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Here’s what it’s like to be an NYC subway conductor

Written by
Clayton Guse
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New York City subway conductors have to put up with a lot of shit. From regular track fires to "train traffic ahead," the thankless task of shuttling the huddled masses across town doesn’t typically evoke envy from New Yorkers. But one look at the view from the front of a train on the subway could change the tune of anyone who scoffs at MTA employees.

The video above provides just that. It was taken during one of the New York Transit Museum's "Nostalgia Trips" in July, which allows attendees the opportunity to ride on a vintage train. The train here is an R11 model, which debuted in 1949 and was taken out of service in 1980. 

The 51-minute video gives viewers a taste of what it's like to be an MTA conductor on a Q train, which travels both above and below ground. Even with the rampant problems facing the subway system, we wouldn't mind taking a turn in the conductor's booth if it gave us a chance to see this view firsthand.

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