R11 (New York City Subway car)

R11 (New York City Subway car)

R11 car 8013 on display at the New York Transit Museum

Interior of an R11 car.
Manufacturer Budd Company
Built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Constructed 1949
Refurbishment 1964-1965
Scrapped 1980
Number built 10
Number preserved 1
Number scrapped 9
Fleet numbers 8010-8019
Capacity 56 (seated)
Operator New York City Subway
Specifications
Car body construction Stainless steel
Car length over coupler faces: 60 ft 3 in (18.4 m)
Width 10 ft (3.0 m)
Height 12 ft 2.125 in (3.7 m)
Floor height 2 ft 10.125 in (0.9 m)
Platform height 3 ft 10 in (1.2 m)
Doors 8
Maximum speed 55 miles per hour (89 km/h)
Weight Before overhaul: 81,476 lbs (36,957 kg)
After overhaul: 82,500 lbs (37,125 kg)
Acceleration 2.5mph/s
Traction system Westinghouse type ABS switch group (model UP631B) with Westinghouse XM179 master controller, using 4 General Electric 1240B motors (100 hp each). 4 motors per car (2 per truck - all axles motorized).
Power output 100 hp (75 kW) per traction motor
Auxiliaries Before overhaul: Edison B4H (32 Volt) battery with 24 cells. Battery charged primarily by Westinghouse XF23A motor alternator
After overhaul: Edison B4H (32 Volt) battery with 24 cells. Battery charged primarily by YX304E motor generator
Electric system(s) Top running third rail (600 Volts DC)
Current collection method Contact Shoe
Braking system(s) Before overhaul: WABCO schedule SMEE with ME-42 brake stand and drum brakes. Air provided by WABCO 3-Y-C compressor
After overhaul: WABCO schedule SMEE with ME-42 brake stand and tread brake rigging. Air provided by WABCO 3-Y-C compressor
Coupling system WABCO H2C
Gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)

The R11 was a class of New York City Subway cars built by the Budd Company in 1949.

Because of their expensive price tag - each subway car cost more than $100,000 - the ten R11 cars are frequently referred to as the Million Dollar Train. From 1964-1965, the ten R11 cars were overhauled in the Transit Authority's own Coney Island Complex under contract R34. Therefore it is also acceptable to refer to the cars as R34's, provided one is referring to them in their post-overhaul state.

Background and description

The full size of the R11 contract was to have been for 400 new subway cars, intended to provide service on the Second Avenue Subway which at the time was slated to open in the 1950s (The Second Avenue Subway has been repeatedly delayed and canceled throughout New York City's history, though it is currently under construction as of 2010). The 10 cars ordered were to serve as a new technology prototype test train. However, the remainder of the cars were never built due to the halt of construction on Second Avenue shortly thereafter.

The ornamental design of the car body featured standee windows separated by a heavy brace from the lower windows. This was due to the influence of noted industrial designer Otto Kuhler (US patent Des.153,367), and featured as part of a bid by the American Car and Foundry Company in 1947. The cars also implemented new technology in several areas. "Precipitron" lamps were included, designed to combat airborne bacteria. Forced air ventilation was introduced as ceiling vents circulated fresh air in from outside each car, while removing stale air. Electric door motors were used for the first time, replacing the standard compressed air engines which had served on much of the older equipment. Lastly, drum brakes were installed instead of conventional tread brakes.

The R11 cars were rebuilt in 1965 under contract R34. During the rebuild, the drum brakes were replaced with tread brakes, new fans were installed, and the middle stanchions were removed to improve passenger flow. The rebuild also included modifications that allowed the cars to operate in consists with other SMEE (contracts R-10 through R-42) cars. Since there were only ten of them, by the 1970s maintenance proved time consuming and difficult as special skills and components were needed to keep the cars in working order. As a result, the R11s were retired from service in 1977 following a yard accident which wrecked car 8016 and 9 of the 10 cars were scrapped by 1980. The one exception is car 8013, which survives today at the New York Transit Museum.

The R11 was the first stainless steel R-type car (The Budd BMT Zephyr holds the title of being the first stainless steel subway car in the city). Fifteen years after building the R11s, the Budd Company would go on to build the first bulk order of stainless steel cars in New York City Subway history - the R32.

References

External links