R6 (New York City Subway car)

R6 car #1000 in special service.

The R6 was a New York City Subway car that was built in 1935 and 1936. The R6 contract had three separate orders from different manufacturers due to the large order. The R6 separate orders were R6-3 (American Car and Foundry Company), R6-2 (Pullman Standard), and R6-1 (Pressed Steel Company). The R6 fleets were almost identical to the R4s which preceded them, except that the R6 had a 2 pane front window compared to the R4's 1 pane window.

Preservation

• Cars 923 and 925 were converted to revenue collection cars, and numbered R247, and R248. Once they were no longer needed as work cars, they were purchased and preserved by Railway Preservation Corp, and stored in Coney Island Yard. Restoration will be needed if these cars are to run again.
• Car 978 has been converted into a deli (Golden's Deli) at the Staten Island Mall
• Car 983 is on private property in Jacksonville, Florida where it is used as a tool shed
• Car 1000 was preserved by Railway Preservation Corp. and has been fully restored
• Car 1144 is preserved at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre in England
• Car 1300 was preserved by Railway Preservation Corp. and has been fully restored

Note that Car 1208 had been preserved by the New York Transit Museum, but was scrapped during the 1980s as were several other museum cars. Had it survived, it would have been the only preserved R6 built by Pullman Standard.

R-6 Specifications

• Car Builder: American Car and Foundry Company, Pullman Standard, Pressed Steel Company
• Car Body: Riveted Steel
• Unit Numbers: 900-1399 (motorized single units)
• Fleet: 500 cars
• Preserved: 7 cars
• Car Length: 60 feet, 2¹⁄₂ inches (18.35 m)
• Car Width: 10 feet (3.05 m)
• Car Height: 12 feet, 1⁵⁄₈ inches (3.70 m)
• Total Weight: 84,228 lbs
• Track Gauge: 4 feet, 8¹⁄₂ inches (1435 mm)
• Propulsion System:
• Motors: Westinghouse 570-D5 or General Electric 714-C1, 714-C2
• Motor Power: 190 horsepower (142 kW) per motor
• Braking System: WABCO Schedule AMUE with UE-5 universal valve, ME-23 brake stand, and simplex clasp brake rigging
• Air Compressor: WABCO D-3-F
• Coupler Type: WABCO H2A
• Total Seating: 56 seats
• Cab arrangement: Half-width operator's cab at each end; conductor controls on exterior

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