New York City's secret subway line with antique cars is going back into service — here's what it's like to ride it

The New York City subway system is one of the most fascinating curiosities in a city full of mysteries. Miles of underground track shrouded in darkness, littered with abandoned stations and secret passageways — it's a common object of desire for the urban explorers among us.

And, occasionally, New York City acknowledges the delightful mystery surrounding its 24-hour transportation system. The annual "Holiday Nostalgia" train line is a perfect example of this:

Shopper's Special NYC subway

The train line, consisting of eight vintage New York subway cars from several different eras, runs for a few weekends each year — from the Sunday after Thanksgiving to the end of the year, only on Sundays. It costs the same $2.75 as any subway ride.

So what'd we do? We got on the train and took a ride, of course! This is what it's like.

I got on at the Second Avenue stop in Manhattan — in 2016, the train ran between the Second Avenue stop in Manhattan and the Queens Plaza stop in Queens.

In 2017, the holiday train is running on the F line between 2nd Av and Lexington Avenue / 63rd Street, and via the Q line between Lexington Avenue / 63rd Street and 96th Street on the Upper East Side.

As you can see from last's year schedule, the train runs throughout the day starting at 10 a.m. and concluding at about 5 p.m.

The schedule is slightly different for 2017 due to the two different lines the line is running on. According to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), the train "departs from the 2nd Avenue subway station on the F line at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. and from the 96th Street subway station on the Q line at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m..