Subway Birthday. On October 27, 1904, the City of New York's first subway opened its first rapid transit subway. The progenitor of the IRT's "H" in Manhattan, service operated between City Hall and 145 Street stations. To commemorate the 100th Anniversary, the first "Parade of Trains" was held by the New York Transit Museum/Metropolitan Transportation Authority - MTA NYCT Subway on October 23-24, 2004, operating several sets of vintage equipment between Brighton Beach and Kings Highway stations on the BMT/B1 Division Brighton Beach Line. ACF built R-1 car 100, sequentially the first city owned subway car for the IND Division, was chosen to carry a special banner for the weekend.