New York City Subway S Shuttle Train Sign Times Sq Transit Redbird Rollsign NYC

Description

This is an early 1980s New York City S (Shuttle) line rollsign produced for the beloved Redbird (R21-R36) series of MTA subway cars by the Trans-Lite sign company as part of order 14-81-7347. The sign is in NOS unused condition, without any steel dust, oil stains, or other common imperfections of era signs. At worst, there are specks of dust on the sign--let the photos be your best indication of its quality. It details the S shuttle service between Times Square and Grand Central Stations in Manhattan. Each sign roll had versions printed for the exterior and the interior, and this interior sign measures 25 1/2" x 4 1/8". Light shines through it, so presentation near a lightbox or window is recommended.
This is a particularly rare, early variation of rollsign: later signs did not have the two-line text, and instead held everything on one line. It is extremely difficult to find one from this era in such mint condition.
The sign is made of a durable mylar material. It is easily mounted (without heat) or framed. The material is initially translucent, sprayed once in white paint, and then sprayed again in black paint to form reverse-cut white letters on the black sign. The font used on this particular sign dates it to the early 1980s: it uses Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ Medium, the Helvetica-precursor introduced to the subway in the late 1960s by legendary designers Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda which was removed from new subway signs by the late 1980s.
The sign was professionally cut from a 30-foot roll and will be mailed in a hard tube. Its edges are not chopped or fraying like similar signs sliced with scissors. For archival purposes, the call text at the top of that roll reads:
NYCTA No. 14-81-7347
SIDE ROUTE SIGN DETAIL No. 7
CONTRACT-R-21,22,26,28,29,33,36
TRANS-LITE INC. PART No. C-1168
PO. NO 6000-10299-01