New York City Subway rolling stock

The New York City Subway is a large rapid transit system, and has a large fleet of rolling stock.

Overview

The "Centennial Holiday Shopper's Special", a train of R1, R4, R7A, and R9 cars that ran during the Subway Centennial in late 2004 on the Brighton Line
© 2004 Metropolitan Transportation Authority

A R142A series car on the 4 service

A Vaktrak track vacuuming train

The "2007 Holiday Shopper's Special", December Sundays, a train of R1, R4, R7A, and R9 subway cars running in special service at the 23 Street (6 Avenue) station).

As of December 2009, there are 6,320 cars on the NYCT roster ^[1]. Train assignments can be found here:^[2][3] A typical New York City Subway train consists of 8 to 11 cars, although shuttles can have as few as two, and the train can range from 150 to 600 feet (46 to 183 m) long. As a general rule, trains on the A Division lines inherited from the IRT (designated with numbers, plus the 42nd Street Shuttle) are shorter and narrower than the trains that operate on the B Division lines inherited from BMT/IND (designated with letters). The A Division and B Division trains operate only in their own division; operating in the other division is not allowed. This is mainly because the IRT sections have narrower tunnel segments, tighter curves, and tighter platform clearances than the BMT/IND sections. A Division trains would have an unacceptably large gap between the platform and train if they were allowed in the B Division, while B Division trains would not fit in the A Division tunnels and stations. The safety train stop (trip cock) mechanism between divisions is also incompatible, it being located on opposite sides of the track and train in each division. Service and maintenance trains, however, are comprised of A Division sized cars and do not carry passengers, and these can operate on either division. The safety train stop is built on both sides of the trucks, so they can operate on both divisions.

The system maintains two separate fleets of cars, one for the IRT lines, another for the BMT/IND lines. All BMT/IND equipment is about 10 feet (~3.0 meters) wide and either 60 feet 6 inches (18.4 m) or 75 feet (~22.8 meters) long whereas IRT equipment is approximately 8 feet 9 inches (~2.67 m) wide and 51 feet 4 inches (~15.5 m) long. There is also a special fleet of BMT/IND cars that is used for operation in the BMT Eastern Division, which is the J, L, M and Z trains. The BMT Eastern Division has sharper curves and shorter platforms, so these trains can only use eight 60-foot (18 m) long cars. As of May 2009, R42 married pairs, R143 4-car sets and R160A 4-car sets are assigned to the BMT Eastern Division. 75-foot (23 m) long cars, like the R44, R46, R68, R68A (and R179, if they are 75 feet (23 m) long) are not permitted on BMT Eastern Division trackage.

Cars purchased by the City of New York since the inception of the IND and for the other divisions beginning in 1948 are identified by the letter "R" followed by a number; e.g.: R32. This number is the contract number under which the cars were purchased. Cars with nearby contract numbers (e.g.: R1 through R9, or R21 through R36 WF, or R143 through R160B) may be virtually identical, simply being purchased under different contracts.

When the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company entered into agreements to operate some of the new subway lines, they made the decision to design a new type of car, 10 feet (3.0 m) wide and 67 feet (20 m) long, the subject of several patents, whose larger profile was more similar to that of steam railroad coaches, permitting greater passenger capacity, more comfortable seating and other advantages. The BRT unveiled its design, designated BMT Standard, to the public in 1913 and received such wide acceptance that all future subway lines, whether built for the BRT, the IRT or eventually, the IND, were built to handle the wider cars.

As a result, while most of the IRT lines could accommodate the larger BMT/IND equipment with modifications to the station platforms and trackside furniture, this is not deemed feasible, because the original, narrower, subway includes portions of both IRT Manhattan mainlines, as well as a critical part of the Brooklyn lines. This could be remedied, but at very great expense. On the other hand, it would be relatively easy to convert many of the Bronx lines for BMT/IND operation; some of the plans for the Second Avenue Subway have included a conversion of the IRT Pelham Line.

When the R44 and R46 cars were rebuilt the rollsigns on the side of the cars were replaced with electronic LCD signs while the front service sign remained as a rollsign, while the rebuilt R32 cars retained rollsigns on the sides, a digital light display was placed in the front. The MTA has also been incorporating newer subway cars into its stock in the past decade. Since 1999, the R142, R142A, R143, R160A, and R160B have been added into service.^[4][5] All cars built since 1992, (including the R110A and R110B) are equipped with digital signs on the front, sides, and interior (except for the R110B, which has rollsigns on the front).

Old cars, some from the original companies (IRT and BMT), are preserved at the New York Transit Museum, while others have been sold to private individuals, rail and trolley museums. Between 1984 and 1989 some of the IRT trains were painted red, giving them the name Redbirds. Since then, all of these cars have been replaced by more modern subway trains between 2000 and 2005. As of August 2009, many older BMT/IND cars (R32, R38, R40, R40A/M and R42) have been retired and replaced with the incoming R160.

A track geometry car work car at Jay Street-Borough Hall.

General Overhaul Program

The General Overhaul Program (GOH) was a mid-life overhaul program for neglected subway cars which involved thorough rebuilding of the fleet. Recently, the new Scheduled Maintenance System (SMS) program has replaced the GOH program by ensuring that trains do not reach a state in which they would need such an overhaul. The car types which were part of the MTA NYCT GOH program are the IRT Redbirds (R26, R28, R29, R33, R33 WF, R36, R36 WF), as well as the IND/BMT Cars (R30 GE, R32, R38, R40, R40A, R40M, R42, R44 and R46). These cars were rebuilt between 1985 and 1992. Some cars in various classes from R10 to R46 were also given lighter overhauls during this time period.

What does "R" stand for?

The New York City Board of Transportation settled on a system of documentation that is still in place under MTA New York City Transit. This included a prefix letter or letters that indicated the Department that the specific documentation, followed by a series of numbers of a length defined by the specific department concerned. For example, the Surface Department used the letter "S", while the Rapid Transit Department used the letter "R" for Revenue. For Example Revenue 142 means R142. A new R number is assigned for any vehicle purchase involving a bidding process. Since the 1970s the system has suffered from "R inflation" going through only 46 R numbers in its first 40 years, but over 114 in its subsequent 30. Possible reasons include an increased number of specialized maintenance vehicles that were previously made in house or a lower floor for requiring a formal bidding process in order to reduce waste and abuse.

Current fleet

A Division

Contract #	Year built and Builder	Photo	Fleet numbers (Total ordered)	Line serves	Yard assignment	Notes
R62	1983-1985 Kawasaki Heavy Industries		1301-1625 (325 total)		Livonia	Originally single cars, now 5-car sets. 10 cars retired and scrapped.
R62A	1984-1987 Bombardier Transportation		1651-2475 (825 total)		240th Street Corona Mosholu	Originally single cars, 1901-2155 still singles, most in 5-car sets. One car (1909) retired and scrapped.
R142	1999-2003 Bombardier Transportation		1101-1250, 6301-7180 (1030 total)		East 180th Street 239th Street Mosholu	Cars ending in 1, 5, 6 and 0 have single full-width cabs, and are known as "A" cars. Cars ending in 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 have no cabs, and are known as "B" cars. All cars are sequentially numbered in A-B-B-B-A configuration as 5-car sets.
R142A	1999-2004 Kawasaki Heavy Industries		7211-7810 (600 total)		Mosholu Westchester	Cars ending in 1, 5, 6 and 0 have single full-width cabs, and are known as "A" cars. Cars ending in 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 have no cabs, and are known as "B" cars. All cars are sequentially numbered in A-B-B-B-A configuration as 5-car sets.

B Division

Contract #	Year built and builder	Photo	Fleet numbers (Total ordered)	Line serves	Yard assignment	Notes
Retirement in progress
R32/ R32A	1964-1965 Budd Company		R32A: 3350-3649 R32: 3650-3949 (600 total)		207th Street Coney Island Jamaica	Married Pairs; even numbered cars have motor generator and battery, odd numbered cars have air compressor. Many cars are retired and have been replaced by R160A/R160B car order.[6][7]
R42	1969-1970 St. Louis Car Company		4550-4949 (400 total)		East New York Jamaica	Married pairs; even numbered cars have motor generator and battery, odd numbered cars have air compressor. Many cars have been retired and replaced by R160A/R160B car order.
Regular Service
R44	1971-1972 St. Louis Car Company		5202-5479		Pitkin	Even numbered cars have single full-width cabs, and are known as "A" cars Odd numbered cars have blind ends, and are known as "B" cars. All R44 New York City Subway cars are in A-B-B-A configuration as 4-car sets. Staten Island cars are all singles. New York City Subway car numbers were originally 100-387. Some cars retired and scrapped.
			388-435 436-466 (even numbers only) (352 total)	Staten Island Railway	Clifton
R46	1975-1978 Pullman Company		5482-6207 (4 car set) 6208-6258 (even numbers only) (754 total)		Jamaica Pitkin	Even numbered cars have single full-width cabs, and are known as "A" cars Odd numbered cars have blind ends, and are known as "B" cars. Most cars are in A-B-B-A configuration as 4-car sets. Higher numbered cars are in A-A configuration (6208-6258), with one pair being an A-B (6206-6207). Car numbers were originally 500-1227 and 1228-1278 even numbers only. Two cars scrapped prior to General Overhaul: 941, 1054 (original numbering).
R68	1986-1988 Westinghouse Electric Corporation/AMRail		2500-2924 (425 total)		Concourse Coney Island	Originally single cars, 2500-2915 are now in 4-car sets. 2916-2924 are singles used for the Franklin Avenue Shuttle.
R68A	1988-1989 Kawasaki Heavy Industries		5001-5200 (200 total)		Coney Island	Originally single cars, now 4-car sets.
R143	2001-2003 Kawasaki Heavy Industries		8101-8312 (212 total)		East New York	All cars are sequentially numbered in A-B-B-A configuration as 4-car sets. "A" cars have single full-width cabs, "B" cars have no cabs.
Delivery in progress
Contract #	Year built and builder	Photo	Fleet numbers	Line serves	Yard assignment	Notes
R160A	2005-2010 Alstom Rail		A-1: 8313-8652, 9943-9974 (4-car sets)		East New York	All car sets are sequentially numbered. "A" cars have single full-width cabs, "B" cars have no cabs. 8313-8652, 9943-9974 are in A-B-B-A configuration as 4-car sets. 8653-8712, 9233-9802; ending in 3, 7, 8 and 2 are "A" cars. 8653-8712, 9233-9802; ending in 4, 5, 6, 9, 0 and 1 are "B" cars. 8653-8712, 9233-9802 are in A-B-B-B-A configuration as 5-car sets.
			A-2: 8653-8712, 9233-9802 (5-car sets) [8] (1002 cars ordered)		Coney Island Jamaica
R160B	2005-2010 Kawasaki Heavy Industries		8713-9232, 9803-9942[8] (660 cars ordered)		Coney Island Jamaica	Cars ending in 3, 7, 8 and 2 have single full-width cabs, and are known as "A" cars. Cars ending in 4, 5, 6, 9, 0 and 1 have no cabs, and are known as "B" cars. All cars are sequentially numbered in A-B-B-B-A configuration as 5-car sets.

Future fleet

Retired fleet

IRT Pre-Unification listing

BMT Pre-Unification listing

R-type listing

Notes

The "Train of Many Colors" operates in late 2004 as a Subway Centennial special on the #7 line.
© 2004 Metropolitan Transportation Authority

The "Train of Many Colors" makes another appearance on the #7 line in 2008, commemorating the last game at Shea Stadium.

• Most IND/BMT (Division B) cars are 60 feet (18 m) long unless noted; all IRT (Division A) cars are 51 feet (16 m).
• R44, R46, R68, R68A are 75 feet (23 m) long
• All cars R38 and after are stainless steel.
• Air conditioning is standard on all cars R42 and later. R38s 4140-49 and R40s 4350-4549 were also delivered with A/C, and all cars not equipped with A/C from classes R26-R40 (With the exception of the R27, R30, and R33WF) were later retrofitted with A/C. All active cars are equipped with air conditioning.
• "Number of cars" is the total number built per model and does not account for cars wrecked, scrapped, etc.
• Redbirds are R26, 28, 29, 30, 33 and 36. Many cars are still in use as work trains (Most remaining cars are R33s). Sometimes the term "Redbird" would also be used on the R27 and R30 cars as they were repainted gunn red during the late 1980s and early 1990s before retirement. These were known as the BMT Redbirds.
• R39 and R55 were never built.
• During World War II, a group of old New York Subway (actually, Elevated line) cars dating from the late 1800s was sent west to the San Francisco Bay Area by the United States Maritime Commission for use by the Shipyard Railway, a temporary wartime electric line transporting workers to the Kaiser Shipyards. After the war, most were sold to be used as units in a local motel, but their whereabouts afterwards is unknown. Two of them however were acquired and have been restored by the Western Railway Museum in Rio Vista, California. (See photos at ^[12])
• There are R127/ R134 "box motor" refuse trains. They were made for the A Division (IRT)

External links

• nycsubway.org - New York City Subway Cars
• - Pre-Unification Cars (BMT)
• - Pre-Unification Cars (IRT)
• - R-Type Cars 1932 to 1987
• - R-Type Cars 1999 to Present (NTT)
• - 'R' Type Roster (includes non-train contracts)
• Forgotten NY Subway Link
• Car Status/Assignment

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: New York City Subway trains

• Sansone, Gene. Evolution of New York City subways: An illustrated history of New York City's transit cars, 1867-1997. New York Transit Museum Press, New York, 1997. ISBN 978-0963749284.
• Kramer, Frederick A. Building the Independent Subway. Quadrant Press, Inc.; New York, 1990. ISBN 0-915276-50-X
• Cudahy, Brian J. Under the Sidewalks of New York: The Story of the Greatest Subway System in the World, 2nd Revised Edition. Fordham University Press, New York, 1995. ISBN 0-8232-1618-7
• Dougherty, Peter J. Tracks of the New York City Subway, version 4.2. 2007

v • d • e New York City Subway revenue rolling stock Current B Division/ SIR : R32 • R42 • R44 • R46 • R68 • R68A • R143 • R160A • R160B A Division : R62 • R62A • R142 • R142A Future B Division / SIR : R179 A Division : R188 Retired (R-type) IND/BMT (B Division) : R1 • R4 • R6 • R7 • R7A • R8A • R9 • R10 • R11/R34 • R16 • R27 • R30 • R30A • R38 • R40 • R40A • R110B IRT (A Division) : R12 • R14 • R15 • R17 • R21 • R22 • R26 • R28 • R29 • R33 • R33 WF • R36 • R36 WF • R110A Retired (private operators) IRT : Composite • Gibbs Hi-V • Deck Roof Hi-V • Hedley Hi-V • Standard Lo-V • "Flivver" Lo-V • Steinway Lo-V • World's Fair Lo-V BMT Elevated : BU cars • C-type • Q-type Queens car Subway : AB Standard • Bluebird Compartment Car • D-type Triplex • MS Multi-section car Never built R39 • R55

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