R1 (New York City Subway car) |
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R1 #100 in special holiday service, December 2007, on the V train at 23rd Street |
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Manufacturer | American Car and Foundry Company |
Built at | Berwick, Pennsylvania |
Constructed | 1930–1931 |
Number built | 300 |
Number preserved | 4 |
Number scrapped | 296 |
Fleet numbers | 100–399 |
Capacity | 56 seats |
Operator | Independent Subway System New York City Transit Authority |
Specifications | |
Car body construction | Riveted steel |
Car length | 60 ft 6 in (18.44 m) |
Width | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) |
Height | 12 ft 1.9375 in (3.71 m) |
Floor height | 3 ft 1.875 in (0.96 m) |
Doors | 8 |
Maximum speed | 55 miles (89 km) per hour |
Weight | 84,081 lb (38.1 tonnes) |
Acceleration | 1.75mph/s |
Traction system | Westinghouse ABF type UP143B switch group, with XM-29 master controller using Westinghouse 570 D-5 traction motors (190 hp each). Two motors per car (both on motor truck, trailer truck not motorized). |
Power output | 190 hp (142 kW) per traction motor |
Electric system(s) | Top running third rail (600 Volts DC) |
Current collection method | Contact Shoe |
Braking system(s) | WABCO Schedule AMUE with UE-5 universal valve, ME-23 brake stand, and simplex clasp brake rigging |
Coupling system | WABCO H2A |
Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The R1 was the very first New York City Subway car type built for the IND. 300 cars were manufactured between 1930 and 1931 by American Car and Foundry Company, numbered 100 through 399. Future passenger stock orders – including contracts R4, R6, R7, R7A, and R9 – were virtually identical, with minor mechanical and cosmetic variations. Therefore, these car classes are frequently referred to collectively as Arnines, or R1-9s.
The R1s were also specifically sometimes referred to as City Cars.
They introduced several improvements to subway car design that greatly sped up the flow of passengers in and out of trains.
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The first R1 cars to see passenger service were twenty individual cars to serve for two 8 car trains plus spares that were placed in revenue service on the BMT Sea Beach Line from July to November, 1931 for testing and then returned to the IND the same year.[1] The BMT was to have been paid by the City of New York for the testing but since they were fairly extensively used in service (made up as two 8-car trains), the BMT and City called it even.
Most R1s were retired by 1969-1970. Some R1s remained later into the 1970s. Following their removal from service, the majority of the fleet was scrapped, aside from a few work cars, which were used until the 1980s. However, a few cars have been preserved and remain today.
The R1s were the first "R" type contract order (referring to the practice of naming a car class by the letter "R" - which stands for revenue - followed by a number derived from the actual contract number). Note: The R2 contract order was for trucks and motors for the R1 fleet. In 1930, each new car cost $39,201: $30,483 for the carbody under contract R1, and $8,718 for trucks and motors under contract R2.
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