out. I think some CBTC things are breaking on Flushing Line even though they aren't being used.

Nice!

@ -- Wow. Buss fuses. I can't even remember the last time I saw buss fuses.

So do those brand spanking new C trains have the CBCT technology so you don't have to double back and retro-fit all of those new cars?

This is really cool😊😊😊

Just finished watching video. MTA, great job but please update that system in the beginning of this video.

This subway structure is very old and they are trying to fix it. They try their best to make it run fast. But too many people drop their trash a act like fools which causes delays. Just respect the subway and let them try and make it better. It will take time but that’s what our world needs. Patients

A crazy world we don't know nothing about... amazing :)

So, this is similar to how aircraft and ships now use respectively different but similar technologies... for location tracking via satellite or ground-based communications. The way the FAA may be ultimately going with ATC in the USA anyway, is pilot-to-pilot. So like if that translates to the NYC subway I'm not sure but it'd basically be like that.