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R68 (New York City Subway car)
Encyclopedia
The R68 is a type of New York City Subway
car
for the "B" Division. The 425-car contract was a joint venture of Westinghouse AM-Rail Company, ANF Industrie of Paris, Jeumont Schneider, and Alstom
. The cars were built in France
from 1986 to 1988 and shipped to New York Harbor
. They replaced many R10
s, all remaining 6300-series R16
s, and some R27
/30s
.
The R68 was the third R-class contract to be built with 75-foot (23 m) cars, which have more room for sitting and standing passengers per car than the 60 feet (18.3 m) cars that were used previously. However, because 75 feet (22.9 m) cars take longer to load and unload and cannot fit in the entire "B" division, orders made afterwards have returned to 60 feet (18.3 m) cars.
The R68s' manufactures suffered from significant system integration problems. Inadequate communication and coordination between the carbody builder (ANF Industrie) and the chassis assembler (Westinghouse) led to operational failures and the R68s became known as a lemon. However, extensive work performed by the New York City Transit Authority
provided solutions to the fleet's many problems.
The R68s' first entry to revenue service was on June 20, 1986 on the service with the first train consisting of cars 2500-2507. There were two contracts to supply the R68 fleet. The primary order consisted of cars 2500-2724 while the R68-1 option order consisted of cars 2725-2924.
R68s are based out of the Concourse Yard in the Bronx
and the Coney Island Complex in Brooklyn
and assigned to the , , , and Franklin Avenue Shuttle. The R68s that operate on the Franklin Avenue Shuttle have some noticeable differences from the main line cars. These cars have permanent side signs instead of rollsigns, remain set up as single units with OPTO switches added (unlike the rest of the R68s, which have been configured into sets of four), and car 2923 uses three-piece side windows.
The R68s are scheduled to remain in service until at least 2025 and the MTA is proposing mid-life technological upgrades for the fleet including LED
destination signs and automated announcements.
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
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
for the "B" Division. The 425-car contract was a joint venture of Westinghouse AM-Rail Company, ANF Industrie of Paris, Jeumont Schneider, and Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
. The cars were built in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
from 1986 to 1988 and shipped to New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
. They replaced many R10
R10 (New York City Subway car)
The R10 is a New York City Subway car class built by the American Car and Foundry Company in 1948-1949. The cars were nicknamed Thunderbirds.-Service History:*First Date of Revenue Service: November 20, 1948, on the ' route....
s, all remaining 6300-series R16
R16 (New York City Subway car)
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....
s, and some R27
R27 (New York City Subway car)
The R27 was a New York City Subway car built by the St. Louis Car Company for the New York City Transit Authority in 1960–61. The R27s were a continuation of the R16 style....
/30s
R30 (New York City Subway car)
The R30 was a New York City Subway car built by St. Louis Car Company for the New York City Transit Authority in 1960–62. It was a continuation of the R16 and R27 style. They were a "follow-up" or supplemental stock for the "B" Division's R27s and closely resemble them.The cars were...
.
The R68 was the third R-class contract to be built with 75-foot (23 m) cars, which have more room for sitting and standing passengers per car than the 60 feet (18.3 m) cars that were used previously. However, because 75 feet (22.9 m) cars take longer to load and unload and cannot fit in the entire "B" division, orders made afterwards have returned to 60 feet (18.3 m) cars.
The R68s' manufactures suffered from significant system integration problems. Inadequate communication and coordination between the carbody builder (ANF Industrie) and the chassis assembler (Westinghouse) led to operational failures and the R68s became known as a lemon. However, extensive work performed by 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...
provided solutions to the fleet's many problems.
The R68s' first entry to revenue service was on June 20, 1986 on the service with the first train consisting of cars 2500-2507. There were two contracts to supply the R68 fleet. The primary order consisted of cars 2500-2724 while the R68-1 option order consisted of cars 2725-2924.
R68s are based out of the Concourse Yard in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
and the Coney Island Complex in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and assigned to the , , , and Franklin Avenue Shuttle. The R68s that operate on the Franklin Avenue Shuttle have some noticeable differences from the main line cars. These cars have permanent side signs instead of rollsigns, remain set up as single units with OPTO switches added (unlike the rest of the R68s, which have been configured into sets of four), and car 2923 uses three-piece side windows.
The R68s are scheduled to remain in service until at least 2025 and the MTA is proposing mid-life technological upgrades for the fleet including LED
LED display
An LED display is a flat panel display, which uses light-emitting diodes as a video display. An LED panel is a small display, or a component of a larger display. They are typically used outdoors in store signs and billboards, and in recent years have also become commonly used in destination signs...
destination signs and automated announcements.
See also
- R68A (New York City Subway car)R68A (New York City Subway car)R68A is a class of New York City Subway cars that were built in Kobe, Japan by Kawasaki Rail Car Company.- History and Description:There were 200 R68A cars built from 1988–89. They first entered into service in April 1988 on the train...
- A similar car model built by KawasakiKawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Companyis the rolling stock production division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Since beginning operations in 1906, the company has produced more than 90,000 railroad vehicles.- Products :...
of JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...