A moment at every NYC Subway Station in 1996-97

422 videos - one for each subway station in Winter 1997 - were uploaded anonymously in 2012 (not by me). To see them all in a single movie takes 14 Hours (made but not up-loadable). Made with an early digital camera or cell phone. I pulled the best or most relevant scenes and made this 1.75 hour summary with full explanation of the original channel. Also are instructions on how to find the full video for each station on the original NYC_Subway_System channel.

Also there is a 4 minute music video version in my Special Mixes playlist. and https://youtu.be/SeAY6LPOZyw
At one hour and eleven exactly into this video is Jefferson Street, (the only station) shown in full to allow play of a 1969 tune by The Magic Reign. This band was originally from the Washington D.C area and that this song was named after a "Jefferson Street" in Arlington, Virginia.

The other two instrumentals are from a compilation of late 1980s library music titled Living In The Future. Don't miss the final 2.5 minutes of this video for a recap of the entire presentation showing the YouTube generated thumbnail of each station's video in rapid succession.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
An anonymous individual (not me, Trainluvr) created a YouTube channel and began uploading videos on June 21, 2012 starting with Stillwell Avenue and completed uploading on Sept 27, 2012 with Rockaway Park (Beach 116th St).

It was stated that filming took place over 79 days, which works out to 5 or 6 stations on each day, if done on all of the 79 days.

The 442 videos, one for each station, follow an identical format. Each video clip (avg 2 minutes each) is a continuous shot beginning with the doors of an arriving train opening, then a walk through the station, out the nearest exit and into the street. Then a walk to the nearest intersection for a quick pan of the city scape.

The anonymous video maker states on the channel "About" page that the recordings were made in 1996 and 1997. The video appears to be shot with a digital point and shoot camera with below standard resolution, which was typical of this first generation consumer cameras equipped to shoot video.
The purpose of this compilation is to ease and broaden access to this landmark work of infrastructure documentation. is a recap of the entire presentation showing the YouTube generated thumbnail of each video in rapid succession.

Railfans take note: The rolling stock in this video represents the TA fleet time as it stood from 1994 to 1999 when the fleet was 100 percent graffiti free and no cars retired or bought (ex R-143). The oldest and newest cars in passenger service were R-26s and R-62As (A division) and R-32s and R68As (B division). Everything older than R-62 had recently been through a major overhaul (occurring 1984 to early 90s).

Also visible in stations are the old token only high wheels (aka iron maidens) replaced gradually until the token was withdrawn as a fare payment option in 2003. HEETs (High Entry/Exit Turnstiles) replaced most high wheel's. Many part time and some full time change (token) booths manned by a Railroad Agent also have since been removed. Much wall mounted advertising has since unfortunately returned to the system after it was standardized / de-cluttered (black frames carefully positioned according to uniform placement standards) in the late 1980s ordered by David L. Gunn, TA President. It remained that way into the 2000s. Finally, and perhaps most importantly seen here is a surprising amount of surviving incandescent lighting, in many mezzanines and some of the last remaining of the original lighting under el platform canopies. Note the absence of bubble cameras, wireless antennas, illuminated wall posters, truncated dome (yellow) platform edges, help points and new elevators. Present are Off Hour Waiting Areas, ordered removed by Andy Byford around 2018. Many of the legacy post WW2 OTIS escalators with blue or green colored baked enamel sides are seen near end of life, all replaced later with bare stainless steel sided units.

The video maker had a simple idea and followed it through to completion. Was he a train buff, or TA intern doing an assigned project? This was made before the July 1997 start of unlimited ride MetroCards, so a non-employee would pay several fares on each multi-station shooting day. Regardless, the product is a valuable compendium of images of the great transit system and adjacent streets in a raw yet organized and comprehensive form.
NOTE: due to low resolution, watch at a lower than full screen setting.

Видео A moment at every NYC Subway Station in 1996-97 канала Trainluvr