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R40 (New York City Subway car)
Encyclopedia
The R40 was a New York City Subway
car built between 1967 and 1969 by the St. Louis Car Company
in St. Louis, Missouri
, serving the B
(IND
/BMT) Division.
automobile.
The first incomplete pair of R40s (cars 4350 and 4351) came onto TA property in November 1967 for promoting the Transportation Bond issue on Election Day. In January 1968, the R40 fleet entered service on the train.
The New York City Transit Authority
found great dangers with the slanted design with the lack of handholds for riders walking between cars, the danger of the passenger falling onto the track, and other flaws. Within months, the cars were retrofitted with pantograph gates, which effectively destroyed Loewy's design, but allowed passengers to safely travel between cars.
Between 1987 and 1989, the R40s were rebuilt by Sumitomo
in Elmira Heights, New York
and fitted with air conditioning
and a new interior design.
In January 2008, pair 4192-4193 were displayed in the New York Transit Museum
; this pair was later scrapped. In May 2009, pair 4280-4281 were designated to be preserved instead.
The R160
order has replaced all of the R40 fleet. The last pair (4256-4257) made its final trip on June 12, 2009 on the service with a consist of R40A
slants, which were retired the same day. Pair 4162-4163 have been assigned to school training and is at the Concourse Yard.
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 built between 1967 and 1969 by the St. Louis Car Company
St. Louis Car Company
The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, serving the B
B Division (New York City Subway)
The B Division is a division of the New York City Subway, consisting of the lines operated with services designated by letters , in addition to the Franklin Avenue Shuttle and Rockaway Park Shuttle...
(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) Division.
About
The R40 fleet was numbered 4150 - 4349; cars 4250 - 4349 were originally numbered as 4350 - 4449 until 1970 (cars 4150 - 4249 retained their original numbers). These cars were unique for their 10–degree slanted end, designed by the firm of Raymond Loewy and Associates. Loewy is also well known for his work in designing the Studebaker ChampionStudebaker Champion
The Studebaker Champion is an automobile which was produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana from the beginning of the 1939 model year until 1958....
automobile.
The first incomplete pair of R40s (cars 4350 and 4351) came onto TA property in November 1967 for promoting the Transportation Bond issue on Election Day. In January 1968, the R40 fleet entered service on the train.
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...
found great dangers with the slanted design with the lack of handholds for riders walking between cars, the danger of the passenger falling onto the track, and other flaws. Within months, the cars were retrofitted with pantograph gates, which effectively destroyed Loewy's design, but allowed passengers to safely travel between cars.
Between 1987 and 1989, the R40s were rebuilt by Sumitomo
Sumitomo Group
is one of the largest keiretsu, founded by Masatomo Sumitomo.-History:The Sumitomo group traces its roots to a bookshop in Kyoto founded circa 1615 by a former buddhist priest,...
in Elmira Heights, New York
Elmira Heights, New York
Elmira Heights is a village in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 4,170 at the 2000 census.The Village of Elmira Heights is primarily within the Town of Elmira, but part of the village is in the Town of Horseheads. The village is a northern suburb of the City of Elmira...
and fitted with air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
and a new interior design.
In January 2008, pair 4192-4193 were displayed in the New York Transit Museum
New York Transit Museum
The New York Transit Museum is a museum which displays historical artifacts of the New York City Subway, bus, commuter rail, and bridge and tunnel systems; it is located in a decommissioned Court Street subway station in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of New York City...
; this pair was later scrapped. In May 2009, pair 4280-4281 were designated to be preserved instead.
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 has replaced all of the R40 fleet. The last pair (4256-4257) made its final trip on June 12, 2009 on the service with a consist of R40A
R40A (New York City Subway car)
The R40A was a New York City Subway car order built by St. Louis Car Company between 1968 and 1969. The order contained two forms: a slant-ended version that was similar to the original R40 order , and a straight-ended version similar to the R42 order...
slants, which were retired the same day. Pair 4162-4163 have been assigned to school training and is at the Concourse Yard.
Further reading
- Sansone, Gene. Evolution of New York City subways: An illustrated history of New York City's transit cars, 1867-1997. New York Transit Museum Press, New York, 1997 ISBN 978-0963749284