Kathleen Campion A train-2006-transfers voice
от Langston Reese### The Subtle Differences in the R160 (A) Train’s Kathleen Announcements
**To avoid confusion with the naming of the “R160A” subway car**, the term **R160 (A)** here simply refers to an R160 train operating on the **A line**. It is not referring to the R160A car subtype. Likewise, **R160B** refers to the actual subway-car model designation, while **R160 (B)** refers to an R160 train operating on the **B line**. The parentheses are used here to distinguish the **service designation** from the **car classification**.
One of the more interesting details about the early R160 (A) train is that its announcements contain subtle differences that can be surprisingly difficult to notice unless you listen closely. During the R160A's 30-day in-service acceptance testing on the (A) in 2006, the train used a particular set of Kathleen Campion recordings. Although they sound unmistakably like Kathleen, they are not always identical to the versions heard in the familiar R160 progress announcements, such as **“This is a Queens-bound A, local train.”** The differences can be heard in her pronunciation, timing, inflection, and overall delivery.
The distinction becomes particularly interesting when comparing the regular progress announcements with the transfer announcements. What initially sounds like the exact same Kathleen recording can actually have a slightly different cadence or vocal delivery. On the (A), the difference is **very subtle**, making it harder to distinguish unless you compare recordings side-by-side or already know what to listen for.
There is another fascinating quirk at **Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets**. On late-night (A) trains, where the (A) operates as a local and the (C) does not operate, the transfer announcement for the G can use the same Kathleen recording associated with the **F train's G-transfer announcements**. This is the recording heard at stations such as **Church Avenue, Smith–9th Streets, Carroll Street, and Bergen Street**, where the F announces that a transfer is available to the G train.
In other words, the late-night (A) isn't necessarily using a completely unique “A-train” G-transfer recording at Hoyt-Schermerhorn. Instead, the announcement can sound like the same transfer recording used elsewhere on the IND. It is a small but fascinating example of how the New Technology Train announcement system could reuse audio between services.
The **C train does something similar** at Hoyt-Schermerhorn when announcing the G transfer. The major difference is that the C does not operate late at night, so there would obviously be no late-night C service—and therefore no late-night C transfer announcement to compare with the A. The C's announcement belongs to its normal daytime operating pattern.
Interestingly, the difference between the Kathleen versions is **much easier to distinguish on the C than on the A**. On the C, the change in delivery and cadence can be noticeably different once you become familiar with the recordings. On the A, however, the difference is tiny—almost like hearing the same person say the same phrase through a slightly different recording session. You may not notice it at all without a direct comparison.
### Where to Hear Them
For anyone trying to identify these differences **or just wants to hear some pieces of NTT history**, YouTube railfan recordings are probably the best place to start, particularly recordings made by **Mr Railfan**. His channel has preserved a large collection of automated NYC Subway announcements, including dedicated R160 A-train recordings. One of his videos specifically documents the R160 A announcements from **207th Street to Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue**, making it an especially useful reference for hearing Kathleen's A-train announcements in context.
Mr Railfan also uploaded collections of rarer R160 and R143 announcements, with recordings collected over extended periods of railfanning. These recordings are especially valuable because they preserve announcement versions that can be difficult to encounter in regular service today.
For the really subtle differences, it helps to listen with **headphones** and compare the A and C recordings directly. The C's differences tend to jump out more readily, while the A requires much closer listening. Once you recognize the particular Kathleen cadence being used, you can start picking out the differences almost immediately.
That's what makes the early R160 announcement system so fascinating to Subway enthusiasts. What sounds like one standardized Kathleen voice is actually a collection of recordings made for different routes, transfers, announcement functions, and programming situations. The 2006 A-train acceptance-test recordings provide a particularly interesting snapshot of that system at the very beginning of the R160 era.
