R6 (New York City Subway car)

R6 (New York City Subway car)
R6 car 1000 in holiday service.
In service	1935-1977
Manufacturer	American Car and Foundry Company, Pullman Standard, Pressed Steel Car Company
Built at	Berwick, Pennsylvania
Constructed	1935–1936
Number built	500
Number preserved	7
Number scrapped	493
Formation	Half-width operator's cab at each end; conductor controls on exterior
Fleet numbers	900-1399 (motorized single units)
Capacity	56 seats
Operator(s)	Independent Subway System New York City Transit Authority
Specifications
Car body construction	Riveted steel
Car length
Width	10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)
Height
Doors	8
Weight	84,228 lb (38,205 kg)
Traction system	Westinghouse ABF type UP143B switch group, with XM-29 master controller using Westinghouse 570-D5 or General Electric 714-C1, 714-C2 190 hp (142 kW) per motor. Two motors per car (both on motor truck, trailer truck not motorized).
Power output	190 hp (142 kW) per traction motor *Motor Power: 190 hp (142 kW) per motor
Electric system(s)	600 V DC Third rail
Current collection method	Contact shoe (Top running)
Braking system(s)	WABCO Schedule AMUE with UE-5 universal valve, ME-23 brake stand, and simplex clasp brake rigging
Coupling system	WABCO H2A
Headlight type	incandescent light bulb
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

The R6 was a New York City Subway car 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 Car 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.

The R6's were used for service on the IND exclusively until 1968-9, when many were displaced from the IND by the new R40 and R42 cars, and many were transferred to the East New York Yard of the Eastern Division, and were used on the former BMT J, KK, LL, M, and QJ routes until 1977 when the R6's were retired, and replaced by the R46's.

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 was converted into a deli (Golden's Deli) at the Staten Island Mall, until the Deli was closed in January 2012. The owners of the Deli have placed it in storage, but have ultimately decided to sell the car. The car was successfully sold and is being restored by a private owner.
• Car 983 was on private property in Jacksonville, Florida where it was used as a tool shed until 2014. It is currently at the Craggy Mountain Railroad Line and is being restored. The car uses trucks from scrapped R32s.
• 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

Car 1208 had been preserved by the New York Transit Museum, but was scrapped during the 1980s as were several other museum cars.

Further reading

• 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 978-0-9637492-8-4