R40A (New York City Subway car)
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The R40A is a New York City Subway car order built by St. Louis Car Company in 1968–69. The order contains two forms, a slant version similar to the R40, and a "Modified" version similar to the R42.
The R40A is similar to the R40, but R40A was originally delivered with air conditioning units. As a result of the air conditioning, the standee poles are arranged in diagonal patterns rather than the straight line of the R40. The R40A slant version was the last 100 cars to be built with the end slant (numbers 4350-4449).
With the poorly conceived slant design having proven unsuccessful, the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) had the last 100 R40 cars (unofficially known as the R40M series) built with a non-slant end. The end was redesigned by Sundberg-Ferar, and is identical to the non-slanted end on the R42. The R40M is called a modified or a straight R40 and is part of the R40A car order, consisting of cars numberered 4450-4549. These cars can be found on the same lines as the R40s. Due to their similarities, the R40Ms and R42s frequently ran together until recently. Car 4460 is mated to R42 4665, as the mates of both cars were damaged in the Williamsburg bridge wreck of 1995.
In 1988–89 the R40s were rebuilt by Sumitomo in Elmira Heights, New York. The R160 fleet will replace some or all of the R40A fleet. Some slant ended R40As have been retired.
[edit] R-40A "Slant" and "Modified" Specifications
| Car builder | St. Louis Car Company, St Louis, MO | |
| Car body | Stainless Steel sides with Carbon Steel chassis and underbody, Fiberglass A-end bonnet | |
| Unit numbers | Slant end: 4350-4449, Straight end: 4450-4549 (with gaps) | |
| Fleet Size | 200 (Some retired) | |
| Car dimensions | 60 feet, 21⁄2 inches long 10 feet wide 12 feet, 15⁄8 inches high |
18.35 m long 3.048 m wide 3.7 m high |
| Track, standard gauge | 4 ft 81⁄2 in | 1.435 m |
| Doorway width (side—clear opening) |
4 ft 2 in | 1.27 m |
| Wheel diameter | 34 inches | 864 mm |
| Propulsion system | General Electric (GE) SCM 17KG192AE2 propulsion system | |
| DC Traction motors | General Electric (GE) 1257E1 | |
| Power (4 per car) | 115 horsepower | 86 kW |
| Brakes | WABCO "SMEE" Braking System | |
| Average car weight (empty) |
77,500 lb (slant end); 78,000 (straight end) | 35,153 kg (slant end); 35,380 (straight end) |
| Maximum speed | 65 mph | 105 km/h (Later Lowered) |
| Total seated passengers | 44 | |
| Air conditioning system | Two Thermo King HVAC units each car. | |
| Cab Arrangement | Half-width operator cab at "#1" end, half-width conductor cab at "#2" end | |
| Coupling/Numbering Arrangement | All married pairs. | |
| Price per car (new, 1968) | US$ 137,382 | |
[edit] References
- 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 978-0963749284
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