New York City’s “RR” train (now the “R” train) operated from Manhattan to Brooklyn and had many Jewish riders. According to a post by Bill Newkirk on SubChat.com on May 18, 2007, the RR was nicknamed the “Rosh Hashanna Rocket.” (Rosh Hashanah is the start of the Jewish New Year.)
The “RR” letters were changed to “R” in 1985, and the “Rosh Hashanna Rocket” nickname is of historical interest. Another joke on the “RR” letters was printed in the Daily News (New York, NY) in 1982: “DeKalb Avenue, change here for the ‘B’ as in boy, the ‘D’ as in dog, the ‘N’ and the ‘RR’ as in Nancy and Ronald Reagan.”
Wikipedia: R (New York City Subway service)
The R Broadway Local is a rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or “bullet”, is colored yellow since it uses the BMT Broadway Line in Manhattan.
The R operates at all times. Daytime service operates between 71st Avenue in Forest Hills, Queens, and 95th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, making local stops along its entire route. One northbound A.M. rush hour trip terminates at 96th Street/Second Avenue in the Upper East Side of Manhattan instead of 71st Avenue in Queens. Late night service operates between Whitehall Street–South Ferry in Lower Manhattan and 95th Street.
The R was originally the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation’s 2 service, running along the BMT Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn then traveling through the Montague Street Tunnel to Manhattan, then running local on the BMT Broadway Line. The 2 became the R in 1961. The R ran local along the BMT Astoria Line in Queens, terminating at Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard until it switched terminals with the N in 1987.
SubChat.com
Re: Nicknames Of The Subway Lines
Posted by Newkirk Images on Fri May 18 20:23:45 2007, in response to Nicknames Of The Subway Lines, posted by E Line Fan on Thu May 17 14:45:38 2007.
A couple of nicknames from the past of which I didn’t dream up:
(CC) Concourse Creeper / Concourse Crawler
(EE) Elmhurst Earthworm
(GG) Good Gosh
(RR) Rosh Hashanna Rocket
Bill “Newkirk”
Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.
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Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Google Maps. Stolen and missing, 2021-2024.
Above, John J. Fitz Gerald, from the Aug. 15, 1931, Binghamton (NY) Press, pg. 14.
Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce "The Big Apple," a hit song from 1937. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich.
Also listen to a 1937 "The Big Apple" song by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra. See a 1929 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald and a 1931 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald.
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