New York City Subway rolling stock

The "Holiday Shopper's Special", a train of R1, R4, R6, R7A, and R9 subway cars running in special service at the 23rd Street (Sixth Avenue) station

An R142A series car interior in service on the 4 route

A Vaktrak track vacuuming train^[1]

The New York City Subway is a large rapid transit system and has a large fleet of rolling stock. As of November 2016, the New York City Subway has 6418 cars on the roster.

The system maintains two separate fleets of passenger cars: one for the A Division (numbered) routes, the other for the B Division (lettered) routes. All A Division equipment is approximately 8 feet 9 inches (2.67 m) wide and 51 feet (15.54 m) long. B Division cars, on the other hand, are about 10 feet (3.05 m) wide and either 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m) or 75 feet 6 inches (23.01 m) long. The A Division and B Division trains operate only in their own division; operating in the other division is not allowed. All rolling stock, in both the A and B Divisions, run on the same 4 foot 8.5 inches (1,435 mm) standard gauge and use the same third-rail geometry and voltage. A typical revenue train consists of 8 to 10 cars, although in practice they can range between 2 and 11 cars.

The subway's rolling stock have operated under various companies: the Interborough Rapid Transit, Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit, Independent Subway System, and finally--now that the three are fully merged--the New York City Transit Authority. 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. Various kinds of cars are also used for maintenance work, including flatcars and vacuum trains.

Total fleet[]

As of November 2016, the New York City Subway has 6418 cars on the roster.^[2][a] The system maintains two separate fleets of passenger cars: one for the A Division routes, the other for the B Division routes. All A Division equipment is approximately 8 feet 9 inches (2.67 m) wide and 51 feet (15.54 m) long. B Division cars, on the other hand, are about 10 feet (3.05 m) wide and either 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m) or 75 feet 6 inches (23.01 m) long. The 75-foot cars, such as R44s, R46s, R68s, and R68As, are not permitted on BMT Eastern Division – the J, L, M, and Z trains – because of sharper curves on those tracks.

All rolling stock, in both the A and B Divisions, run on the same 4 foot 8.5 inches (1,435 mm) standard gauge and use the same third-rail geometry and voltage. However, trains operate only in their own division; operating in the other division is not allowed. A Division sections have narrower tunnel segments, tighter curves, and tighter platform clearances than the B Division sections, so B Division trains cannot fit in the A Division tunnels and stations, while A Division trains would have an unacceptably large gap between the platform and train if they were allowed in service on B Division lines. Also, the safety train stop (trip cock) mechanism is not compatible between divisions, being located on opposite sides of the track and train in each division. However, service and maintenance trains are composed of A Division-sized cars, so they can operate with either division's clearances and have safety train stops installed on both sides of the trucks.

A typical revenue train consists of 8 or 10 cars, although shuttles can be as short as two. The G runs 4-car trains, and the 7 runs 11-car trains.

When the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company entered into agreements to operate some of the new subway lines, they decided to design a new type of car, 10 feet (3.05 m) wide and 67 feet (20.42 m) long. The subject of several patents, the car's larger profile was 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,^{[dubious – discuss]} or eventually, the IND, were built to handle the wider cars.

When the R44s and R46s 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. In sharp contrast, the rebuilt R32s and R38s retained rollsigns on the sides, but a flip-dot display was placed in the front. The MTA has been incorporating newer subway cars into its stock in the past two decades. Since 1999, the R142s, R142As, R143s, R160s, R179s, and R188s have been added into service.^[3][4] All cars built since 1992, (including the now out-of-service R110As and R110Bs) are equipped with digital signs on the front, sides, and interior (except for the R110Bs, which had rollsigns on the front).

Old cars, some from the original companies (IRT, BMT, and IND), are preserved at the New York Transit Museum, while others have been sold to private individuals and/or other railway/trolley museums.

Between 1984 and 1989, some of the IRT trains were painted red, giving them the name Redbirds.^[b] By October 2020, various older B Division cars, such as the entire fleets of R32s, R38s, R40s, R40As, R42s, and NYCT-built R44s, were similarly retired and replaced by newer models, including the R160s and R179s.

General Overhaul Program[]

The General Overhaul Program (GOH) was a mid-life overhaul program for neglected subway cars, which involved a thorough rebuilding of the fleet. Since the completion of the GOH program, 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, R33S, R36), as well as IND/BMT cars (R30 GE, R32, R38, R40, R40A, R42, R44, and R46). These cars were rebuilt between 1985 and 1993. Some cars in various classes from R10 to R46 were also given lighter overhauls during this period.

"R"-prefixed orders[]

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.: R46. This number is the contract number under which the cars were purchased. Cars with nearby contract numbers (e.g.: R1 through R10, or R21 through R36, or R143 through R179) may be virtually identical, simply being purchased under different contracts.

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". 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 to reduce waste and abuse.^{[citation needed]}

Disposal at sea[]

Retired subway cars being transported to the ocean, where they will be dropped into the water to create an artificial reef

In 2001, the New York City Transit Authority started disposing of retired subway cars by dumping them at sea to create artificial reefs, with the intention of promoting marine life. This option was chosen because it was less expensive than removing asbestos from the cars; the asbestos was determined to not be a hazard in the ocean.^[5] Further, the artificial reefs would provide environmental and economic benefits, such as providing shelter for marine animals and creating new fishing opportunities. The first reef constructed was Redbird Reef in Delaware. Eventually, multiple states received retired subway cars for reefs.^[6] The program was discontinued in 2010, after more than 2,500 cars were reefed, because newer cars contained more plastic, which was too expensive to economically remove before reefing.^[7][8]

Current fleet[]

Contract #	Division	Year Built	Builder	Car Length[c]	Car Width	Photograph	Fleet numbers (Total ordered)	Number in service	CBTC	Assigned Services	Yard assignment	Notes
R44	B	1971–1973	St. Louis Car	75 feet (22.9 m)	10 feet (3.0 m)		388–435 436–466 (even numbers only) (352 total)	61 SIR only	No	– 61 cars	Clifton	Single cars; even numbered cars ("A" cars) have single full-width cabs, odd numbered cars ("B" cars) have blind ends. New York City Subway car numbers were originally 100–387 and renumbered 5202–5479 (see here). New York City Subway cars retired. Staten Island Railway car 402 wrecked and scrapped from a 2008 Tottenville accident. Car 399 retired 2017. Car 466 retired 2015.
R46		1975–1978	Pullman Company				5482–6207 (4-car sets) 6208–6258 (even numbers only) (754 total)	748	No	– 216 cars (27 trains, AM rush) 224 cars (28 trains, PM rush)  – 72 cars (9 trains, AM rush) 64 cars (8 trains, PM rush)  – 144 cars (18 trains)  – 168 cars (21 trains)  – 12 cars (3 trains)[9]	Coney Island Pitkin	5482–6207 are in A-B-B-A configuration as 4-car sets. 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. 6208–6258 are in A-A configuration (even numbers only). Car numbers were originally 500–1227 and 1228–1278 (even numbers only). Two cars (941 & 1054) wrecked and scrapped prior to General Overhaul. Three cars (6062[10] and 6150–6151[11]) wrecked after General Overhaul. 6214 out of service.[12]
R62	A	1983–1985	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	51 feet (15.5 m)	8 feet 9 inches (2.7 m)		1301–1625 (325 total)	315	No	– 260 cars (26 trains)[13]	Livonia	Originally single cars, now 5-car sets. 10 cars (1366–1370, 1435–1437, 1439–1440) retired. 1366–1370 were wrecked in 2000 due to an accident. Car 1369 was scrapped in 2005. Car 1366 and half of car 1370 are at the FDNY Randall's Island training center. Cars 1367 and 1368 were reefed in 2008. 1435–1437 and 1439–1440 were wrecked in 1991 due to a derailment. 1437 and 1439–1440 were scrapped in 2001. Car 1436 was reefed in 2008. 1438 is now part of a 5-car set with 1431–1434.
R62A		1984–1987	Bombardier Transportation				1651–2475 (825 total)	824	No	– 310 cars (31 trains)  – 370 cars (37 trains)  – 6 cars (2 trains)[14]	240th Street Livonia Westchester	Originally single cars, most cars linked in 5 or 6-car sets. 1651–1905, 1961–2475, and select other 1900s have full-width cabs at ends of sets. 1909 was wrecked and scrapped.[15]
R68	B	1986–1988	Westinghouse-Amrail Company	75 feet (22.9 m)	10 feet (3.0 m)		2500–2924 (425 total)	425	No	– 8 cars (1 train, PM rush, in rotation with a R68A consist)  – 48 cars (6 trains, AM rush) 40 cars (5 trains, PM rush)  – 232 cars (29 trains, AM rush) 224 cars (28 trains, PM rush)  – 52 cars (13 trains)  – 24 cars (3 trains)  – 8 cars (1 train, PM rush)  – 4 cars (2 trains)[16][17]	Concourse Coney Island	2500–2915 originally single cars, now in 4-car sets. 2916–2924 still single cars; used for the Franklin Avenue Shuttle.
R68A		1988–1989	Kawasaki Heavy Industries				5001–5200 (200 total)	200	No	– 8 cars (1 train, PM rush, in rotation with a R68 consist)  – 152 cars (19 trains, AM rush) 144 cars (18 trains, PM rush)  – 16 cars (2 trains)[18][19]	Coney Island	Originally single cars, now in 4-car sets.
R142	A	1999–2003	Bombardier Transportation	51 feet (15.5 m)	8 feet 9 inches (2.7 m)		1101–1250, 6301–7180 (1,030 total)	1,025	Future installation[20]	– 360 cars (36 trains) 350 cars (35 trains, PM rush)  – 180 cars (18 trains)  – 350 cars (35 trains, AM rush) 360 cars (36 trains, PM rush)[21]	East 180th Street 239th Street Jerome	All cars are sequentially numbered in A-B-B-B-A configuration as 5-car sets. Cars ending in 1, 5, 6, and 0 have single full-width cabs and are known as "A" cars. Cars ending in all other digits have no cabs and are known as "B" cars. Cars 6346–6350 were taken out of service after suffering fire damage in an arson attack.[22][23]
R142A		1999–2004	Kawasaki Heavy Industries				7591–7810 (220 total)	220	Future installation[20]	– 170 cars (17 trains, AM rush) 160 cars (16 trains, PM rush)[24]	Jerome	All cars are sequentially numbered in A-B-B-B-A configuration as 5-car sets. Cars ending in 1, 5, 6, and 0 have single full-width cabs and are known as "A" cars. Cars ending in all other digits have no cabs and are known as "B" cars. Original order was 7211–7810; cars 7211–7590 were converted to R188s between 2011 & 2016 for the IRT Flushing Line.[25]
R143	B	2001–2003		60 feet (18.3 m)	10 feet (3.0 m)		8101–8312 (212 total)	212	Yes	– 176 cars (22 trains)[26]	East New York	All cars are sequentially numbered in A-B-B-A configuration. Cars with single full-width cabs are known as A cars. Cars with no cab are known as B cars.
R160		2005–2010	Alstom Transportation Kawasaki Heavy Industries				8313–9974 (1,662 total)	1,662	8313–8380 only; future installation for remaining cars[27]	– 88 cars (11 trains, AM rush) 80 cars (10 trains, PM rush)  – 16 cars (2 trains)  – 192 cars (24 trains, AM rush) 184 cars (23 trains, PM rush)[28]  – 260 cars (26 trains)  – 460 cars (46 trains)  – 80 cars (8 trains)  – 310 cars (31 trains)[29]	East New York Coney Island Jamaica	4 car sets (8313–8652, 9943–9974) are sequentially numbered in A-B-B-A configuration. All are classified under R160A-1 and are powered by Alstom IGBT. 5 car sets (8653–9942) are sequentially numbered in A-B-B-B-A configuration. 8653–8712, 9233–9802 are classified under R160A-2 and are powered by Alstom IGBT. 8713–8842, 9103–9232, 9803–9942 are classified under R160B-1 and are powered by Alstom IGBT. 8843–9102 are classified under R160B-2 and are powered by Siemens IGBT. Cars with single full-width cabs are known as "A" cars. Cars with no cabs are known as "B" cars.
R179		2016–2019	Bombardier Transportation				3010–3327 (318 total)	318	Future installation[30]	– 110 cars (11 trains)  – 72 cars (9 trains)  – 72 cars (9 trains)[31]	East New York 207th Street Pitkin	4-car sets (3050–3237) are sequentially numbered in A-B-B-A configuration. 5-car sets (3010–3049, 3238–3327) are sequentially numbered in A-B-B-B-A configuration. Cars will single full-width cabs are known as A cars. Cars with no cab are known as B cars.
R188	A	2011–2016	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	51 feet (15.5 m)	8 feet 9 inches (2.7 m)		7211–7590, 7811–7936 (506 total)	506	Yes	– 418 cars (38 trains, AM rush) 407 cars (37 trains, PM rush)[32]	Corona	All cars are in 5-car or 6-car sets to form 11-car trains for IRT Flushing Line service. Order consists of a combination of 126 new cars & R142A conversions by the manufacturer, totaling 380 car conversions.[25][33] Conversion sets numbered 7211–7590 are numbered as follows: Cars ending in 0, 1, 5, and 6 have single full-width cabs and are known as "A" cars. Cars ending in all other digits have no cabs and are known as "B" cars. Cars 7811–7898 are eight new 11-car trains (split into four 5-car trains and four 6-car trains), with cars sequentially numbered. Cars whose numbers give a remainder of 0, 1, 5, and 6 when divided by 11 have single full-width cabs and are known as "A" cars. Cars whose numbers give other remainders when divided by 11 have no cabs and are known as "B" cars. Cars 7899–7936 are "C" cars that are linked with converted R142A sets expand the sets to six cars.
R211A	B	2021–present	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	60 feet (18.3 m)	10 feet (3.0 m)		4060–4499 (440 total)[34]	0 (testing)	Future installation[35]	N/A	N/A	All cars are sequentially numbered in A-B-B-B-A configuration as 5-car sets. Cars ending in 0, 4, 5, and 9 have single full-width cabs and are known as "A" cars. Cars ending in all other digits have no cabs and are known as "B" cars.

Maintenance vehicles[]

Various kinds of cars are used for maintenance work, including flatcars and vacuum trains.^[36]

Track geometry car[]

The track geometry car at Jay Street–MetroTech.

There are four track geometry cars on the New York City Subway that measure the system's track geometry to ensure that safe train operation is maintained. The cars are numbered TGC1–TGC4. TGC1 was ordered under contract R59 in 1984 for $1.4 million,^[37] TGC2 was ordered under contract R63 and cost $2.5 million,^[38][39]. Contract R-34152 purchasing TGC3 was awarded on December 29, 2004 for $9,610,963 and, after additional funding was later authorized by the Board, Modification 1 exercising the Option for TGC4 was awarded on January 18, 2006 for $9,622,858. Subsequent modifications added newer equipment, such as a more advanced laser scanner, to TGC4 prior to its delivery to NYCTA.^[40] The cars use sensors, measuring systems, and data management systems to get a profile of the tracks. The train crew consists of two-track equipment maintainers, one maintenance supervisor, and two to three engineers. The trains typically operate during off-peak weekday daytime hours so as to not interfere with more frequent rush hour service. A single car weighs 45 tons.^[39] The cars measure:

• Alignment – “Alignment is the projection of the track geometry of each rail or the track center line onto the horizontal plane,” (FRA Definition).^[41] Also known as the “straightness” of the tracks.
• Crosslevel – The variation in the cant of the track over the length of a predetermined “chord” length (generally 62 feet or 18.90 meters). On straight or tangent track, ideally, there should be no variation, while on curves, a cant is generally desired.
• Curvature – The amount by which the rail deviates from being straight or tangent. The geometry car checks the actual curvature (in Degree of curvature) of a curve versus its design curvature.
• Rail gauge – The distance between the rails. Over time, rail may become too wide or too narrow. In North America and most of the world, standard gauge is 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm).
• Rail profile – Looks for rail wear and deviations from standard profile.
• Warp – The maximum change in crosslevel over a predetermined chord length (generally sixty-two feet).^[42]
• Corrugation of running rail surface
• Tunnel and station platform clearances
• Third rail height and gauge
• Vertical gap between third rail and protective board ^[43]

The track geometry car typically checks each stretch of track about 6 times a year; the car is manually operated, and there are no plans to automate inspection of the track geometry, which is done manually with the help of high-tech equipment aboard the car.^[44]

Future fleet[]

Contract #	Division	Year Built	Builder	Total	Photograph (mock-up or rendering)	Notes
R262	A	2025–2030 (projected)	TBA	504 cars (proposed); 1,364 cars (all options)		To replace all R62s and R62As, and to expand the fleet. CBTC-equipped. All cars are expected to feature open gangways.[20]:25

Originally, 168 additional cars were proposed to be built and provided for service on the E, G, L, and N services between 2015 and 2019; the contract number for these growth cars was unknown, but they were not delivered prior to 2019. It is unclear if these cars are still scheduled to be built.

Retired fleet[]

IRT Pre-Unification listing[]

BMT Pre-Unification listing[]

R-type listing[]

Miscellaneous[]

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

• Air conditioning is standard on all cars R42 and later. R38s 4140–4149 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 R33S) were later retrofitted with A/C. All active cars are equipped with air conditioning, and cars with malfunctioning air conditioning are not supposed to be put into service.^[48]
• During World War II, a group of old New York elevated line cars dating from the late 19th century 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 afterward is unknown. Two of them, however, were acquired and have been restored by the Western Railway Museum in Rio Vista, California.^[49]
• There are many examples of rolling stock built under contract that are not intended for revenue services, such as the R95 money train, R65 pump train, R127/R134 garbage train, and R156 work locomotive.^[50]
• The table below shows what year the TA had expected to retire several car models in 1981.^[51]

Notes[]

References[]

Further reading[]

• 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
• Davis, Ed Sr. (1985). They Moved the Millions: A Brief History of Passenger Cars of America's Most Heavily Travelled Passenger Railway, the New York City Transit System. Livingston Enterprise.
• Dougherty, Peter J. Tracks of the New York City Subway, version 4.2. 2007
• Kramer, Frederick A. Building the Independent Subway. Quadrant Press, Inc.; New York, 1990. ISBN 0-915276-50-X
• 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 978-0-9637492-8-4.
• New York City Subway Cars James Clifford Greller Xplorer Press
• Interborough Fleet Joe Cunningham Xplorer Press

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to New York City Subway rolling stock.

• 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
• Korman, Joe (December 4, 2017). "IRT Car Assignments". JoeKorNer.
• Korman, Joe (January 12, 2018). "BMT-IND Car Assignments". JoeKorNer.
• Korman, Joe (November 6, 2016). "New York City Subway Car Fleet June 2010 through November 2016". JoeKorNer.