These old girls were rough riding, cold in winter, hot in summer. They were cars you could count on. They got you to where you were going-period. Just don't expect to be coddled by them, when you sat down on the hard straight back seats, they gave you basic transportation period. That they lasted fifty years is testimony to the sound nature of their design. This picture shows them as I recall them, warts and all.
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It was the end of a great day. I was on temporty duty with the Air Force working at a nearby defense contractor (the first time I ever used a whiteboard!). Our hotel was in walking distance of this station, but after a week, none of the old MUs had been seen. I was on an evening shift, so I spent the days railfanning the area. On my last day, I spent the day at Jamaica station then took PATH back to Hoboken. I was late, so I ran down to the platform and there she was! I got to ride her! You're right, she rode rough, but she was a time machine. Who else had sat in those seats? How many sailors kissed their girl before shipping out to the Atlantic or Pacific theaters? When we stopped, I begged the engineer (motorman?) to wait 20 seconds so I could run to the end of the platform to get the shot. Great memory!
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