The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum has received a $10,000 Historic Preservation Grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation to support restoration of Rochester Subway Car 60, the last remaining car from the city’s former subway system.
The funding will assist with structural repairs and support the museum’s goal of a full cosmetic restoration and potential operational return for Car 60. Once complete, the car will be safely displayed and moved throughout the museum’s exhibit areas.
The museum is actively seeking additional funding for the project, which is expected to cost more than $100,000. Much of the restoration is being completed in-house by volunteers, with additional support from the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 46 apprentice program.
Rochester Transit Corp. Car No. 60 is a single-ended, double-truck, arch-roof, steel-frame interurban car built in 1916 by the Cincinnati Car Company. Car 60 is significant as the sole survivor of the Rochester Subway fleet. It began its career as part of a fleet of 12 cars built for New York State Railways’ operations in the Utica area. The fleet was numbered with even numbers from 46 to 68.
Car 60’s first assignment was on the Rome–Little Falls interurban line; after 1933, it ran on the Utica–Clinton line. When the last Utica line was abandoned in 1936, the 12 cars were placed in storage. In late 1937, the fleet was moved to Rochester and reconditioned for use on the subway to replace the aging 2000-series cars.
They entered regular service on Aug. 2, 1938, when New York State Railways’ Rochester Lines were transferred to the new Rochester Transit Corp. Car 60 was retired when the Rochester Subway was abandoned in 1956 and was later donated to the museum.
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