R40 (New York City Subway car)
| R40 (New York City Subway car) | |
|---|---|
 Bronx-bound B train of R40s leaving Sheepshead Bay | |
 Interior of car 4320 | |
| Constructed | 1968 |
| Number built | 200 |
| Number in service | 70 |
| Number scrapped | 130 |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 60 ft (18.3 m) |
| Platform height | 3.76 ft (1.1 m) |
| Doors | 8 |
| Braking system(s) | WABCO "SMEE" Braking System, A.S.F. simplex unit cylinder clasp (tread) brake |
The R40 (sometimes referred to as R40 Slant to distinguish it from the later R40M) is a New York City Subway IND–BMT car, built in 1967–69 by the St. Louis Car Company, St. Louis, Missouri. These cars were unique for their 10 degree slanted end, designed by Raymond Loewy of Studebaker fame. The slant design did not work in very well in service, resulting in numerous modifications to the R40 fleet early on in their service life. Some early plans for the R40 fleet involved 5 car sets with slants only on the ends.
The first R40 set (4350-51) was delivered in November, 1967. In January 1968 the first cars went into service on the F service (6 Avenue Local).
The New York City Transit Authority found great dangers with the slant, with the lack of handholds for riders walking between cars, the danger of the passenger falling onto the track and other flaws in the design. All R40 cars were later retrofitted with pantograph gates at the ends. With the poorly conceived slant design, NYCTA had the last 100 R40 cars (R40M) built with a straight end similar to the R42. 200 R40A's (100 R40A slants and 100 "R40M") were built with original air conditioning.
In 1987–1989 the R40's were rebuilt by Sumitomo in Elmira Heights, New York.
Currently, R40s can be found on the A,B,G lines. As of November 11,2008 R40 is on the G[1].
![[1]](http://www.ttmg.org/photos/tlogan/NYCS_Stlouis_4238.jpg){kind=link}
The R40 cars are numbered 4150-4349. The R40A cars (slant end) are numbered 4350-4449 (100 cars), and the R40M (straight end) are numbered 4450-4549 (100 cars). In January 2008, the R40 pair 4192-4193 was sent to the New York Transit Museum. They will most likely be preserved and moved to a yard. [2]. The R160B order will replace all of the R40 fleet. The majority of these cars have already been retired. [1]
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