New York City Subway rolling stock

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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 Since then, all of these cars have been replaced by more modern subway trains between 2000 and 2005.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?

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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

Notes

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. (See photos at [1])

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