By Philip Rosenbaum
NEW YORK (CNN) — The Great Depression is in full swing. Gangster Al Capone is sentenced to 11 years behind bars for tax evasion. Dick Tracy debuts in the comics. The George Washington Bridge opens. The year is 1931. And New Yorkers are stepping onto the brand new R-1 model subway car, built by the American Car & Foundry factory in Berwick, Pennsylvania.
Fast-forward 77 years New Yorkers and tourists are once again boarding these 84,000-pound, 60-foot-long behemoths constructed of riveted steel, with some featuring wicker seats, dangling emergency brake cords, incandescent light bulbs, big exposed overhead fans, and open windows.
PHILIP ROSENBAUM 