R44 (New York City Subway car)

R44
An R44 train on the Staten Island Railway (SIR) at Oakwood Heights
Interior of a SIR R44 car
In service	1971–2010 (NYCT cars) 1973–present (SIR cars)
Manufacturer	St. Louis Car Company
Built at	St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Replaced	Many R1–9s All 1925 Standard Steel built SIRTOA ME-1 train cars
Constructed	1971–1973
Entered service	December 16, 1971 (NYCT cars (revenue service testing)) April 19, 1972 (NYCT cars (official service)) February 28, 1973 (SIR cars)
Refurbished	May 1991 – January 1993, 2007 – 2010 (SIR cars)
Scrapped	2012–2013 (NYCT cars & one damaged SIR car), 2024–present (remaining SIR cars)
Number built	352
Number in service	55 (SIR cars)
Number preserved	1
Number scrapped	290 (additional 6 in storage)
Successor	R160 (NYCT) R211S (SIR)
Formation	Single units (SIR), 4 car sets (NYCT)
Fleet numbers	5202–5479 (NYC Subway) 388–435, 436–466 (even) (SIRTOA) (cars originally numbered 100–435, 436–466 (even))
Capacity	A car: 72 (seated) B car: 76 (seated)
Operators	New York City Subway (1971–2010) Staten Island Railway (1973–present)
Depots	Clifton Yard
Service(s) assigned
Specifications
Car body construction	Stainless steel with carbon steel chassis and underbody, with fiberglass end bonnets
Car length	74 ft 8.5 in (22.77 m) (over anticlimbers)
Width	10 ft (3,048 mm) (over threshold)
Height	12.08 ft (3,682 mm)
Platform height	3.76 ft (1.15 m)
Doors	8 50-inch-wide side doors per car (4 per side)
Maximum speed	Test: 87.75 mph (141.22 km/h) Service: 55 mph (89 km/h)–60 mph (97 km/h)
Weight	A train car: 88,950 lb (40,347 kg) B train car: 84,530 lb (38,342 kg)
Traction system	NYC Subway: Westinghouse E-CAM XCA448F propulsion with Westinghouse 1447F motors 115 hp (85.8 kW) on all axles Staten Island Railway: General Electric SCM-CAM 17KG192A1 propulsion with GE 1257E1 motors 115 hp (85.8 kW) on all axles
Prime mover(s)	electric motor
Acceleration	2.5 mph/s (4.0 km/(h⋅s))
Deceleration	3.0 mph/s (4.8 km/(h⋅s)) (Full Service) 3.2 mph/s (5.1 km/(h⋅s)) (Emergency)
Electric system(s)	Third rail, 600 V DC
Current collector(s)	Contact shoe
Braking system(s)	NYC Subway: Westcode (dynamic and friction), WABCO tread brake unit Staten Island Railway: WABCO RT5C (dynamic and friction), WABCO tread brake unit
Safety system(s)	ATO, dead man's switch, pulse code cab signaling, tripcock
Headlight type	halogen light bulbs
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The R44 is a New York City Subway car model built by the St. Louis Car Company from 1971 to 1973 for the B Division and the Staten Island Railway (SIR). The cars replaced many R1–9 series cars, and all remaining 1925 Standard Steel built SIRTOA ME-1 trains, providing Staten Island with a new fleet of railcars. The R44 fleet originally consisted of 352 cars, of which 56 remain in service, all on the Staten Island Railway.

The first R44 cars entered service on the subway on April 19, 1972, and on the Staten Island Railway on February 28, 1973. Various modifications were made over the years to the R44 fleet. The R44s set the world speed record for a subway car in 1972, reaching a top speed of 87.75 mph (141.22 km/h). In the early 1990s, the R44 cars were rebuilt by Morrison–Knudsen for the New York City Transit Authority. Though the R160 order replaced all New York City Subway-operated R44s from December 18, 2009 to September 16, 2010, because of structural integrity issues found on them, the Staten Island Railway fleet remains in operation and is to be replaced by the R211 order by 2024–2025. As of 2024, the R44s are the oldest active rolling stock within the NYCT system, following the retirement of the R32s.

Description

A total of 352 R44 cars were ordered; 300 cars for the New York City Subway (numbered 100–399, with 278 of the cars later renumbered 5202–5479) and 52 cars for the Staten Island Railway (also known as ME-2, MU-2, or MUE-2 cars, numbered 400–435 and even numbers between 436 and 466). They were the last subway cars built by the St. Louis Car Company prior to shutting down in 1974.

The R44s originally came in singles, but needed each other to run, much like the "married pairs" of subway cars before them (R26 to R42, except R33S). The NYCT cars were reassembled after overhaul into ABBA sets of four; A cars are evenly numbered with a full-width operator cabs at the number 1 end, while the B cars have odd numbers and no cabs at either end. The SIR cars were not reassembled after overhaul and remain as single units.

The R44s were also factory equipped with automatic train operation (ATO) equipment, in anticipation of their use on the new Second Avenue Subway Line that was being built at the time.

Since September 16, 2010, all NYCT R44 cars have been retired and replaced by the R160s due to structural integrity issues found on those cars, leaving the SIR as the sole operator of the R44. The R44 cars in service on SIR are maintained at Clifton Yard, with heavier maintenance being performed at Coney Island Yard.

Firsts

The R44 was the first 75-foot (23 m) car for the New York City Subway. The cars were introduced under the idea that a train of eight 75-foot (22.86 m) cars would be more efficient than one of ten 60-foot (18.29 m) cars. Despite the increase in length, the R44s had eight pairs of doors per car (four on each side) like previous B Division cars. As a result, eight 75-foot (22.86 m) cars have only 64 (32 per side) pairs, whereas ten cars have 80 (40 per side). The reduced number of doors on a train of eight 75-foot (22.86 m) cars increased boarding and dwell times, so recent car orders have returned to ten 60-foot (18.29 m) cars, starting with the R143.

The interior design was very different from previous models. The R44s had orange and yellow plastic bucket seats—a feature that would be incorporated into the other 75-foot (22.86 m) B-division cars and the A-division R62s and R62As. The seats were protected from the doorways by faux wood and glass panels. They were also the first car class delivered with crosswise seating since the R16 order from 1954. The walls were tan with "wallpaper" featuring the seals of New York State and New York City made from graffiti-resistant Formica plastics. The new interior decor was carried over to the R46 fleet.

The R44 was the first car since the BMT Green Hornet to incorporate a two-note warning tone, the first two notes of Westminster Quarters, that sounds before the doors begin to close as the train prepares to leave the station. When the cars were built, the chime was sounded four seconds before the doors closed, but the time delay was later removed. This has become the signature sound of the subway and is used with all subsequent cars.

The R44s were also the first NYCT subway cars to feature a newly designed WABCO-RT5 electronically and pneumatically controlled braking system also known as the P-Wire system, which did not fare well with this fleet of cars (similar systems also plagued the R46s), since most of the shop personnel were not adequately trained to deal with the P-Wire braking system's sophisticated fail/safe design for automatic train operation. The system would sometimes trigger the train's emergency braking system unexpectedly, which caused a situation known as stuck brakes. This P-Wire system, along with all of the automation systems (ATO) installed when these cars were built in 1972, was removed from the R44s beginning in 1984, and was replaced by a more conventional Westcode SMEE type braking system which made these cars much more reliable than with the originally installed system. The SIR cars had the same system, but fared much better than the NYCT cars.

The rollsigns from eight R44s were removed and replaced by experimental flip-dot signs starting in 1988, the same year the New Technology Program began. These experimental flip-dots signs were replaced by electronic LCD signs on the sides and rollsigns on the front during the General Overhaul Program from 1991 to 1993.

The R44s were designed to be automated and had a high design top speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) in anticipation of operation on new subway lines to be built, such as the Second Avenue Subway, which never opened while the cars were in subway service. On January 31, 1972, the R44s set the world speed record for a subway car, when a consist reached a speed of 87.75 mph (141.22 km/h) on the Long Island Rail Road's main line between Woodside and Jamaica. With two motors per car disabled, the cars still reached 77 mph (124 km/h). The cars were capable of attaining even higher speeds, but the length of the test track was insufficient to allow further acceleration.

History

Pre-introduction

To ensure the subway could accommodate 75-foot (22.86 m) cars, three retired R1 cars (numbered 165, 192, and 211; renumbered XC675, XC575, and XC775 respectively) were repurposed and sent to various places around the subway and the Staten Island Railway. Cars XC675 and XC575 were cut in half and lengthened to 75 feet (22.86 m).

As a result of the tests, it was determined that only minor changes to tunnels were needed to fit the 75-foot cars, and that particular segments on the BMT Eastern Division (the J/Z, L, and M) would be too difficult to convert to allow 75-foot (22.86 m) cars to operate safely. As such, the R44s were not delivered to those lines.

At the end of 1969, bids were received and a contract was awarded for an order of 240 75-foot R44 subway cars, with an option for 60 additional cars at the end of 1969.

Delivery and early mishaps

An SIR R44 train on the Staten Island Railway, prior to the GOH program

After many months of exhaustive testing on the A, D, E, and F (one week on each service, starting December 16, 1971), as well as on the LIRR to test the cars' state-of-the-art electrical and mechanical systems, the first set of R44s was placed in service on the New York City Subway on the F on April 19, 1972, following a brief introductory ceremony attended by the Mayor of New York City John V. Lindsay, along with MTA Chairman William J. Ronan at Jamaica–179th Street station. The Staten Island R44s were delivered between January and April 1973. The first six Staten Island R44s went into service on February 28, 1973. With the completion of the R44 order and the similar State of the Art Car, the St. Louis Car Company shut down operations.

An eight-car train (328–335) was tested in 1973 with carpeting, and another (380–387) was tested with hydraulic brakes that were incompatible with the rest of the R44s' braking systems. In 1979, seven of the eight cars had these systems removed and replaced with conventional air brakes, while the last car (car 385) was permanently removed from service.

GE cars 388–399 were not converted to Westcode SMEE braking system in 1984, and were eventually sent to the Staten Island Railway in 1985 to provide SIRTOA with some extra cars since ridership increased significantly in 1985, so their existing 52-car fleet would not be overly taxed. These 12 R44 cars were built identical to the SIRTOA's specification with GE propulsion instead of Westinghouse.

In 1983, organizations for the blind stated that the gaps in between R44 and R46 cars were dangerous, since the blind could mistake the spaces for doorways.

Nine NYCT R44s were involved in various listed incidents that led to their premature retirements before the General Overhaul Program (GOH) program for the R44s commenced. These cars, along with car 385, were not overhauled during the GOH program; they were instead stored on the system and stripped of parts until March 2001, when they were shipped off property and scrapped.

General Overhaul Program and post-overhaul

An overhauled NYCT R44 train on the A approaching Broad Channel

The LCD side signage on the overhauled NYCT R44 on display at the NYTM. This replaces the original rollsign-based side destination signs on the cars prior to the cars' overhauls

During the General Overhaul Program, from 1991 to 1993, 342 R44s were rebuilt by the NYCT either at the 207th Street Yard in Manhattan or the Coney Island Complex in Brooklyn (cars 5342–5479 and all SIR cars) and by Morrison–Knudsen off NYCT premises (cars 5202–5341). Some improvements included the repainting of the carbon steel blue stripes into silver gray stripes (most NYCT cars) or the replacement of the stripes with stainless steel panels (NYCT cars 5228–5229 and all SIR cars). The rollsigns on the sides were replaced with electronic LCD signs on the NYCT cars and were completely removed on the SIR cars. The SIR R44s, however, retained their original two-note warning tones from their entry into service, unlike their NYCT counterparts, which had their warning tones replaced with the same ones that are found on the R46s, R62s, R62As, R68s, and R68As.

Even after the GOH program, several NYCT R44s were retired due to various mishaps. Cars 5319 and 5402 were damaged in separate fire-related incidents. Cars 5282–5285 were involved in a derailment north of 135th Street, resulting in the whole set being placed out of service. Car 5248 was taken out of service in 2004 due to cracked truck bolsters. Cars 5282 and 5319 were completely destroyed and subsequently scrapped in the late 1990s, car 5284 was eventually repaired and returned to service, and the other damaged cars were stored out of service for parts until they were scrapped with the rest of the NYCT cars.

All SIR cars were overhauled for a second time between 2007 and 2010 as a part of scheduled maintenance program. Several improvements included the repainting of the bulkheads, rebuilt trucks, new dark floors, newly repainted periwinkle bucket seats, and updated logos; unlike the NYCT cars, the SIR cars retained their original blue "M" MTA decals during their first overhaul. The cars have been undergoing further intermittent rounds of scheduled maintenance as their parts age over time.

Even after their second overhaul, several SIR R44s were retired due to various mishaps. On December 26, 2008, car 402 was pulled from service after being badly damaged from accidentally hitting a bumper block at the Tottenville station. It was stored at 207th Street Yard and stripped of parts for other SIR cars; by 2013, it was scrapped. In May 2013, cars 399 and 466 were taken out of service after being damaged in a sideswipe. Both cars were also stripped of parts for other SIR cars.

Retirement

NYCT cars

NYCT R44 car 5240 (originally 172) on display at the New York Transit Museum

On December 18, 2009, two 4-car sets of New York City Transit R44s, one set being a contract Morrison-Knudsen rebuild and the other being an in-house Coney Island Overhaul Shop rebuild, were brought in to the 207th Street Overhaul Shop for inspection; the inspection resulted in various structural integrity issues being discovered on all eight cars. As the R44s were originally planned to be retired by the R179 order, the decision was made in March 2010 to retire the R44s with the remaining R160 order in place of the R32 and R42 fleet, which were being replaced with the R160 order at the time; that same month, withdrawal of the NYCT R44 fleet from revenue service began, and retirement of the R32 and R42 fleet paused indefinitely.

Initially the retired NYCT R44s were to be reefed. Cars 5342–5345, one of the sets that were brought in for inspection, were amongst the first to be completely stripped in preparation for disposition as artificial reefs since the decision was made to retire the fleet. However, after car 5344 presented a serious contamination hazard that was dangerous to the aquatic life in the ocean and would have proven too costly for artificial reef preparation for the NYCT R44s and the artificial reef program as a whole ending on April 2010 anyways, the plan to reef the NYCT R44s was ultimately cancelled in favor of simply scrapping them at Sims Metal Management. The NYCT R44s were gradually phased out until September 16, 2010, when the last train made its final trips on the A and C. After retirement, the NYCT R44s were mothballed and placed into storage system-wide. From May 2012 until summer 2013, most of the NYCT R44s were scrapped at Sims Metal Management. Four cars, 5286–5289, were not scrapped and remain stored at Coney Island Yard. The only car not slated for disposal is car 5240 (originally 172), which has since been preserved and set aside for on-and-off display at the New York Transit Museum.

Staten Island Railway cars

Since January 2022, the remaining R44s have been the oldest active rolling stock within the NYCT system at 51 years old, following the retirement of the R32s.

Like the NYCT cars, the SIR R44s were originally planned to be retired by the R179 order; however, this plan was dropped. Proposals to overhaul and operate some R46s on the SIR to replace the R44s there surfaced instead; however, this plan was also dropped. As such, the SIR R44s not written off received intermittent rounds of scheduled maintenance to extend their usefulness until retirement.

Ultimately, 75 R211S cars have been ordered to replace the SIR R44s; these started entering service on October 8, 2024. The SIR R44s are being gradually phased out from mid-2023, with a handful of cars being retired and cannibalized for parts to keep other cars running. The remainder of the active cars are expected to be phased out between 2024 and 2026.

Further reading

• 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

External links

• nycsubway.org - SIRT Staten Island Rapid Transit
• nycsubway.org - NYC Subway Cars: R44