R26 (New York City Subway car)
| R26 | |
|---|---|
| In service | 1959–2002 |
| Manufacturer | American Car and Foundry |
| Constructed | 1959-1960 |
| Scrapped | 2001–2002 |
| Number built | 110 |
| Number preserved | 2 |
| Number scrapped | 108 |
| Formation | Single unit, 1 cab |
| Fleet numbers | 7750-7859 |
| Capacity | 44 |
| Operator(s) | New York City Subway |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | LAHT carbon steel |
| Car length | 51.04 ft (15.56 m) |
| Width | 8.75 ft (2,667 mm) |
| Height | 11.86 ft (3,615 mm) |
| Doors | 6 per car |
| Maximum speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
| Weight | 70,000 lb (32,000 kg) (post-rebuild) |
| Traction system | General Electric 17KG192B1 (7804-7859 formerly Westinghouse) |
| Prime mover(s) | General Electric 1257F1 or Westinghouse 1447J |
| Power output | 115 hp (86 kW) |
| Electric system(s) | 600 V DC Third rail |
| Current collection method | Contact shoe |
| Braking system(s) | WABCO, "SMEE" (electrodynamic) |
| Coupling system | H2C |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The R26 was a New York City Subway car built in 1959 by American Car and Foundry. They were made for the IRT A Division and were the first cars to not be built with operating cabs at both ends.
The even-numbered car carried the motor generator and battery set for electrical equipment while the odd numbered car held air compressor for the brakes. A special version of the H2C coupler was used to link the cars so they could easily be split if needed and thus, they were called "semi-permanent pairs." Only the No.1 end had the operator controls. The No.2 end had conductor's controls only. Although referred as the "blind end," these ends did have windows for the conductor. The R26s were the first cars to use single, sealed storm windows since the R14s, and pink colored-molded hard fiberglass seats. The hard fiberglass seats would become standard seating from this order onward for all new cars purchased to cut down on vandalism, and reduce maintenance costs, etc.
The first set of R26/R28s was placed in service on the 6 train on October 12, 1959. By 1982, all cars in this series have received air conditioning as part of a retrofitting program. Rebuilt by Morrison Knudsen in Hornell, New York between 1985 and 1987, the R26s were repainted as Redbirds and were the first cars to be repainted in the scheme. They re-entered service particularly on the 2 and 5 trains.
As time wore on, heavy service took their toll on these cars. The R142 and R142A car orders replaced the entire R26 fleet. The first R26s were retired in May 2001 until the last train with R26s ran on October 7, 2002, with the last pairs of R28s and two pairs of R29s (the latter of which was retired weeks later).
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