New York City Subway rolling stock

File:Centennial Holiday Shopper’s Special.jpg

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

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 Since then, all of these cars have been replaced by more modern subway trains between 2000 and 2005.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 Template:IND (NYCS) 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 Template:IND (NYCS) included non-revenue equipment from the very beginning. R1 was the contract for the car bodies of the first Template:IND (NYCS) 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	Template:IND (NYCS)	American Car and Foundry	300	100-399	1971	none
R4	1932-1933	Template:IND (NYCS)	American Car and Foundry	500	400-899	1973	none
R6	1935-1936	Template:IND (NYCS)	American Car and Foundry, Pullman Company, Pressed Steel Company	500	900-1399	1976	none
R7	1937	Template:IND (NYCS)	American Car and Foundry, Pullman Company	150	1400-1549	1977	none
R7A	1938	Template:IND (NYCS)	Pullman Company, American Car and Foundry	100	1550-1649	1977	none
R9	1940	Template:IND (NYCS)	American Car and Foundry, Pressed Steel Company	153	1650-1802	1977	none
R10	1948-1949	Template:IND (NYCS)	American Car and Foundry	400	1803-1852, 3000-3349	1989	none
R11	1949	BMT/Template:IND (NYCS)	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/Template:IND (NYCS)	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	Template:IND (NYCS)/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	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	St. Louis Car Company	320	8250-8569	1993	none	even/odd pairs
R30A	1961	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	St. Louis Car Company	60	8352-8411	1993	none	even/odd pairs
R32	1964	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	Budd Company	300	3350-3649	still in service	A, C, E, F, N, R and occasionally on B and W	even/odd pairs
R32A	1964	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	Budd Company	300	3650-3949	still in service	A, C, E, F, N, R and occasionally on B and 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	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	St. Louis Car Company	200	3950-4149	still in service	A, C	even/odd pairs
R39	Never built	IRT/BMT
R40	1968-1969	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	St. Louis Car Company	200	4150-4349 (originally 4150-4249, 4350-4449)	still in service	B, N, W and sometimes on Q and D (New York Yankees Special service)	even/odd pairs, slanted ends
R40A/R40M	1968-1969	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	St. Louis Car Company	200	4350-4549 (originally 4250-4349, 4450-4549)	still in service	B, N, W and sometimes on Q and D (Yankees Special service)	even/odd pairs, slanted ends on 4350-4449
R42	1969-1970	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	St. Louis Car Company	400	4550-4949	still in service	J, M, Z, sometimes on the L, and coupled with the R40Ms on the B, D, N, Q, and W	even/odd pairs
R44	1971-1972	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT/SIR	St. Louis Car Company	352	5202-5479 (originally 100-387), 388-435, 436-466 (even numbers only)	still in service	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	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	Pullman Company	754	5482-6207 (originally 500-1227), 6208-6258 (even numbers only, originally 1228-1278)	still in service	F, G, R, V and rarely on E	some in 4-car sets with even numbers on outside, some in 2-car sets with two evens
R55	Never built	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT
R62	1983-1985	IRT	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	325	1301-1625	still in service	3 and occasionally on 4	5-car sets
R62A	1984-1987	IRT	Bombardier	825	1651-2475	still in service	1, 7, S (42nd Street Shuttle), and occasionally on the 3 and 4	some singles, some in 5-car sets
R68	1986-1988	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	Westinghouse-Amrail	425	2500-2924	still in service	B, D, N, Q, S (Franklin Avenue Shuttle) and W	Cars 2500-2915 in 4-car sets and cars 2916-2924 are singles used for the Franklin Avenue Shuttle.
R68A	1988-1989	Template:IND (NYCS)/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	Template:IND (NYCS)/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	Template:IND (NYCS)/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, 4 and 5	5 car sets
R142A	1999-2003	IRT	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	520	7211-7730	still in service	4, 6, rarely on 2, 5	5 car sets
R142S	2003-2005	IRT	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	80	7731-7810	still in service	4	5 car sets, Supplement order for R142 contract, almost identical to R142A, considered R142A by NYCT
R143	2001-2003	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	212	8101-8312	still in service	L, M Shuttle (Weekends only)	4-car sets, CBTC compatible, first new 60-foot cars in over 30 years
R160A	2005-	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	Alstom	400	R160 A-1: 8313-8652 (4-car sets) R160 A-2: 8653-8712 (5 car sets)	Currently testing	N/A	60 foot cars, new technology (Delivery still in process)
R160B	2005-	Template:IND (NYCS)/BMT	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	260	8713-8972	still in service	N, Q	60 foot cars, new technology (Delivery still in process)

Notes

File:Train of Many Colors.jpg

The "Train of Many Colors", a train of old IRT cars that ran during the Subway Centennial in late 2004.
© 2004 Metropolitan Transportation Authority

• 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

• nycsubway.org - New York City Subway Cars
• JoeKorNer - R-Type Cars 1932 to Present
• JoeKorNer - 'R' Type Roster (includes non-train contracts)
• Forgotten NY Subway Link