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R32 (New York City Subway car)
Encyclopedia
The R32 is a New York City Subway
car model built in 1964-65 by the Budd Company
in Philadelphia for the IND
/BMT B Division. These cars were the first mass-produced stainless steel
cars built for the New York City Subway. The two previous Budd orders, the BMT Zephyr
and the R11
contract, were limited production orders. Their horizontally ribbed, shiny, and unpainted stainless exteriors earned the cars the nickname Brightliners.
They are the oldest subway cars in passenger service in New York City today at 47 years old, well past the average service life of 35 years, and often cited for their superior durability and craftsmanship. They are also the only subway cars currently in service that were built for the New York City Transit Authority
prior to its merger with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
in 1968. Five other car types built after them have been mostly or completely retired.
In August 2011, the New York Times called the R32s "a dreary reminder to passengers of an earlier subterranean era," and said that "time has taken a toll" on the cars. A Straphangers Campaign
survey found that the C train, where the R32s are assigned to, breaks down the most frequently of all trains in the system.
express service ( train) and the Sea Beach Line
( train), later seeing service on the West End Line
( and TT trains).
In 1964, the New York City Transit Authority
contracted with Budd for 600 IND/BMT cars (300 pairs) to replace older equipment, including the BMT D-type (Triplex)
articulated cars. Budd had bid on previous contracts with the NYCTA, but had never won a City contract for a production run of cars until the R32s, as Budd built only stainless-steel equipment and the TA refused to allow a differential in competitive bids for this higher-quality construction.
Budd won the contract by offering the lowest bid of $117,000 per car. Budd low-balled the price to win the contract and introduce stainless steel equipment to the modern New York City
subway system, a plan that was met with limited success. NYCTA allowed a premium for subsequent stainless steel contracts, and all subsequent subway equipment was at least partly constructed of stainless steel. However, the Budd Company never benefited from the change, as Budd failed to win further contracts from the NYCTA and the company has since halted production of railroad cars.
The last four of these cars (3946-3949) were delivered with Pioneer trucks with disc brakes in 1966. The trucks were later replaced with standard trucks in 1976.
From 1988 to 1990, the R32 cars were rebuilt by Morrison Knudsen at its shops in Hornell, New York
. Ten R32 cars, which have since been retired, were rebuilt by General Electric
in its Buffalo, New York
facility. During the rebuilding process, the route and destination rollsigns located above the storm doors were removed and replaced with flipdot
electronic route signs. The distinctive marker lights were also removed.
The R32s are numbered 3350-3949. One car, originally numbered 3659, lost its even-numbered mate in an accident, so it was rebuilt as an even-numbered car and renumbered to 3348. 3348 was reefed
in 2009.
After their refurbishment, R32 and R32A cars were renamed R32 Phase I, R32 Phase II and R32 GE. The R32 Phase I cars (re-built by Morrison Knudsen) have WABCO Air Brake packages, GE Master Controllers, and Thermo King HVAC units. The R32 Phase II cars (also re-built by Morrison Knudsen) have NY Air Brake equipment, Westinghouse Master Controllers, and Stone Safety HVAC units. Since the cars were sent out to be overhauled based on how poorly they were performing (worst first), there are R32s and R32As in both Phase I and Phase II. There are also about a dozen or more pairs which are composed of R32 and R32A mixes. The R32 GEs are slightly different from their Phase I and II brothers as they still retain their original traction motors, feature backlit ad signs, and somewhat different bulkhead designs.
The cars are maintained at the 207th Street Yard and run on the train. Ten cars are maintained at the 36th-38th Street Yard and used for work service.
The R160
order was intended to replace all of the R32 fleet, but this was halted due to structural issues found on the R44
s that led to their retirement. The 10 GE and all Phase II R32s have been retired as well as some Phase I cars. After retirement, most cars were stripped and sunk as artificial reefs. As of July 2008, pair 3352-3353 is at the New York City Transit Museum. These cars were the lead set on the R32s premiere trip on September 9, 1964. Cars 3350-3351 have also been set aside for preservation by the Railway Preservation Corp, while cars 3594-3595 have been moved to Floyd Bennet Field and set aside for anti-terrorism training.
The remaining cars are scheduled to undergo SMS (Scheduled Maintenance Service), at a cost of $24 million, to extend their useful lives through 2017.
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
car model built in 1964-65 by the Budd Company
Budd Company
The Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....
in Philadelphia for the IND
Independent Subway System
The Independent Subway System , formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad, was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway...
/BMT B Division. These cars were the first mass-produced stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
cars built for the New York City Subway. The two previous Budd orders, the BMT Zephyr
MS Multi-section car (New York City Subway car)
The MS Multi-section, a series of New York City Subway cars, was built in prototype form in 1934 with production models built in 1936. They were called "Multis" for short.-Background:...
and the R11
R11 (New York City Subway car)
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...
contract, were limited production orders. Their horizontally ribbed, shiny, and unpainted stainless exteriors earned the cars the nickname Brightliners.
They are the oldest subway cars in passenger service in New York City today at 47 years old, well past the average service life of 35 years, and often cited for their superior durability and craftsmanship. They are also the only subway cars currently in service that were built for the New York City Transit Authority
New York City Transit Authority
The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City...
prior to its merger with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
in 1968. Five other car types built after them have been mostly or completely retired.
In August 2011, the New York Times called the R32s "a dreary reminder to passengers of an earlier subterranean era," and said that "time has taken a toll" on the cars. A Straphangers Campaign
Straphangers Campaign
The Straphangers Campaign is a New York City-based transit interest group that critiques the operations and planning activities of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority and especially that agency's affiliate, New York City Transit, operator of the city's huge subway and bus system...
survey found that the C train, where the R32s are assigned to, breaks down the most frequently of all trains in the system.
Background
The designation R32 is derived from the contract number under which the cars were purchased. They were originally assigned to the BMT Southern Division service only, initially on the Brighton LineBMT Brighton Line
The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays...
express service ( train) and the Sea Beach Line
BMT Sea Beach Line
The BMT Sea Beach Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT division of the New York City Subway, connecting the BMT Fourth Avenue Line subway at 59th Street via a four-track wide open cut to Coney Island in Brooklyn...
( train), later seeing service on the West End Line
BMT West End Line
The BMT West End Line is a line of the New York City Subway, serving the Brooklyn, communities of Borough Park, New Utrecht, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Coney Island. The D train operates on the line at all times, providing service to Manhattan and the Bronx via the IND Sixth Avenue Line...
( and TT trains).
History
The R32 contract was divided into two subcontracts of 300 cars each: the R32s and R32As. The R32As were funded through the proceeds of a revenue bond while the R32s were paid for out of the 1963-64 New York City capital budget. The two subcontracts differed only in interior lighting (R-32 Interior Lighting:, R-32A Interior Lighting featuring backlit ad-signs ).In 1964, the New York City Transit Authority
New York City Transit Authority
The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City...
contracted with Budd for 600 IND/BMT cars (300 pairs) to replace older equipment, including the BMT D-type (Triplex)
D-type Triplex (New York City Subway car)
The D-Type, commonly known as the Triplex, is a retired New York City Subway car with four units built as a prototype in 1925 and the production units built during 1927 and 1928.-History:...
articulated cars. Budd had bid on previous contracts with the NYCTA, but had never won a City contract for a production run of cars until the R32s, as Budd built only stainless-steel equipment and the TA refused to allow a differential in competitive bids for this higher-quality construction.
Budd won the contract by offering the lowest bid of $117,000 per car. Budd low-balled the price to win the contract and introduce stainless steel equipment to the modern New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
subway system, a plan that was met with limited success. NYCTA allowed a premium for subsequent stainless steel contracts, and all subsequent subway equipment was at least partly constructed of stainless steel. However, the Budd Company never benefited from the change, as Budd failed to win further contracts from the NYCTA and the company has since halted production of railroad cars.
The last four of these cars (3946-3949) were delivered with Pioneer trucks with disc brakes in 1966. The trucks were later replaced with standard trucks in 1976.
From 1988 to 1990, the R32 cars were rebuilt by Morrison Knudsen at its shops in Hornell, New York
Hornell, New York
Hornell is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 9,019 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers. Its current population has not yet been released by the new census....
. Ten R32 cars, which have since been retired, were rebuilt by General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
in its Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
facility. During the rebuilding process, the route and destination rollsigns located above the storm doors were removed and replaced with flipdot
Flip-disc display
The flip-disc display is an electromechanical dot matrix display technology used for large outdoor signs, normally those that will be exposed to direct sunlight. Flip-disc technology has been used on buses across North America and Europe. It has also been used extensively on public information...
electronic route signs. The distinctive marker lights were also removed.
The R32s are numbered 3350-3949. One car, originally numbered 3659, lost its even-numbered mate in an accident, so it was rebuilt as an even-numbered car and renumbered to 3348. 3348 was reefed
Artificial reef
An artificial reef is a human-made underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, control erosion, block ship passage, or improve surfing....
in 2009.
After their refurbishment, R32 and R32A cars were renamed R32 Phase I, R32 Phase II and R32 GE. The R32 Phase I cars (re-built by Morrison Knudsen) have WABCO Air Brake packages, GE Master Controllers, and Thermo King HVAC units. The R32 Phase II cars (also re-built by Morrison Knudsen) have NY Air Brake equipment, Westinghouse Master Controllers, and Stone Safety HVAC units. Since the cars were sent out to be overhauled based on how poorly they were performing (worst first), there are R32s and R32As in both Phase I and Phase II. There are also about a dozen or more pairs which are composed of R32 and R32A mixes. The R32 GEs are slightly different from their Phase I and II brothers as they still retain their original traction motors, feature backlit ad signs, and somewhat different bulkhead designs.
The cars are maintained at the 207th Street Yard and run on the train. Ten cars are maintained at the 36th-38th Street Yard and used for work service.
The R160
R160 (New York City Subway car)
The R160 is a class of 1,662 New York City Subway cars built by two different companies: Alstom Transportation and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The class was built by two manufacturers, so they are designated as "R160A" and "R160B"...
order was intended to replace all of the R32 fleet, but this was halted due to structural issues found on the R44
R44 (New York City Subway car)
The R44 is a New York City Transit car model that debuted in 1971 and currently operates on the Staten Island Railway.-History:The R44 was the first 75-foot car for the New York City Subway. It was introduced for the B Division under the idea from New York City Transit that a train of eight cars...
s that led to their retirement. The 10 GE and all Phase II R32s have been retired as well as some Phase I cars. After retirement, most cars were stripped and sunk as artificial reefs. As of July 2008, pair 3352-3353 is at the New York City Transit Museum. These cars were the lead set on the R32s premiere trip on September 9, 1964. Cars 3350-3351 have also been set aside for preservation by the Railway Preservation Corp, while cars 3594-3595 have been moved to Floyd Bennet Field and set aside for anti-terrorism training.
The remaining cars are scheduled to undergo SMS (Scheduled Maintenance Service), at a cost of $24 million, to extend their useful lives through 2017.