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7For constant updates, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Subway_rolling_stock

Wikipedia logo This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at New York City Subway rolling stock. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Metro Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA).

The New York City Subway is a large rapid transit system, and has a large fleet of rolling stock. 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 1985 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 Since then, all of these cars have been replaced by more modern subway trains between 2000 and 2005. Many other cars that are older (R-32 through R-42), will also be retired, when the R160 cars are delivered.

What does "R" stand for?[]

Starting with the IND in 1930, and spreading to the other divisions with unification in 1940, all contract numbers have begun with "R". There is no agreement as to what the "R" in the contract number originally stood for. Various sources claim "revenue," "rolling stock" or "rapid transit".

  • Revenue in transit equipment parlance means passenger equipment. When carrying passengers such equipment is said to be "in revenue service". However, "R" contracts for the IND included non-revenue equipment from the very beginning. R1 was the contract for the car bodies of the first IND cars and R2 the running gear, but R3 cars were service cars and R8s included a crane car, four flat cars and two money collection cars. Many later "R" contracts were also for non-revenue equipment, such as R23, which consisted of 30 hopper (ballast carrying) cars for the maintenance of way department.
  • Rolling stock is another choice, but the nature of rolling stock is that it rolls on rails. R24 and R25 were for wheel truing machines, devices that help keep subway wheels round, R64 was for door operator mechanisms, R129 was for overhead cranes in shops (to lift and move car bodies and other equipment), and so on.
  • Requisite number; another choice.
  • Rapid transit is the only explanation that covers all the equipment purchased as it is all for use in rapid transit, but this is the least popular choice.

R-type listing[]

Rolling stock Year built Division Builder Fleet total Car numbers Year retired Current services Denotes
R1 1930-1931 IND American Car and Foundry 300 100-399 1971 none
R4 1932-1933 IND American Car and Foundry 500 400-899 1973 none
R6 1935-1936 IND American Car and Foundry, Pullman Company, Pressed Steel Company 500 900-1399 1976 none
R7A 1937 IND American Car and Foundry, Pullman Company 150 1400-1549 1977 none
R8A IND Plankton's Chum Bucket 100 66 and 67 1977 none
R9 1940 IND American Car and Foundry, Pressed Steel Company 153 1650-1802 1977 none
R10 1948-1949 IND American Car and Foundry 400 1803-1852, 3000-3349 1989 none
R11 1949 BMT/IND Budd Company 10 8010-8019 1977 none test trains, rebuilt into R34 cars in 1965
R12 1948 IRT American Car and Foundry 100 5703-5802 1981 none
R14 1949 IRT American Car and Foundry 150 5803-5952 1984 none
R15 1950 IRT American Car and Foundry 100 5953-5999, 6200-6252 1984 none
R16 1955 BMT/IND American Car and Foundry 200 6300-6499 1987 none
R17 1955-1956 IRT St. Louis Car Company 400 6500-6899 1988 none
R21 1956 IRT St. Louis Car Company 250 7050-7299 1987 none
R22 1957 IRT St. Louis Car Company 450 7300-7749 1987 none
R26 1959-1960 IRT American Car and Foundry 110 7750-7859 2002 none even/odd pairs
R27 1960 IND/BMT St. Louis Car Company 230 8020-8249 1990 none even/odd pairs
R28 1960-1961 IRT American Car and Foundry 100 7860-7959 2002 none even/odd pairs
R29 1962-1963 IRT St. Louis Car Company 236 8570-8805 2002 none even/odd pairs
R30 1961 IND/BMT St. Louis Car Company 320 8250-8569 1993 none even/odd pairs
R30A 1961 IND/BMT St. Louis Car Company 60 8352-8411 1993 none even/odd pairs
R32 1964 IND/BMT Thysen Krup Bud 300 3350-3649 2020 none even/odd pairs
R32A 1964 IND/BMT Budd Company 300 3650-3949 2010 A, C, E, F, N, R and occasionally on W even/odd pairs
R33 1962-1963 IRT St. Louis Car Company 500 8806-9305 2003 none even/odd pairs
R33 WF 1962-1963 IRT St. Louis Car Company 40 9306-9345 2003 none single cars, some now in work service, built for IRT Flushing Line
R34 see R11
R36 1963-1964 IRT St. Louis Car Company 34 9524-9557 2003 none even/odd pairs
R36 WF 1963-1964 IRT St. Louis Car Company 390 9346-9523, 9558-9769 2003 none even/odd pairs, built for IRT Flushing Line
R38 1966-1967 IND/BMT St. Louis Car Company 200 3950-4149 2010 A, C even/odd pairs
R39 Never built IRT/BMT
R40 1968-1969 IND/BMT St. Louis Car Company 200 4150-4349 (originally 4150-4249, 4350-4449) 2010 B, N, W and sometimes on Q and D (New York Yankees Special service) even/odd pairs, slanted ends
R40A/R40M 1968-1969 IND/BMT St. Louis Car Company 200 4350-4549 (originally 4250-4349, 4450-4549) 2010 B, N, W and sometimes on Q and D (Yankees Special service) even/odd pairs, slanted ends on 4350-4449
R42 1969-1970 IND/BMT St. Louis Car Company 400 4550-4949 2020 None even/odd pairs
R44 1971-1972 IND/BMT/SIR St. Louis Car Company 352 5202-5479 (originally 100-387), 388-435, 436-466 (even numbers only) 2010 A, S (Rockaway Park Shuttle) and SIR all NYCT cars in 4-car sets with even numbers on outside, Staten island cars all singles
R46 1975-1978 IND/BMT Pullman Company 754 5482-6207 (originally 500-1227), 6208-6258 (even numbers only, originally 1228-1278) still in service N, W, A, C, Q, S some in 4-car sets with even numbers on outside, some in 2-car sets with two evens
R55 Never built IND/BMT
R62 1983-1985 IRT Kawasaki Heavy Industries 325 1301-1625 still in service 3 and occasionally on 3 5-car sets
R62A 1984-1987 IRT Bombardier 825 1651-2475 still in service 1, S (42nd Street Shuttle), and occasionally on the 3 and 3, 3 some singles, some in 5-car sets
R68 1986-1988 IND/BMT Westinghouse-Amrail 425 2500-2924 still in service D, N, Q, S (Franklin Avenue Shuttle) and occasionally on B and W Cars 2500-2915 in 4-car sets and cars 2916-2924 are singles used for the Franklin Avenue Shuttle.
R68A 1988-1989 IND/BMT Kawasaki Heavy Industries 200 5001-5200 still in service N, Q and occasionally on B, D and W 4-car sets
R83 Never built IND/BMT
R110A (Built as Contract R130) 1992 IRT Kawasaki Heavy Industries 10 8001-8010 1999 (still listed in active roster) none New Technology demonstrator
R110B (Built as Contract R131) 1992 IND/BMT Bombardier 9 3001-3009 2000 (still listed in active roster) none New Technology demonstrator, 3-car sets, 67 foot car
R142 1999-2003 IRT Bombardier 1030 6301-7180, 1101-1250 still in service 2, 3 and 3 5 car sets
R142A 1999-2003 IRT Kawasaki Heavy Industries 520 7211-7730 still in service 3 5 car sets
R142S 2003-2005 IRT Kawasaki Heavy Industries 80 7731-7810 still in service 3 5 car sets, Supplement order for R142 contract, almost identical to R142A, considered R142A by NYCT
R143 2001-2003 IND/BMT Kawasaki Heavy Industries 212 8101-8312 still in service L 4-car sets, CBTC compatible, first new 60-foot cars in over 30 years
R160A 2005- IND/BMT Alstom 400 R160 A-1: 8313-8652 (4-car sets)

R160 A-2: 8653-8712 (5 car sets)

Still in service J, M, Z, L 60 foot cars, new technology (Delivery still in process)
R160B 2005- IND/BMT Kawasaki Heavy Industries 260 8713-8972 Still in service See article for details 60 foot cars, new technology (Delivery still in process)
R179 2016-2019 IND/BMT Bombardier Transportation 318 5-car sets: 3010-3327,

3238-3237

4-car sets:

3050-3237

R188 2011-2016 IRT Kawasaki Heavy Industries 506 (126 new cars, 380 conversions) Conversion Sets: 7211–7590

New Sets: 7811–7898 New "C" Cars: 7899–7936

still in service 3 5-car sets, CBTC (A-B-B-B-A)

6-car sets (A-C-B-B-B-A)

Notes[]

  • Most IND/BMT cars are 60 feet long unless noted; all IRT cars are 51 feet.
  • R44, R46, R68, R68A are 75 feet long
  • All cars R32 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 R32s and R38s 3950-4139 were rebuilt with A/C. All current roster cars used in revenue service 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 service as work trains.
  • R39, R55, and R83 were never built.
  • During World War II, a group of old New York Subway cars dating from the late 1800s was sent west to the San Francisco Bay Area for use by the Shipyard Railway, a temporary wartime electric line transporting workers to the Kaiser Shipyards. After the war, they were sold to be used as units in a local motel, but their whereabouts afterwards is unknown.

External links[]


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