>>1159813A close second behind them would be the classic and equally ancient Budd M units from Metro North and LIRR, particularly the hump-backed M2s from the New Haven line.
If the Arrows and Silverliners represent a high point of art deco traditionalism in American mid-century passenger rolling stock design, then the M-units represent the highs of international style Modernism of the same.
I'm from Boston, and while I'll always love the MBTA the most, and maintain that it's one of the most /comfy/ passenger rail systems on the planet, but every time I visit NYC I can just hear the atonal brass drone of a classic Bernstein overture peaking in the background the moment I see my first M unit or Arrow, they're just that evocative of the fleeting highs of American mid-century passenger rail. It'll be really sad to see the last ones go.
