Storymania - State Of The Subway Cars Report (R44s-R188s) by Winson Thai

State Of The Subway Cars Report (R44s-R188s)
Winson Thai

The New York City Subway began operation on October 27, 1904. The single line ran in Manhattan only from the now closed, but not abandoned City Hall loop station to 145 Street and Broadway. Many types of cars were used in the expanding system over the decades. After World War II, a new breed known as R-types (“R” stands for revenue contract number) was introduced. The cars in service now are part of this breed and built fully or partly out of stainless steel, which requires no painting and is lighter and cheaper than previously used high strength low alloy steel.

The oldest cars are the R44s (100-399) for the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit/Independent Subway System or BMT/IND (the lettered trains) or “B” Division. They were the final cars built by the St. Louis Car Company, which shut down afterward, and are 75 feet long, 15’ longer than previous “B” Division cars. The idea was bought so that each car could hold more riders limiting fleet size. While a train of eight 75’ cars is equal in length to one of ten 60’ cars, fewer cars mean fewer components, but it also means fewer doors, 32 pairs on each side compared to 40 on a ten-car train. The increase in length meant that miles of tunnels and elevated lines had to be surveyed and possibly changed. 75’ cars currently cannot run on the BMT Eastern Division, composing of the Jamaica (J, M, Z), Myrtle Avenue (M) and Canarsie (L) Lines as the station platforms are too short and some curves do not have enough clearance to support them. Despite this, the R44s and R46s have rollsigns and programs on their digital side signs for the routes. The R44s are built in a four-car A-B-B-A arrangement, first of its kind. “A” units have a full width cab, are only given even numbers, and seat 72 people as “B” units have no cabs, only given odd numbers and seat 76 people. The “A” car, whose number is always one value less than the adjacent “B” car, has all of the electrical and air equipment, supplying this to the “B” car when coupled. All cars were single units with couplers at each end. The operator now has more room and can see from both sides of the train with the full width cab while the conductor does not have to move between cars to open doors on the opposite side. R44 interior walls have formica wallpapers surrounding wood and for the first time since the now retired R16s in 1955 the seats are in the cross and longitudinal combo (called transverse) and colored to show how many people can sit together (called bucket seating). The R44s are the first to have bells chime when the side doors close and those doors line up with ones on the other side. Cars 328-335 were tested with carpets, but the experiment failed. The car exteriors were painted in the MTA blue band scheme and a new coupler was used, so for the first time, a new car fleet could not operate with any other post-war R model. MTA engineers thought this type of coupler was needed due to the huge swing around curves due to the cars’ long length, but this was later disproven by the return of the traditional H2C couplers on the R68/R68As, also 75’ long. Storm doors are locked, as the end doorways are not aligned while the cars are turning. 52 R44s (400-436, then even numbers only to 466) were assigned to the Staten Island Railway or SIR. On January 31, 1972 an R44 train reached a record speed of 87.75 MPH during a test run on Long Island Rail Road tracks between Woodside and Jamaica. The fleet went into service on the F train in 1972-73 and at the time the subway system was deteriorating badly. Trains broke down frequently, accidents took place at least once a week, and graffiti covered nearly all cars, stations and tunnels. The R44s themselves broke down at an unprecedented rate. In 1981, their MDBF or Mean Distance Between Failures was the second worst exceeded only by the aging and crippling R16s. In 1991-92, MK and New York City Transit (NYCT) rebuilt the fleet. The roller side signs got replaced by digital illuminator signs flashing the route and destinations and the cars lost their MTA paint band. Cars 100-387, renumbered 5202-5479 were rearranged into four-car sets linked by link bars. Though this saves on equipment and increases reliability by eliminating all, but two electric couplers on an eight-car train, if a problem arises even on just one car, all four have to be taken out of service. Twelve GE cars (388-399) were sent to the SIR. Cars there remain as single units with a few other changes including removal of side signs and stainless steel plates replacing the carbon steel bases. The R44s were planned to be replaced by the R179s, but the subway fleet was retired in 2010 by the R160s due to structural issues found in them in 2009. SIR car 402 was scrapped after a crash in Tottenville in 2008 while 466 was retired for unknown reasons in 2017.

The next model was the R46s (500-1227, then even numbers only from 1228 to 1276) for the “B” Division built by Pullman Standard in Chicago, Illinois. This fleet was problematic from the start. Delivery was not done until 1978, three years behind schedule, after a strike at Pullman and R46s used the new, but untested Rockwell articulated trucks. A truck is an assembly of parts under the car bodies that include the wheels and axles. When the cars began service on the E and F trains, the trucks ran smoothly, but began to crack after just a year of operation. This worsened overtime, forcing the Transit Authority to limit use of these cars to the point that the R16s, which they were supposed to replace, ended up replacing them in service. In 1983, the Rockwell trucks got replaced with the traditional cast-type trucks. The TA learned a valuable lesson, to never use any untested or unapproved equipment on their subway cars. After other flaws like faulty brakes and broken steel were found on the cars, they sued Pullman for $80 million and won $1.5 million for spare parts, causing Pullman to only build freight equipment afterward. During the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial celebration, cars #680 and 681 had white, red, and blue star bands on the bases and were respectively renumbered 1776 and 1976. MK and Coney Island rebuilt the fleet in 1989-91. Cars #941 and 1054 were scrapped after an accident at Jamaica-179th Street in 1987. As a result, there was one A-B married pair, 6206 -6207, with 13 A-A pairs and 181 A-B-B-A sets that make up the fleet until 6150-6151 were scrapped after a crash in Harlem in June 2017. Cars 6152-6153 got linked with 6206-6207 to form a new A-B-B-A set. The fleet got renumbered 5482-6208 and then just even numbers to 6258 and got the same treatment as the R44s. The models look similar, but never run together. The R46s currently run on the A, C, N, Q, W and Rockaway Park Shuttle.

The next order was from Kawasaki of Japan, the first time a foreign company won a deal to build New York City Subway cars. The TA chose them, as they were willing to build them for the lowest price of all bidders. Budd, the United States’ last subway car builder, tried to persuade the MTA to give them the contract instead, but to no avail. It would leave the railroad industry in 1987 forcing all subway systems in the US to rely on foreigners for new cars. Kawasaki built 325 R62s (1301-1625) for the IRT or “A” Division, the numbered trains. The TA wanted another 825 cars, but Kawasaki, not wanting to expose themselves in the North American industry too much, declined the offer. Bombardier, a Canadian firm, won the bid to build the additional cars, known as R62As (1651-2475). The car types were built out of stainless steel almost fully to ease graffiti removal, which was a huge problem in the subway at the time. They are single units with a small motorman cab at each end that is able to open up into a full width one if needed and the head and taillights are aligned vertically for the first time since the R38s, but this time, taillights are above the headlights and both are larger and higher from the car base. R62/62As have pantograph gates (the latest cars to do so), a new three-piece side sign that is on the top of the windows and bucket seating smaller than those on the 75 footers and placed in the traditional IRT longitudinal pattern (R62 #1588-90 have colored bench seating). Each car can sit 44 people, but with a full width cab can sit just 42. R62s entered service on the 4 train on November 29, 1983. R62As began their 30-day acceptance test on the 1 train in 1984. If no problems arise the cars can enter revenue service and more can be delivered. Otherwise, the builder(s) must fix them all, then the cars take another 30-day test. The R62As failed twice before passing on try #3 in 1985. A Brooklyn-bound 4 train crashed north of 14th Street-Union Square on August 28, 1991 after the intoxicated operator went through a switch at 40 miles per hour. Five riders died and R62 #1435-1440 (except 1438, which is now linked to 1441-44) were destroyed in one of the worst accidents in New York City Transit history. R62 1369 was wrecked after a head-on collision with a work train on the IRT Woodlawn Line on October 25, 2000. Two cars in the set, 1366 and 1370, are at the FDNY Training Facility at Randall’s Island. The other two, 1367 and 1368 and 1436 were reefed in February 2008. R62A 1909 was wrecked in a 1996 derailment at Hunts Point Avenue in the Bronx. All cars, but R62As #1906-60 were rebuilt into five-car sets, each set has the cabs on each end extended to full width. R62s run on the 1 and 3 trains. R62As run on the 1, 6 and 42nd Street Shuttle. The car types never run together. Many cars on the 6, which has weekday peak direction express service labeled by a diamond sign, have LED lights on the side signs’ service logos to show if the train is local (green circle) or express (red diamond). All single unit R62As are in work service. The shuttle uses two six-car sets (after being rebuilt in 2021) while all of its cars had its seats removed to let increased capacity after one had an experiment done in 2017. There are a few differences between the cars.

The next models were the R68s (2500-2924) built by Westinghouse-Amrail of France and R68As (5001-5200) built by Kawasaki for the “B” Division. The stainless steel 75’ cars debuted as single units. The cab on one end is full width as the other is half width. The seats are the same as the R44s and R46s, but all cars seat 70 people. R68/68As will be the system’s last 75 foot cars as the length led to problems like wide turns and stress on the car bodies. They entered service in 1985-89 on the D train. In 2001, all cars, but R68s #2915-24 were rebuilt into four-car sets in the same arrangement as the R44s and R46s, but R68As have the “A” cars’ number one value higher than the adjacent “B” car. The route signs and most equipment on non-operating cabs were taken away. R68/68As run on the B, D, Franklin Avenue Shuttle (which uses the single unit cars), N, Q and W and an evening rush hour set on the A. The single units use side sign stickers, not encased roll signs and car 2923’s side windows are three pieces, not two. In 2016, R68s #2792-95, 2804-07, 2844-47, 2860-67, and 2892-95 began testing interior light emitting diode and liquid crystal displays, newer door chimes, closed circuit television cameras, and public address systems with advertisements, date, time, and route. They are now removed and the cars formerly ran on the G.

NYCT in October 1992 received a 10-car train of R110As a.k.a. R130s (8001-8010) from Kawasaki to test new, high tech equipment for future cars on the “A” Division. The train consists of two five-car sets, both in an A-B-B-B-A arrangement and both ends with a full width cab. The cab cars use four traction motors for power, the center car is a powerless trailer and the other two use two traction motors. All cars in a set are linked together permanently (it is considered that, as heavy effort is needed to separate them). For the first time on the IRT, the seating arrangement is longitudinal on one side and transverse on the other. Door widths are lengthened from 50” to 64” and windows are on each car end. The interiors are made of fiberglass for graffiti resistance. The train’s new features include LED exterior route and interior message signs, computerized control in cabs, and LCD side signs. It entered revenue service on the 2 train on June 15, 1993. In Spring 1998, it was pulled from service due to brake problems. Traces of fire damage a year later caused NYCT to send the train to the 239th Street Yard in the Bronx. In 2013, the “B” cars got converted to pump cars to pump out water from tunnels. The “A” cars, planned for conversion too, are fully stripped inside and stored at 207th Street Yard in Manhattan. NYCT also brought a nine-car train of R110Bs or R131s (3001-3009) from Bombardier to test new equipment in the “B” Division. It consists of three three-car sets permanently coupled together. Each car is 67’ long and cars 3001, 3003, 3004, 3006, 3007, and 3009 are motor cars while the other three are trailers that cannot run on their own. They use the cross pattern seating, but are not colored like the 75’ cars, with Lexan windows and other upgrades. They have the same basic features like the R110As, strip maps that display all stops on the A train (where they debuted on June 15, 1993) and when the train reaches a certain stop, the light on it blinks, then goes out. The cars also have automated announcements, passenger emergency intercoms and LCD signs on the top near each end displaying time, current and next stop and destinations. Due to frequent breakdowns, set 3007-3009 was cannibalized for parts that were used on the other two sets in 1996. The two sets returned to service on the C train although they did not have the strip maps or announcements for that route. In 2000, the train was yanked from service and stored at the 207th Street Yard. On July 15, 2004, car #3005 was sent to P.S. 248 (NYCT’s Learning Center) in Brooklyn for employee training replacing R16 6452, now scrapped. Cars 3004 and 3006 a month later were sent to the Coney Island Fire Fighting Training Center. In 2014, car 3001 was partly cut up and sent to a NYPD training center in College Point.

The next cars were the R142s (main order #6301-6980, option orders #6981-7180, #1101 -1220, and #1221-1225) from Bombardier and R142As (primary order #7211-7610, option order #7611-7730, and supplemental order (usually titled R142Ss, #7731-7810) from Kawasaki. These cars are for the “A” Division, have the same advanced technologies of the R110As, and arranged in the same way. They have dark floors and light blue plastic longitudinal seating. The seats next to the cab can be lifted for wheelchair space. The side signs have digital LCD on the exterior and artwork on the interior. The cars’ pre-recorded announcements are of Dianne Thompson (station announcements on the 2 train), Jessica Ettinger-Gottesman (station announcements on the 4, 5, 6 trains) and Charles Pellett (male announcer). In case of an emergency, riders can use an intercom near the ends of each car to contact the train crew. In July of 2000, R142 #6301-6310 and R142A #7211-7220 began their 30-day acceptance test runs on the 2 and 6 train, respectively. The trains passed and R142s run on the 2, 4 and 5 trains and R142As run on the 4. They never intermix and replaced all the IRT Redbirds (R26, R28, R29, and R33/36 Mainline and World’s Fair Versions). Some R142As in 2017-18 got retrofitted with LCD screens on the wall and ceiling advertisement ranks that changes ads regularly. In September 2018, several R188s received the same treatment.

The next model was the R143s (primary order #8101-8200 and option order #8201-8312) built by Kawasaki for the “B” Division. The cars are 60’ long, arranged in four-car sets, and have most of the technological features of the R110Bs. They are the “B” Division version of the R142 -142As with the exceptions of having single storm doors and the side route signs are orange LED instead of LCD yellow on the exterior with digital screens showing pubic service announcements on the interior. They are the first cars to have “MTA New York City Subway” logos on each end of all sets opposite the motorman’s window. An American flag was put beneath the logo after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Catherine Cowdery and Kathleen Campion make announcements on R143s and R160s. On December 4, 2001, the first R143 train (#8101-8109) ran its 30-day test on the L train, where the cars were specifically built for (being CBTC (Communication Based Train Control) compatible for allow automated signal runs) and passed. They began revenue service on February 12, 2002 and the order was finished in April 2003. The R143s also ran on the overnight /weekend M shuttle until February 2008. On June 21, 2006, an out-of-service train of R143s was entering the Canarsie Yard when it overran the bumper at the end of the track after the motorman suffered a seizure. Lead car 8277 suffered frame damage and was sent to the Kawasaki treatment plant at Yonkers, New York as the rest of the set was stored at the 207 Street Yard. 8277 in 2016 was linked back to the set, which after more repairs were made, returned to service in late 2017.

The next models are the R160As (base order has #8313-8652 as four-car sets and #8653-8712 as five-car sets, Option Order #1 has #9233-9592 as five-car sets only, and Option Order #2 has #9943-9974 as CBTC four-car sets and 9593-9802 as five-car sets) built by France’s Alstom Transportation and R160Bs (base order #8713-8972, Option Order #1 #8973-9232, and Option 2 #9803-9942, all five-car sets) built by Kawasaki for the “B” Division. They resemble the R143s, but there are a few differences between the two types, most noticeably the use of FIND (Flexible Information and Notice Display, which consists of an LCD screen displaying route, information, and advertisements and red, yellow, and green LED strip map showing the next ten stations and five straight “further stops,” which can be changed instantly) on the R160s instead of a strip map. The first R160B cars were delivered in July 2005 after thorough inspections, then made test runs on the IND Rockaway Line two months later. R160B #3713-17 on November 29 went on display at Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets to get public opinions on FIND. In June 2006, R160As began non-revenue testing on the Sea Beach and Culver Lines. On August 17, R160B #8713-8722 began its 30-day test on the N train, but was taken out of service two days later due to mechanical troubles and resumed testing on the A on September 11. On October 16 the first R160A train began its 30 -day test on the A too. Both trains passed and on November 17, five-car R160 sets began revenue service on the N train. All R160s were in service by May 2010 and the four-car sets today run on the J/Z, L and M trains while the five-car sets operate on the E, F, G and R. The cars have retired all R38s, R40s, R40As, most R32s and R42s and the NYCT R44s in place of the remaining R32s and R42s. Most retiring cars were removed of everything and sunk along the Atlantic coastline to create artificial reefs. After the program ended in 2010, the remaining cars were scrapped at Sims Metal Management’s Newark facility. Since 2016, many R160s have gotten new features like the side sign artworks being replaced by LCD signs displaying advertisements and public messages, seats on each end of the cars being removed, and foldable seats to allow more customers per car.

The next order is the R188s built by Kawasaki for the “A” Division, allowing automated service on the 7 train, displacing its R62As. It consists of 180 new CBTC compatible cars (7810-7898), 36 “C” cars (7899-7936) and 370 converted R142As (#7211-7590). Five-car sets are in an A-C-B-B-A arrangement and six-car sets are in an A-B-B-B-C-A arrangement. On November 9, 2013, the first train (7811-7821) began its 30 day test, entering revenue service on December 15. All R188s were delivered by June 2016. Besides CBTC equipment, they have the same advanced features as the R142/142As as cars 7501-10 and 7928 have green circle/red diamond LED lights added to their route signs and Annie Bergen does the automated announcements on the 7 service.

The latest order, the R179s built by Bombardier for the “B” Division, consists of 196 cars in sets of four on the J/Z and 120 in sets of five on the A and retired the R42s and R32s. Similar to the R160, delivery started in October 2016, over two years behind schedule due to production delays and wielding issues on a prototype and made non-revenue test runs in 2017. Cars 3058-65 began a 30-day test on the J on November 19, entering regular service on December 27. Delivery was done by January 2019. The fleet was pulled out of service twice in 2020, the first time due to defective door parts and the second due to link bars separating in service. The R42s and R32s got reactivated until they returned to service, as Bombardier shut down after that. A future order, the R211s, will retire the R46s and Staten Island R44s. Built by Kawasaki, the cars will have Wi-Fi, 58” doors, security cameras, Universal Serial Bus chargers and corridor gangways between cars. The interior and front designs will be noticeably different from other New Technology trains. A mock-up was on display at 34th Street-Hudson Yards in late 2017. Delivery started in June 2021, but has been delayed due to COVID-19. The fleet is getting tested in various parts of the system. Another order, the R262s will have the same technology as the R211s and replace the R62/62As.The types of cars running in the New York City Subway have varied over the century. As time progresses technology advances and subway cars will improve, but fares will probably keep rising. Riders’ inputs and opinions, newer cars, routine maintenance of subway stations and lines and Capital Construction projects will keep the system running strong for the next hundred years.

The types of cars running in the New York City Subway have varied over the century. As time progresses technology advances and subway cars will improve, but fares will probably keep rising. Riders’ inputs and opinions, newer cars, routine maintenance of subway stations and lines and Capital Construction projects will keep the system running strong for the next hundred years.