| R16 (New York City Subway car) | |
|---|---|
An R16 car on display at the New York Transit Museum |
|
| Manufacturer | American Car and Foundry, USA |
| Constructed | 1954-1955 |
| Entered service | 1955-1987 |
| Number built | 200 |
| Number preserved | 4 |
| Number scrapped | 196 |
| Fleet numbers | 6300-6499 |
| Capacity | 70 (seated) |
| Operator | New York City Subway |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | LAHT carbon steel |
| Car length | 60 ft (18.3 m) |
| Width | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
| Height | 12.08 ft (3.7 m) |
| Platform height | 3.76 ft (1.1 m) |
| Doors | 8 |
| Maximum speed | 55 miles (89 km) |
| Weight | GE cars (6400-6499) 84,532 lb, WH cars (6300-6399) 86,270 lb |
| Acceleration | Westinghouse UPC631A; GE MCM 17KG113D1 |
| Traction system | Westinghouse 1447C; GE 1240A4 |
| Power output | 100 horsepower (75 kW) / 4 per car |
| Braking system(s) | WABCO ME42 SMEE |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The R16 was a New York City Subway car manufactured by American Car and Foundry Company. The R16s were assigned to the BMT Eastern Division, although they showed up on the IND Queens and BMT Southern divisions from time to time.
They quickly became the new standard in car design for the New York City Transit Authority. Structurally and mechanically, they were larger R15s and were basically an improved version of the R10s cars with same exact dimensions except that the R16s had electric door engines while the R10s had the air door engines. When delivered, 50 of the R16 cars were transferred to the A train in preparation for the opening of the former Long Island Rail Road Rockaway Line on June 28, 1956 since the TA wanted to use the newest equipment there was at the time. [1] [2]
When they were new the R16s gave the R10s competition when it comes to speed as both cars were mechanically similar with four 100 horsepower motors. After the late 1950s the 50 R16s were transferred back to the BMT Eastern Division and would remain there until the late 1960s and the early 1970s when they were transferred to various lines throughout the system.
The R16s were delivered in 1955, painted kale green. Two cars were painted gold for a celebration in 1955, and some were painted bright red in the early 1960s. The whole fleet was given a silver and blue theme in 1970, and the fleet kept that paint scheme until the cars were retired. There were two fleets of R16s: Westinghouse (R16WH) equipped cars 6300-6399 and General Electric (R16GE) equipped cars 6400-6499.
The R16GEs were replaced by the R46s in 1977, but reactivated due to the R46 truck issues and remained in service until 1983. The R16WH cars were replaced in 1987 by the R68 fleet. The last of the R16 cars were retired from passenger service in May 1987 from the M train.
Four R16s exist today: 6305 and 6339 at MTA NYC Transit's Coney Island Complex in Brooklyn, 6387 at the New York Transit Museum, and 6398 at the Trolley Museum of New York, Kingston, NY.[1]
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