R62 (New York City Subway car)
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| R62 (New York City Subway car) | |
|---|---|
 An R62 3 train leaving Sutter Avenue–Rutland Road station in Brooklyn. 
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| Manufacturer | Kawasaki Heavy Industries |
| Constructed | 1983-1985 |
| Number built | 325 |
| Number in service | 315 (of which 250 are scheduled for service during rush hours) |
| Number scrapped | 10 |
| Formation | 5 car sets |
| Fleet numbers | 1301-1625 |
| Capacity | 42 (seated-A car) 44 (seated-B car) |
| Operator | New York City Subway |
| Depot(s) | Livonia Yard |
| Line(s) served |  |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Stainless steel with fiberglass end bonnets |
| Car length | 51.04 feet (15.56 m) |
| Width | 8.60 feet (2.62 m) |
| Height | 11.89 feet (3.62 m) |
| Platform height | 3.6458 ft (1.1 m) |
| Doors | 6 per car |
| Maximum speed | 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) |
| Weight | 73,900 pounds (33,500 kg) (A car) 74,540 pounds (33,810 kg) (B car) |
| Acceleration | 2.5 MPHPS |
| Traction system | General Electric SCM 17KG1924A1 Group General Electric 1257E1 motors |
| Power output | 115 hp (85.7555 kW) on all axles |
| Power supply | 625 VDC third rail |
| Braking system(s) | WABCO RT2 Braking System WABCO Tread Brake Unit |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The R62 is a class of New York City Subway cars. They were the first stainless steel cars for the IRT lines. Built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe, Japan, they were shipped by barge to Port Newark, New Jersey and introduced in 1983. For most of their lives they have operated on the 4 service, but with the arrival of the R142 cars in 2003–04, all are now assigned to the 3.
The R62s were the first air-conditioned cars built for the IRT. They continued a controversial interior design by employing bucket seating. This reduced the number of seats per car when compared to standard bench seating, but had a higher capacity for standing. This design originated with the R44, and continued with the R62A, R68 and R68A cars. They also feature outdoor speakers. Several cars in the order (1588-90) have bench seating after complaints upon delivery. Bucket seating is no longer used on the newest New York City Subway cars.
The R62s were built as single, independent cars until 1991, when they were linked into 5-car sets to save money and equipment.
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[edit] History
In 1980, with the bus and train fleets in poor shape, the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) was looking into capital maintenance and bond acts to replace its aging fleet from the 1950s and early 1960s, and to rebuild or renovate older cars. The plan called for 325 IRT cars, under the R62 contract, ordered on April 12, 1982, and awarded to Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan. This was the first time a foreign company was chosen to build cars for the New York City Subway.
The first set of R62s were delivered in October 1983. They entered 30-day test service on the 4 train on November 29. At that time, the new cars came as a great relief for IRT riders who were used to non-air conditioned and graffiti-filled trains. After several test runs in early 1984, the R62 cars began regular delivery to the 4 train. All 325 cars were in service by August 1985, making the 4 the first entirely graffiti-free route in the system in many years. They replaced the R12s, R14s, and R15s. Kawasaki did not want to build the additional cars that the NYCTA wanted as a separate part of the R62 order, known as R62A. Bombardier, based in Canada, won a contract to supply these 825 cars.
On August 28, 1991 a sleep-deprived and intoxicated motorman crashed a 4 express train at 14th Street–Union Square in Manhattan. Five riders were killed and several dozen were injured. R62 cars 1435-1437 and 1439-1440 were wrecked in this accident. 1435, 1437, 1439, and 1440 were scrapped in 2001, and 1436 was reefed in February 2008. The rear 5 cars of the train run together as a set (1431-1432-1433-1434-1438).
On October 25, 2000, during the 2000 World Series, cars 1366-1370 were involved in a rear end crash on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line in the Bronx. 1369 was scrapped in 2005, 1366 and half of 1370 are at the FDNY Randalls Island training center, and 1367 and 1368 were reefed in February 2008.
Each R62 car was purchased for US$918,293.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- 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
[edit] External links
- nycsubway.org — NYC Subway Cars: R62/R62A
- Car Status/Assignment
- Train Set Assignments
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