R40A (New York City Subway car)
| R40/A | |
|---|---|
Slant-ended (above) and straight-ended (below) variants
|
|
Interior of an R40 car.
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| In service | 1968–2009 |
| Manufacturer | St. Louis Car Company |
| Built at | St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
| Replaced | many of the remaining BMT AB Standards |
| Constructed |
|
| Entered service | March 23, 1968 |
| Refurbishment | 1987–1989 |
| Scrapped | 2008–2010, 2013 |
| Number built | 400
|
| Number preserved | 5 (2 R40s, 3 R40As) |
| Number scrapped | 394 |
| Fleet numbers |
|
| Capacity | 44 (seated) |
| Operator(s) | New York City Subway |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Stainless steel sides with carbon steel chassis and underframes, fiberglass A-end bonnet |
| Car length | 60 ft 2.5 in (18.35 m) |
| Width | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 1.625 in (3.70 m) |
| Platform height | 3 ft 9.125 in (1.15 m) |
| Doors | 8 |
| Maximum speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
| Weight | 77,695 lb (35,242 kg) (slant) 78,030 lb (35,394 kg) |
| Traction system | General Electric (GE) SCM 17KG192AE2 propulsion system using GE 1257E1 motors (115 hp or 85.76 kW per axle) |
| Acceleration | 2.5mph/s |
| Deceleration | ~3mph |
| Braking system(s) | WABCO "SMEE" Braking System, A.S.F. simplex unit cylinder clasp (tread) brake |
| Safety system(s) | emergency brakes |
| Headlight type | halogen light bulbs |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The R40 was a New York City Subway car model built by St. Louis Car Company in Missouri for the IND/BMT B Division.
The R40s were originally numbered 4150–4249 and 4350–4449. In 1970, cars 4350–4449 were renumbered to 4250–4349. The slant-ended R40As were originally numbered 4450–4549, and the straight-ended R40As were originally numbered 4250–4349; these cars were later renumbered to 4350–4449 and 4450–4549, respectively.
The R40s were unique for their 10-degree slanted end (designed by the firm Raymond Loewy and Associates), and were nicknamed the R40 Slants or simply Slants. This was done with the intention of beautifying the subway, and thus, making it more attractive to car users. However, the New York City Transit Authority found great dangers, along with other hazards and flaws, with the slanted end design; with the lack of handholds for riders walking between cars after children were playing in these areas, there were concerns of the passenger falling onto the tracks. The doors between cars were closed to prevent accidents as a temporary solution. Within months, the cars were retrofitted at a cost of $215,000 with large grab rails with pantograph gates mounted, which effectively destroyed Loewy's design, but allowed passengers to travel safely between cars.
A continuation of the original R40 order, the R40A, was a class of 200 more cars built from 1968 to 1969 by the St. Louis Car Company. Unlike the R40s, however, the R40As contained two "forms" or body types. The first 100 R40As were slant-ended versions identical to the original R40s (also nicknamed the "R40 Slant" or "Slants"), while the last 100 R40As were "modified" straight-ended versions designed by Sundberg-Ferar (nicknamed the R40M).
The R40As were delivered new with the same successful Stone Safety 10 ton air conditioning systems/units found on the last ten R38 cars, and became standard equipment on all future subway cars purchased from this point onward. As a result of the air conditioning, the standee poles were arranged in an alternating pattern rather than the straight-line pattern seen in the R40s, which lacked air conditioning systems/units until their overhauls.
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