The 7 Line Army, which makes Mets-themed apparel for sale at Citi Field, is looking into purchasing the vintage ‘Redbird’ subway car that the city is selling at auction — possibly to use as a new kiosk for their storefront, or inside a planned salon near the stadium.
“A lot of people are sending us this. We’d buy in a heartbeat if there was somewhere to put it,” the group tweeted. “[We] reached out to the Mets about transforming it into our kiosk, but it’s too big. Just not sure where we can store it.”
The city is auctioning off the decommissioned train, named car #9075, which is the last of its kind, after nearly 20 years of it living on display outside Queens Borough Hall.
The trains ran between 1959 and 2003, using the tracks that have since become the 7 line, which stops outside the site of modern-day Citi Field.
Beginning in 2001, the Redbirds began to be replaced by trains with stainless steel exteriors, which live on to this day.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of history that is so intrinsic to the city’s identity,” said Department of Citywide Services Commissioner Dawn Pinnock. “That blazing red subway car is as memorable and iconic as yellow taxi cabs, and now it could be yours.”
Most of the trains had been demolished or sunk into the ocean, but a few remained — and now, the Mets superfans behind the 7 Line Army are considering scooping one up.
For more coverage of the 7 Line Army, head to amNY.com.
They would need to cough uxp a pretty penny, as bidding has hit $15,100 as of Monday morning after 14 bids, up from the initial bidding price of $6,500, for the 50-foot, 40-ton train car.
In a follow-up tweet to their initial message, the team behind the 7 Line Army posted another photo, suggesting that the car would fit in their space at Citi Field.
“Ok… it fits…” they said.
Ok… it fits… https://t.co/PVR2TueYnU pic.twitter.com/Fi6X1Hc4Mr
— The 7 Line (@The7Line) June 27, 2022
The group, led by Darren Meenan, who founded the 7 Line Army in 2012, also suggested that the car could be used inside a long-planned watering hole, currently dubbed the “7 Line Saloon,” which Meenan hopes to open soon within walking distance from the Mets’ home stadium.
Moving it would be a logistical challenge — though it is currently located about 4.5 miles east of the stadium down the Grand Central Parkway, so it would not be totally impossible. DCAS specifies that the person behind the winning bid “must pickup item,” as the city will not ship it for them.
The 7 Line Army has grown over the past decade to become a serious slinger of custom shirts and other Mets paraphernalia, as well as the home-base of the “Orange and Blue Thing” podcast.
Bidding on the train will last another 5 days, and end on July 2 at 5 p.m..
