R142A (New York City Subway car)

The R142A, along with the R142 is the newest generation of cars for the A Division of the New York City Subway.^[1]

Background

The R142A is built by Kawasaki and has many of the same features as the R142, built by Bombardier. The main order of 400 R142A cars are numbered 7211-7610; the 120 option cars are numbers 7611-7730. Eighty cars, known as the R142S, were built by Kawasaki in 2003-04 to supplement the R142As. They are numbered as 7731-7810. Note that R142S is not an official designation, just a reference to the Supplemental order of these cars. They are mechanically and physically identical to all other R142As, and therefore it is customary to refer to cars 7731-7810 as R142As.

As of 2010, cars 7211-7670 run on the 6 train and cars 7671-7810 run on the 4 train. Ten R142As (2 sets) have been taken out of service to be retrofitted with Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) as a prototype for the future R188.^[2]

Differences between the R142 and R142As

• The R142A's external speakers have a narrower rim around the edges than those on the R142, and would later apply to the R143 and the R160 models.
• The interior speakers on the R142A are recessed into the curved portion of the ceiling with only lines of pinholes to denote their location while the R142's speakers are located in the midline of the cab on the ceiling and are not concealed.
• The R142A's drives have a characteristic sound under acceleration and deceleration that is distinct from that of the R142 because of different AC traction motors. The R142's use Alstom AC traction motors, which are very similar to the ones used on the R160A cars and some of the R160B cars, while the R142A's use Bombardier AC traction motors which are identical to the ones used on the R143 cars.^[3][4][5]
• B cars have traction motor at number one end.^[6][7]
• The R142A's cab ends are one piece, while the destination sign area and window section are two separate pieces on the R142.
• The LCD destination signs between the two doors of each side of cars as well as interior LED passenger information signs are different. The LCD destination signs and LED interior passenger information signs on the R142 turn-off when changing, while the ones on the R142A switch without turning off.
• R142 cars have a dot-matrix LCD route number display and mosaic LCD destination on the side destination signs, while R-142A cars have a mosaic LCD for both the route and destination on the side destination signs.
• The interior red door indicator lights on R142s are directly above the doors near its corners and point downwards towards the floor while the R142A's interior red door indicator lights are located just to the left and right of the doors and point towards the opposite wall.
• The flashing orange closing door lights are slightly larger on the R142s.
• The car end lexan glass windows open through a few tiny screws on R142s compared to the keyhole on the R142As.
• The trucks on the cars are different. The R142 utilizes Bombardier trucks while the R142A utilizes Kawasaki trucks.^[8][9]
• The two cars have different HVAC systems. The R142's HVAC is noticeably louder.
• The R142A contain extra advertising panels within the car, which the R142 does not have.
• The Front Windows on the R142s are a little more curvy than while the R142As have square-like curves.
• The windows on the front doors of the R142As are smaller than those on the front doors of the R142s.
• The door handles on the car end doors leading from one car to another are different on the R142s and R142As.

See also

• R142 (New York City Subway car)

References

External links

• Kawasaki - R142A
• nycsubway.org - NYC Subway Cars: R142
• Educated » Blog Archive » Subway Sounds: R-142A
• Car Status/Assignment
• Train Set Assignments