R62 (New York City Subway car)
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The R62 is a class of New York City Subway cars. They were first stainless steel cars on the IRT lines. Built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe, Japan, they were shipped by barge to Port Newark, New Jersey and introduced in 1983. For most of the their lives they have operated on the 4 service, but with the arrival of the R142 cars in 2003–04, most have been transferred to the 3 service.
The R62s were the first air-conditioned cars built for the IRT. They continued a controversial interior design by employing bucket seating. This reduced the number of seats per car when compared to standard bench seating, but had a higher capacity for standing. This design originated with the R44, and continued with the R62A, R68 and R68A cars. They also feature outdoor speakers. Several cars in the order (1588-90) have bench seating after complaints upon delivery. Bucket seating is no longer used on the newest New York City Subway cars.
The R62s were built as single, independent cars. This remained the case until 1991, when the cars were linked into 5-car sets to save money and equipment.
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[edit] History
In 1980, with the bus and train fleets in poor shape, the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) was looking into capital maintenance and bond acts to replace its aging fleet from the 1950s and early 1960s, and to rebuild or renovate older cars. The plan called for 325 IRT cars, under the R62 contract, ordered on April 12, 1982, and awarded to Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan. This was the first time a foreign company was chosen to build cars for the New York City Subway.
The first set of R62s were delivered in October 1983. They entered 30-day test service on the 4 train on November 29, 1983. At that time, the new cars came as a great relief for IRT riders who were used to non-air conditioned and graffiti-filled trains. After several test runs in early 1984, the R62 cars began regular delivery to the 4 train. All 325 cars were in use by August 1985, making the 4 the first entirely graffiti-free route in the system. They replaced R12,R14,and R15. Kawasaki did not want to build the additional cars that the NYCTA wanted as a separate part of the R62 order, known as R62A. Bombardier, based in Canada, won a contract to supply these 825 cars.
On August 28, 1991 a sleep-deprived and intoxicated motorman crashed a 4 express train at 14th Street–Union Square in Manhattan. Five riders were killed and several dozen were injured. R62 cars 1435-1437 and 1439-1440 were wrecked in this accident. 1435, 1437, 1439, and 1440 were scrapped in 2001, and 1436 was reefed in February of 2008 The rear 5 cars of the train run together as a set (1431-1432-1433-1434-1438).
On October 25, 2000, during the 2000 World Series, cars 1366-1370 were involved in a rear end crash on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line in the Bronx. 1369 was scrapped in 2005, 1366 and half of 1370 are at the FDNY Randalls Island training center, 1367 and 1368 were reefed in February 2008.
[edit] R-62 specifications
| Car builder | Kawasaki Rail Car Company in Kobe, Japan | |
| Car body | stainless steel sides with fiberglass front end bonnets. | |
| Unit numbers | 1301-1625 | |
| Fleet of | 315 cars | |
| Car dimensions | 51 ft 1⁄2 in long 8 ft 73⁄16 in wide 11 ft 105⁄8 in high |
15 m long 2.621 m wide 3.623 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 SCM 17KG1924A1 | |
| DC Traction Motors | 4 General Electric 1257E1 | |
| Power (4 per car) | 115 horsepower | 86 kW |
| Brakes | WABCO RT2 "SMEE" Braking System | |
| Average car weight (empty) |
A-car (end car) : 73,900 lb B-car (middle car): 74,540 lb |
33,970 kg 33,810 kg |
| Maximum speed | from 55 mph to about 65 mph | 90 to 105 km/h Average about 100 km/h |
| Total seated passengers | A car (end car): 42 B car (middle car): 44 |
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| Maximum train length | 10 cars (2 units, built in 5 car sets) | |
| Air conditioning system | Two roof-mounted Stone Safety Corp. HVAC units each car. | |
| Price per car (new) | US$918,293 | |
[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
[edit] External links
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